This guide has to be split into several different posts, due to running into the 65,000 character limit multiple times. I don't know how many posts this will require, so I reserved 6 just to be safe.
This guide was originally posted here. It will be improved from its initial draft and, depending on what the QC team wants, may be expanded to cover the level 100 mode as well (although I'm nowhere near as experienced with the mode as I am with level 50, so I'll need help.)
This post will cover:
-intro
-hidden mechanics
-AI quirks and oddities
-general strategy and long-term strategy
-round-specific strategies
-my thoughts on sets you'd find in round 1
The most important mechanic to be aware of is that swapping more often will permanently increase the quality of sets in your draft. Specifically, for every seven swaps you make (picking your initial team from your draft counts as a swap), one Pokemon in your draft will be chosen from the pool of sets you'd normally get in next round's draft (this is called an elevation).
The list of Pokemon you'd normally receive in each round's draft is as follows, using index numbers from this list:
Round 1: 0 IV Pokemon of very weak species with only 1 possible set (Index 1 to 150)
Round 2: 4 IV NFE or weak fully evolved Pokemon using the first set of their species (Index 151 to 250)
Round 3: 8 IV NFE or weak fully evolved Pokemon using the second set of their species (Index 251 to 350)
Round 4: 12 IV fully evolved (plus Porygon2 and Rhydon) non-legendary Pokemon using the first set of their species (Index 351 to 486)
Round 5: 16 IV fully evolved non-legendary Pokemon using the second set of their species (Index 487 to 622)
Round 6: 20 IV fully evolved non-legendary Pokemon using the third set of their species (Index 623 to 758)
Round 7: 24 IV fully evolved non-legendary Pokemon using the fourth set of their species (Index 759 to 894)
Round 8+: 31 IV fully evolved and legendary Pokemon using all possible sets for their species (Index 351 to 950)
For example, if you just began round 6 and you've swapped 23 times prior, you will receive three 20 IV Pokemon that use set 3, and three 24 IV Pokemon that use set 4.
In the first six battles of every round, you will face either a trainer that uses Pokemon you'd normally find in the current round's draft, or a trainer that uses Pokemon you'd normally find in the previous round's draft. That is to say, any trainers will not mix and match Pokemon from multiple rounds, until round 8.
In the seventh and final battle of every round, you will face a trainer that uses Pokemon you'd normally find in the next round's draft. The only exception to this is fighting Thorton on battle 49, who will use either set 4 non-legendary Pokemon, or legendary Pokemon from all sets, at 31 IVs, letting him use sets with index numbers between 759 and 950.
I should also talk about the attendant that tells you about your opponent and what exactly she means. In the first two rounds, her advice is self-explanatory. She'll just state the species of the Pokemon on your opponent's team. However, in round 3 and 4, she will always list the first move (in the top-left slot) of the opponent's lead. For example, if she says the opponent's using a Golbat that knows Aerial Ace, even though set1 and set2 Golbat both know Aerial Ace, she's referring to set1 Golbat, but not set2 Golbat, since that has Poison Fang as its first move.
In round 5 and onward, her advice refers to the most common type on your opponent's team. If she says that the opponent doesn't care about the types of Pokemon, it means that none of the Pokemon your opponent uses will have any types in common. If there is a type that several Pokemon on your opponent's team share, she'll pick the most common type. (For instance, a trainer using Skarmory, Dragonite, and Salamence would cause the attendant to say Flying type.) If two or more types are equally common (For instance, Tauros, Rhydon, and Rhyperior, or Feraligatr, Quagsire, and Hippowdon), the attendant will pick one of the most common types seemingly at random. It's possible she uses the index number to prioritize announcing certain types over others, but I haven't bothered to test this.
The last mechanic I should talk about is how Item and Species Clauses are implemented. Due to the fact that you can bring your opponent's Pokemon onto your team, the opponent's team may not have any species or items present in the previous battle. While this may seem obvious, it is still worth mentioning, as it is very important to keep in mind against trainers capable of using multiple sets of one species.
-They are equally likely to select all moves that can KO on their highest roll and don't have major drawbacks (like recoil, moving last, requiring a recharge, or lowering user's attacking stats). This can lead to scenarios where the AI has a guaranteed KO with STAB Psychic but using non-STAB Focus Blast instead and either missing the KO due to a low roll or missing outright.
-If they don't have a KO on you and only have damaging moves, they'll go for the move that does the most damage. I've exploited this several times to safely switch mons in.
-The AI will not switch out if they are locked into a move you are immune to, or only have status moves that don't affect your Pokemon. The only time I've ever seen the AI switch out due to being unable to hurt my mons is when using Shedinja.
With that out of the way, let's talk general strategies. While the specifics differ every round, you'll usually want to not lead with your best Pokemon, and favor fast but frail Pokemon over slow, bulky ones. At the start of every round, keep in mind what you want your team to eventually look like, not necessarily in terms of species or sets, but in favor of archetypes you're fairly certain that you're likely to have the opportunity to trade for. For instance, if you receive a Magneton in your round 2 draft, you might think "Mag + Water + anti-grass". This'll help with choosing better sets to trade for. Additionally, in rounds where you've decided to trade every battle for the sake of receiving elevations, you usually want to designate a teamslot to repeatedly trade away (nicknamed the 'churn slot' by average fella). This can be either your lead slot or one of your backup slots.
Now, long-term strategy. There are a few spots in level 50 that feature large difficulty spikes, so the aim is to trade as much as possible to increase the chances of surviving this. The hardest points of any level 50 run are: Battle 7, Battle 14, Battle 21, and the entirety of Round 5. The difficulty spike on the last battles of the first 3 rounds is simple enough to explain: You're fighting Pokemon that far outclass what you naturally have access to in terms of stats and moves. Fortunately, Battles 7 and 14 take place with bad AI, so it's likely that the AI will just make stupid moves, letting you win. However, if the AI randomly selects effective moves, you're in for a VERY rough time.
Round 5's difficulty spike, on the other hand, comes from a multitude of factors. First off, elevations are no longer so much more powerful than what the enemies will be using (for example, Surf Lumineon when the average enemy is using STABs between 50 and 60 BP). Secondly, the sets that you naturally receive in round 5 (set 2 of fully evolved Pokemon) are usually gimmicky, unreliable, or too specialized. Thirdly, round 5 is when Smart AI kicks in full-force, so you can't just hope the AI picks bad moves. All this combines to form a massive roadblock that relies on you getting a good draft or getting trade options with reliable moves that you're lucky enough to beat.
Because of this, the commonly accepted 'best' long-term strategy for level 50 is:
-Trade every battle during rounds 1 and 2 to get two elevations, which gives you better odds at round 3 Thorton. Since the first two rounds can be lost with little consequence, there is no downside to trading every battle during these rounds.
-Trade after every battle during round 3, keeping your two best mons from the draft in your party. I like to have my churn slot be in the lead position by default so that I can counter-team Thorton's lead.
-Trade after every battle during round 4, since it's your last chance and round 5 is way likelier to go favorably with four elevations to choose from.
-Trade only to improve your team during round 5. Trading after every battle here is likely to get you to lose to something stupid and completely preventable.
-Before going into round 6, look at the number of trades you have in the record-keeping PC. Keep this in mind that 35 trades will give you an elevation in round 7. Since elevations in round 7 are of dubious worth (Set4's are consistently great, but only having one guaranteed to choose from may cause your draft to vary wildly in quality), keep track of how many trades you'll need to do to get to 35, and trade accordingly to either stay under or hit the 35-trades benchmark. Aside from this, trade mainly to improve your team, although with four set4 mons to choose from, round 6 drafts are usually high-quality.
-Since elevations do not matter in round 8 and onwards, trade only to improve team quality in round 7 and later.
If you're having trouble and find yourself losing in the early rounds of the factory, you could try this strategy instead:
-Trade after every battle in rounds 1 and 2, since losing in these rounds is of little consequence.
-In round 3, trade mainly to improve your team to give yourself a better shot against Thorton.
-In round 4, look at your current trades, and try to hit 21 trades by the end of the round or, if you're confident enough, trade every battle.
-In round 5 and onwards, trade only to improve your team.
This strategy is better to help learn decision-making in Level 50 factory, although missing out on an elevation in rounds 5 and 6 hurts a lot.
Generally you'll want to lead with your best attacker here (Such as Minun, Magby, or a Bug/Flying) in interest of faster battles. The main pokemon archetypes you'll want to watch out for here are Rock/Ground, Bug/Flying, and strong Electric special attackers. You have full team preview during this round so you'll know if a threat to your team is coming up.
Also there's nothing wrong with resetting at the round 1 draft if you want to try again for better sets, since you aren't losing any progress.
The round 2 trading strategy in the battle factory differs completely from round 1 strategy. This is due to the fact that you will, 90% of the time, have exactly one mon that is so much better than the rest of your team that your "team" should be built around supporting that one mon.
While round 1 focuses mainly on getting the best pokemon available and keeping them throughout the round regardless of how badly they synergize and round 3 focuses on elevations mainly, round 2 highly rewards two-mon cores. These two-mon cores usually feature one mon as the main (usually your elevation) and one as the backup (a non-elevation that you either found in the draft or traded for and kept). These two-mon cores favor defensive synergy over offensive synergy. Two-mon cores should have a mon capable of beating pokemon of every type or common type combinations (like rock/ground or normal/flying), but it is fine if one mon doesn't resist a type the other is weak to. The mons themselves should also be capable of holding their own, unless the main mon is so vastly strong by round 2 standards (like Electabuzz2) that the backup is only needed to patch specific holes. Examples of strong two-mon cores include:
Mantine/Magneton
Persian/Misdreavus
Gligar/Huntail
Note that while two-mon cores mainly apply if you have a useful elevation, it's possible that your elevation will have bad moves (as in Raticate) or stats unsuited to speedy battles (as in Dusclops). In these cases, there is nothing wrong with simply using a team that focuses on a two-mon core that does not include your elevation.
Since it's possible to face (and thus trade for) round 2 sets as enemies in round 3, it's not unlikely that you will be using a round 2 set against battle 21 Thorton, and thus some sets will acknowledge that fact.
Round 3, strategy, as mentioned above, focuses on elevations. Battle 21 is incredibly difficult to do without any elevations, and sometimes Thorton will pick a team that you just cannot win against. At the round 3 draft, you want to look at your elevations and think long and hard "Is this mon likely to pitch in majorly against Thorton?" If the answer is no for one of them, you have to look at your other mons and ask that question again. Once you find two mons that you can say yes to, you have to pick the two best mons in your draft, and keep them throughout the whole set. It is very likely that these mons will not have good synergy with each other, and you will have to deal with it. Any time you want to replace one of the two mons you found on your draft, you ask yourself "Is this more likely to help me against Thorton than the mon I'm throwing away?" If the answer is no, you don't replace that mon. Round 3 is tough, and a lot of the time you will find yourself with a choice of set1s you are forced to choose one of against Thorton. In that case, you either pick something you know can counter his lead, or you pick the mon that's most likely to get off an attack.
Never get discouraged if you keep losing on round 3, especially against Silver print Thorton. This round is by far the most luck-dependent thing you'll face in the early parts of factory, and I'd estimate somewhere between a 40%-60% success rate for each individual run here (as opposed to success rates in the 80-90% range for rounds 1, 2, and 4).
Round 4 trading strategy is similar to round 1 trading strategy. At this point, elevations stop being special, so don't feel obligated to keep them throughout the whole round.
Round 5 and onwards trading strategy is self-explanatory: You trade for fast, strong mons as your first choice, bulky, strong mons as your second choice, and avoid gimmicks wherever possible.
(continued in next post)
This guide was originally posted here. It will be improved from its initial draft and, depending on what the QC team wants, may be expanded to cover the level 100 mode as well (although I'm nowhere near as experienced with the mode as I am with level 50, so I'll need help.)
This post will cover:
-intro
-hidden mechanics
-AI quirks and oddities
-general strategy and long-term strategy
-round-specific strategies
-my thoughts on sets you'd find in round 1
Introduction
The Battle Factory is fundamentally different from other facilities because you aren't allowed to use your own Pokemon, instead being given a random selection of rentals to choose from. Additionally, after every battle, you are given the option to trade for any one of the previous trainer's Pokemon. This is the core gimmick of the factory, being forced to use a potentially unsynergetic team, and swapping around to improve it. However, the fact that you are forced to win against a trainer before being able to take any of their sets means that strong sets like Starmie4 are just as likely to end your run as they are to improve your round, and thus your team will mostly be dictated by the Pokemon you get in your initial choice of 6 at the start of every round (called a draft).Hidden Mechanics
The most detailed information about the Factory isn't widely publicized, and this is probably why the Factory is so daunting to face casually.The most important mechanic to be aware of is that swapping more often will permanently increase the quality of sets in your draft. Specifically, for every seven swaps you make (picking your initial team from your draft counts as a swap), one Pokemon in your draft will be chosen from the pool of sets you'd normally get in next round's draft (this is called an elevation).
The list of Pokemon you'd normally receive in each round's draft is as follows, using index numbers from this list:
Round 1: 0 IV Pokemon of very weak species with only 1 possible set (Index 1 to 150)
Round 2: 4 IV NFE or weak fully evolved Pokemon using the first set of their species (Index 151 to 250)
Round 3: 8 IV NFE or weak fully evolved Pokemon using the second set of their species (Index 251 to 350)
Round 4: 12 IV fully evolved (plus Porygon2 and Rhydon) non-legendary Pokemon using the first set of their species (Index 351 to 486)
Round 5: 16 IV fully evolved non-legendary Pokemon using the second set of their species (Index 487 to 622)
Round 6: 20 IV fully evolved non-legendary Pokemon using the third set of their species (Index 623 to 758)
Round 7: 24 IV fully evolved non-legendary Pokemon using the fourth set of their species (Index 759 to 894)
Round 8+: 31 IV fully evolved and legendary Pokemon using all possible sets for their species (Index 351 to 950)
For example, if you just began round 6 and you've swapped 23 times prior, you will receive three 20 IV Pokemon that use set 3, and three 24 IV Pokemon that use set 4.
In the first six battles of every round, you will face either a trainer that uses Pokemon you'd normally find in the current round's draft, or a trainer that uses Pokemon you'd normally find in the previous round's draft. That is to say, any trainers will not mix and match Pokemon from multiple rounds, until round 8.
In the seventh and final battle of every round, you will face a trainer that uses Pokemon you'd normally find in the next round's draft. The only exception to this is fighting Thorton on battle 49, who will use either set 4 non-legendary Pokemon, or legendary Pokemon from all sets, at 31 IVs, letting him use sets with index numbers between 759 and 950.
I should also talk about the attendant that tells you about your opponent and what exactly she means. In the first two rounds, her advice is self-explanatory. She'll just state the species of the Pokemon on your opponent's team. However, in round 3 and 4, she will always list the first move (in the top-left slot) of the opponent's lead. For example, if she says the opponent's using a Golbat that knows Aerial Ace, even though set1 and set2 Golbat both know Aerial Ace, she's referring to set1 Golbat, but not set2 Golbat, since that has Poison Fang as its first move.
In round 5 and onward, her advice refers to the most common type on your opponent's team. If she says that the opponent doesn't care about the types of Pokemon, it means that none of the Pokemon your opponent uses will have any types in common. If there is a type that several Pokemon on your opponent's team share, she'll pick the most common type. (For instance, a trainer using Skarmory, Dragonite, and Salamence would cause the attendant to say Flying type.) If two or more types are equally common (For instance, Tauros, Rhydon, and Rhyperior, or Feraligatr, Quagsire, and Hippowdon), the attendant will pick one of the most common types seemingly at random. It's possible she uses the index number to prioritize announcing certain types over others, but I haven't bothered to test this.
The last mechanic I should talk about is how Item and Species Clauses are implemented. Due to the fact that you can bring your opponent's Pokemon onto your team, the opponent's team may not have any species or items present in the previous battle. While this may seem obvious, it is still worth mentioning, as it is very important to keep in mind against trainers capable of using multiple sets of one species.
Trainer AI behavior
The battle factory's AI is weird. I have a theory that, every round, it adds a new "layer" that differently affects the AI's decision-making process. Whether this is the case or not, the simplest thing to remember is that during the first four rounds (with the notable exception of Thorton's silver print battle at 21), the AI will use moves semi-randomly (called 'Bad AI'), but starting in round 5, the AI will use moves intelligently, including going for KOes if one is possible, using boosting moves if they can't KO, trying to status your Pokemon if possible (called 'Smart AI'). Smart AI has a few quirks that can be exploited:-They are equally likely to select all moves that can KO on their highest roll and don't have major drawbacks (like recoil, moving last, requiring a recharge, or lowering user's attacking stats). This can lead to scenarios where the AI has a guaranteed KO with STAB Psychic but using non-STAB Focus Blast instead and either missing the KO due to a low roll or missing outright.
-If they don't have a KO on you and only have damaging moves, they'll go for the move that does the most damage. I've exploited this several times to safely switch mons in.
-The AI will not switch out if they are locked into a move you are immune to, or only have status moves that don't affect your Pokemon. The only time I've ever seen the AI switch out due to being unable to hurt my mons is when using Shedinja.
General strategies and long-term strategy
Remember that the odds are stacked against you. On any specific run, you are overwhelmingly likely to lose before battle 49. Don't get discouraged if you lose several times at low numbers. It will happen. I've lost on battle 1 several times, and I'm pretty sure that just about everyone who's gone after the Gold print has as well. Hax happens. Sooner or later you'll have the perfect run and get your gold print, even if it takes hundreds of hours.With that out of the way, let's talk general strategies. While the specifics differ every round, you'll usually want to not lead with your best Pokemon, and favor fast but frail Pokemon over slow, bulky ones. At the start of every round, keep in mind what you want your team to eventually look like, not necessarily in terms of species or sets, but in favor of archetypes you're fairly certain that you're likely to have the opportunity to trade for. For instance, if you receive a Magneton in your round 2 draft, you might think "Mag + Water + anti-grass". This'll help with choosing better sets to trade for. Additionally, in rounds where you've decided to trade every battle for the sake of receiving elevations, you usually want to designate a teamslot to repeatedly trade away (nicknamed the 'churn slot' by average fella). This can be either your lead slot or one of your backup slots.
Now, long-term strategy. There are a few spots in level 50 that feature large difficulty spikes, so the aim is to trade as much as possible to increase the chances of surviving this. The hardest points of any level 50 run are: Battle 7, Battle 14, Battle 21, and the entirety of Round 5. The difficulty spike on the last battles of the first 3 rounds is simple enough to explain: You're fighting Pokemon that far outclass what you naturally have access to in terms of stats and moves. Fortunately, Battles 7 and 14 take place with bad AI, so it's likely that the AI will just make stupid moves, letting you win. However, if the AI randomly selects effective moves, you're in for a VERY rough time.
Round 5's difficulty spike, on the other hand, comes from a multitude of factors. First off, elevations are no longer so much more powerful than what the enemies will be using (for example, Surf Lumineon when the average enemy is using STABs between 50 and 60 BP). Secondly, the sets that you naturally receive in round 5 (set 2 of fully evolved Pokemon) are usually gimmicky, unreliable, or too specialized. Thirdly, round 5 is when Smart AI kicks in full-force, so you can't just hope the AI picks bad moves. All this combines to form a massive roadblock that relies on you getting a good draft or getting trade options with reliable moves that you're lucky enough to beat.
Because of this, the commonly accepted 'best' long-term strategy for level 50 is:
-Trade every battle during rounds 1 and 2 to get two elevations, which gives you better odds at round 3 Thorton. Since the first two rounds can be lost with little consequence, there is no downside to trading every battle during these rounds.
-Trade after every battle during round 3, keeping your two best mons from the draft in your party. I like to have my churn slot be in the lead position by default so that I can counter-team Thorton's lead.
-Trade after every battle during round 4, since it's your last chance and round 5 is way likelier to go favorably with four elevations to choose from.
-Trade only to improve your team during round 5. Trading after every battle here is likely to get you to lose to something stupid and completely preventable.
-Before going into round 6, look at the number of trades you have in the record-keeping PC. Keep this in mind that 35 trades will give you an elevation in round 7. Since elevations in round 7 are of dubious worth (Set4's are consistently great, but only having one guaranteed to choose from may cause your draft to vary wildly in quality), keep track of how many trades you'll need to do to get to 35, and trade accordingly to either stay under or hit the 35-trades benchmark. Aside from this, trade mainly to improve your team, although with four set4 mons to choose from, round 6 drafts are usually high-quality.
-Since elevations do not matter in round 8 and onwards, trade only to improve team quality in round 7 and later.
If you're having trouble and find yourself losing in the early rounds of the factory, you could try this strategy instead:
-Trade after every battle in rounds 1 and 2, since losing in these rounds is of little consequence.
-In round 3, trade mainly to improve your team to give yourself a better shot against Thorton.
-In round 4, look at your current trades, and try to hit 21 trades by the end of the round or, if you're confident enough, trade every battle.
-In round 5 and onwards, trade only to improve your team.
This strategy is better to help learn decision-making in Level 50 factory, although missing out on an elevation in rounds 5 and 6 hurts a lot.
Round-specific teambuilding strategies
Round 1 is unique due to the fact that everything's stats are so low that EV investment will make up a significant portion of something's offensive power or bulk. Losing here is of so little consequence and the round so monotonous if you're familiar enough with the pool of sets that you can play it inebriated, while multitasking, and without access to a set database.Generally you'll want to lead with your best attacker here (Such as Minun, Magby, or a Bug/Flying) in interest of faster battles. The main pokemon archetypes you'll want to watch out for here are Rock/Ground, Bug/Flying, and strong Electric special attackers. You have full team preview during this round so you'll know if a threat to your team is coming up.
Also there's nothing wrong with resetting at the round 1 draft if you want to try again for better sets, since you aren't losing any progress.
The round 2 trading strategy in the battle factory differs completely from round 1 strategy. This is due to the fact that you will, 90% of the time, have exactly one mon that is so much better than the rest of your team that your "team" should be built around supporting that one mon.
While round 1 focuses mainly on getting the best pokemon available and keeping them throughout the round regardless of how badly they synergize and round 3 focuses on elevations mainly, round 2 highly rewards two-mon cores. These two-mon cores usually feature one mon as the main (usually your elevation) and one as the backup (a non-elevation that you either found in the draft or traded for and kept). These two-mon cores favor defensive synergy over offensive synergy. Two-mon cores should have a mon capable of beating pokemon of every type or common type combinations (like rock/ground or normal/flying), but it is fine if one mon doesn't resist a type the other is weak to. The mons themselves should also be capable of holding their own, unless the main mon is so vastly strong by round 2 standards (like Electabuzz2) that the backup is only needed to patch specific holes. Examples of strong two-mon cores include:
Mantine/Magneton
Persian/Misdreavus
Gligar/Huntail
Note that while two-mon cores mainly apply if you have a useful elevation, it's possible that your elevation will have bad moves (as in Raticate) or stats unsuited to speedy battles (as in Dusclops). In these cases, there is nothing wrong with simply using a team that focuses on a two-mon core that does not include your elevation.
Since it's possible to face (and thus trade for) round 2 sets as enemies in round 3, it's not unlikely that you will be using a round 2 set against battle 21 Thorton, and thus some sets will acknowledge that fact.
Round 3, strategy, as mentioned above, focuses on elevations. Battle 21 is incredibly difficult to do without any elevations, and sometimes Thorton will pick a team that you just cannot win against. At the round 3 draft, you want to look at your elevations and think long and hard "Is this mon likely to pitch in majorly against Thorton?" If the answer is no for one of them, you have to look at your other mons and ask that question again. Once you find two mons that you can say yes to, you have to pick the two best mons in your draft, and keep them throughout the whole set. It is very likely that these mons will not have good synergy with each other, and you will have to deal with it. Any time you want to replace one of the two mons you found on your draft, you ask yourself "Is this more likely to help me against Thorton than the mon I'm throwing away?" If the answer is no, you don't replace that mon. Round 3 is tough, and a lot of the time you will find yourself with a choice of set1s you are forced to choose one of against Thorton. In that case, you either pick something you know can counter his lead, or you pick the mon that's most likely to get off an attack.
Never get discouraged if you keep losing on round 3, especially against Silver print Thorton. This round is by far the most luck-dependent thing you'll face in the early parts of factory, and I'd estimate somewhere between a 40%-60% success rate for each individual run here (as opposed to success rates in the 80-90% range for rounds 1, 2, and 4).
Round 4 trading strategy is similar to round 1 trading strategy. At this point, elevations stop being special, so don't feel obligated to keep them throughout the whole round.
Round 5 and onwards trading strategy is self-explanatory: You trade for fast, strong mons as your first choice, bulky, strong mons as your second choice, and avoid gimmicks wherever possible.
Guide to individual sets in the first round:
Inspired by Glen's list for fully evolved pokemon that can be found here.105 | Aipom | Adamant | Silk Scarf | Double Hit | U-turn | Thunder Wave | Fake Out | Atk/Spe
Solid. Best used as a lead. Not too shabby in round 2, either.
104 | Anorith | Adamant | Metronome | Fury Cutter | Rock Blast | Metal Claw | Protect | Atk/Spe
Incredibly unreliable. Don't use this, but be wary of its occasional 4+ hit rock blasts.
130 | Ariados | Adamant | SilverPowder | Bug Bite | Toxic | Shadow Sneak | Spider Web | HP/Atk
I've never used this - it seems too slow and vulnerable to all the Rock Tomb/AncientPowers and Aerial Ace/Air Cutters. Bad moves, as well.
74 | Aron | Impish | Metal Coat | Metal Claw | Rock Tomb | Iron Defense | Protect | Atk/Def
The defensive typing makes it usable, but definitely one of the worst steels in round 1.
150 | Azumarill | Quiet | Pecha Berry | BubbleBeam | Rollout | Defense Curl | Tail Whip | SpA/SpD
Only use it if every other swap option is completely unusable.
38 | Bagon | Naughty | Dragon Fang | DragonBreath | Headbutt | Brick Break | Scary Face | Atk/Def
Slow and specially frail, doesn't hit too hard either. Pass it up if better options are available.
36 | Baltoy | Modest | Twisted Spoon | Psybeam | Mud-Slap | AncientPower | Light Screen | SpA/SpD
On paper this seems legit. I haven't used this, but I wouldn't say it's garbage tier.
125 | Beautifly | Modest | SilverPowder | Silver Wind | Air Cutter | Mega Drain | Attract | SpA/Spe
Amazing lead. This is the best of the 3 Bug/Flyings thanks to its ability to OHKO the fearsome Rock/Grounds with Mega Drain and speed and power right off the bat. It's on the slower end of the speed-invested mons however, so be wary.
121 | Beedrill | Jolly | Scope Lens | Twineedle | Toxic | Assurance | Agility | Atk/SpD
why
19 | Bidoof | Adamant | Silk Scarf | Headbutt | Pluck | Growl | Yawn | HP/Atk
go back to being an HM slave
25 | Bonsly | Adamant | Rock Incense | Rock Slide | Low Kick | Copycat | Sandstorm | Atk/Def
A decidedly average set. The strong Rock Slides and solid typing/physical bulk keeps it far away from being the worst, but the lack of coverage and speed means you can do much better.
39 | Bronzor | Brave | Odd Incense | Confusion | Gyro Ball | AncientPower | Imprison | Atk/SpA
Don't use Gyro Ball. Competes with Aron for the title of worst round 1 Steel.
22 | Budew | Calm | Big Root | Mega Drain | Toxic | Growth | Worry Seed | SpA/SpD
Now we get into the garbage round 1 sets. Never use these except as death fodder.
77 | Buizel | Jolly | Wave Incense | Aqua Jet | Quick Attack | Pursuit | Growl | Atk/Spe
Too frail and too weak. The speed EVs mean nothing when you only have priority moves.
1 | Bulbasaur | Modest | Brightpowder | Magical Leaf | Toxic | Leech Seed | Sweet Scent | SpA/SpD
A bad round 1 Grass. In the same boat as Azumarill.
99 | Buneary | Adamant | Black Belt | Dizzy Punch | Drain Punch | Quick Attack | Foresight | Atk/Spe
This set is done better by other round 1 mons.
15 | Burmy | Adamant | Sitrus Berry | Bug Bite | Tackle | Snore | Protect | HP/Atk
no
120 | Butterfree | Modest | Pecha Berry | Silver Wind | Air Cutter | Psybeam | Tailwind | SpA/SpD
All of the Bug/Flyings are amazing leads in round 1. Butterfree boasts impressive team support and Special bulk as its draws, but lacks in the Speed department.
83 | Cacnea | Adamant | Aspear Berry | Needle Arm | Faint Attack | Cotton Spore | GrassWhistle | HP/Atk
you could do worse, i guess
45 | Carvanha | Adamant | Cheri Berry | Aqua Jet | Bite | Scary Face | Swagger | HP/Atk
see: buizel
135 | Castform | Timid | Persim Berry | Weather Ball | Sunny Day | Rain Dance | Hail | SpA/Spe
If you ever get a free turn, you WILL sweep their team. Solid stats too, for round 1.
2 | Charmander | Adamant | Scope Lens | Fire Fang | Metal Claw | SmokeScreen | Scary Face | Atk/Spe
Worth using if the foe has a really scary mon that's weak to fire, but otherwise best used as death fodder
141 | Chatot | Calm | Persim Berry | Chatter | Swift | Sing | Mirror Move | SpD/Spe
TIL this thing doesn't have spa EVs. Shows you how high Chatot's attack is that it can do that much damage uninvested. Definitely worth using.
21 | Cherubi | Modest | Rose Incense | Magical Leaf | Toxic | Leech Seed | Helping Hand | SpA/SpD
A worse Bulbasaur. And factory bulbasaur isn't even good in the first place
4 | Chikorita | Adamant | Lax Incense | Bullet Seed | Secret Power | Growl | Light Screen | HP/Atk
bullet seed is 10 BP in gen 4. Keep that in mind whenever you use this
11 | Chimchar | Adamant | Passho Berry | Flame Wheel | Facade | Leer | Fake Out | Atk/Spe
Probably the second best Fire mon in round 1. Pity that Fire is a terrible type in round 1 Factory.
69 | Chinchou | Modest | Magnet | Shock Wave | BubbleBeam | Icy Wind | Thunder Wave | HP/SpA
The unquestionably best bulky Water in round 1, even with Illuminate. Solid stats paired with a moveset that leaves nothing wasted. Always pick this guy if it shows up.
23 | Chingling | Modest | Twisted Spoon | Confusion | Swift | Disable | Growl | SpA/SpD
i used this thing once (as a trade slot) and was surprised at how much damage it was doing
92 | Clamperl | Bold | DeepSeaScale | Whirlpool | Toxic | Iron Defense | Protect | HP/Def
never
58 | Clefairy | Adamant | Brightpowder | Wake-Up Slap | Follow Me | Encore | Sing | HP/Atk
annoying to play against, never ever use this
18 | Combee | Serious | SilverPowder | Bug Bite | Gust | Ominous Wind | Sweet Scent | Atk/SpA/Spe
i forgot there was a bug/flying in round 1 factory that not only isn't god tier, but is absolute trash
47 | Corphish | Brave | Pecha Berry | BubbleBeam | ViceGrip | Knock Off | Swagger | HP/SpA
a lot of the time you can tell whether something is good in round 1 factory by its moveset. this is one of those mons. don't use corphish
115 | Corsola | Modest | Focus Band | BubbleBeam | AncientPower | Mirror Coat | Barrier | SpA/SpD
Competes with Chinchou for a team slot, but falls behind due to the latter's amazing moves
97 | Cranidos | Careful | Rock Incense | Rock Tomb | Pursuit | Scary Face | Leer | Def/SpD
what were they thinking
41 | Croagunk | Adamant | Black Sludge | Poison Jab | Wake-Up Slap | Taunt | Swagger | HP/Atk
even with the hp EVs, you aren't surviving anything. those high BP moves mean nothing if you never get to use them, and you probably aren't
55 | Cubone | Adamant | Soft Sand | Bone Club | Headbutt | Brick Break | Leer | Atk/Def
shouldn't be too bad, has high BP moves and solid physical bulk.
5 | Cyndaquil | Adamant | Quick Claw | Flame Wheel | Double Kick | Swift | SmokeScreen | Atk/SpD
fire is a terrible type in round 1, and cyndaquil is a terrible fire
116 | Delcatty | Adamant | Sitrus Berry | Secret Power | Faint Attack | Fake Out | Foresight | HP/Atk
This. This thing. If it's Cute Charm, lead with it and never look back. If it's Normalize, lead with it anyway and just remember that your teammates have to hit ghosts. Seriously, this is god tier if it's not normalize, and still solid if it is. Hell, it's even viable in round 2.
71 | Delibird | Adamant | NeverMeltIce | Present | Ice Ball | Aerial Ace | Hail | Atk/Spe
Only bother with this if it's Hustle. Even then, there are better fliers.
48 | Doduo | Jolly | Liechi Berry | Aerial Ace | Quick Attack | Faint Attack | Acupressure | Atk/Spe
Solid flier, second only to Murkrow and Staravia.
32 | Dratini | Modest | Cheri Berry | Twister | Water Pulse | Thunder Wave | Supersonic | SpA/SpD
don't even bother
94 | Drifloon | Modest | Petaya Berry | Ominous Wind | Air Cutter | Icy Wind | Will-O-Wisp | HP/SpA
it's like a weird combination of a bug/flying, murkrow, and chinchou. all of these combine to make a solid round 1 mon.
66 | Drowzee | Modest | Rawst Berry | Psybeam | Assist | Disable | Barrier | SpA/SpD
slow and has bad coverage
109 | Dunsparce | Adamant | Razor Claw | Headbutt | Bite | Spite | Glare | HP/Atk
A solid substitute for Delcatty. It's still slow, but that bulk though
27 | Duskull | Adamant | Spell Tag | Shadow Sneak | Pain Split | Will-O-Wisp | Confuse Ray | Def/SpD
annoying to play against, even more annoying to use
126 | Dustox | Modest | SilverPowder | Silver Wind | Toxic | Psybeam | Whirlwind | SpA/SpD
i mean, it's not terrible. i forget if i've ever used this, but it can't be that bad
64 | Eevee | Jolly | Salac Berry | Take Down | Bite | Flail | Endure | Atk/Spe
m_bison_yes.mp4
This is the only viable non-weather setup sweeper in round 1. Always take it, because even if you aren't getting set up and even if it's run away, STAB take down will do a lot of damage.
106 | Elekid | Jolly | Cheri Berry | ThunderPunch | Karate Chop | Quick Attack | Light Screen | Atk/Spe
Solid, but one of the weaker round 1 electrics thanks to its lack of bulk.
63 | Exeggcute | Modest | Odd Incense | Confusion | Grass Knot | Leech Seed | Light Screen | Def/SpA
terrible stats, bad moves
100 | Farfetch'd | Adamant | Stick | Slash | Air Cutter | Knock Off | Swords Dance | Atk/SpD
it's okay i guess. there's better fliers though
80 | Finneon | Modest | Wave Incense | Water Pulse | Silver Wind | Attract | Aqua Ring | SpA/SpD
no
112 | Flaaffy | Modest | Light Clay | Shock Wave | Swift | Thunder Wave | Light Screen | HP/SpA
amazing round 1 glue, thanks to light screen and thunder wave it can play the support role while its stats and typing allows it to be a great attacker. most rock/grounds aren't surviving 2 swifts either.
31 | Geodude | Adamant | Focus Band | Magnitude | Rock Blast | Strength | Protect | Atk/Def
I'd pass on this. It's extremely unreliable and folds to any special attack instantly.
40 | Gible | Adamant | Soft Sand | Dragon Rage | Sand Tomb | Metal Claw | Sandstorm | HP/Atk
bad stats, and its moves don't even match its EVs
50 | Glameow | Jolly | Razor Claw | Fury Swipes | Fake Out | Faint Attack | Attract | Atk/Spe
unreliable is the word of the day in round 1 factory
133 | Gloom | Modest | Miracle Seed | Mega Drain | Acid | Stun Spore | Moonlight | HP/SpA
previous comment retracted. this thing is so solid. it will never die to any resisted hits as you can recover the damage off. its moveset lets it play support. the lack of power isn't an issue given, you know, reliable recovery and solid bulk.
56 | Goldeen | Modest | Petaya Berry | Water Pulse | Psybeam | Supersonic | Rain Dance | Def/SpA
you aren't gorebyss
128 | Graveler | Adamant | Focus Band | Magnitude | Rock Tomb | Stealth Rock | Defense Curl | Atk/Def
now this is a mon. ignore the last 2 moves. who gives a fuck if its attacks can't do consistent damage, it's not dying to any flying or normal attack ever.
61 | Grimer | Adamant | Black Sludge | Toxic | Shadow Sneak | Acid Armor | Minimize | HP/Atk
spare yourself the torture and pass this up
96 | Growlithe | Adamant | Charcoal | Fire Fang | Bite | Roar | Agility | HP/Atk
this fire can actually play a decent role thanks to intimidate dialing back the power of the foe's threats. shines a lot in battle 7 if the foe is bringing physical mons.
14 | Happiny | Adamant | Sitrus Berry | Present | Sweet Kiss | Copycat | Charm | HP/Def
happiny will never be good in any format ever
142 | Haunter | Timid | Persim Berry | Night Shade | Toxic | Confuse Ray | Grudge | SpA/Spe
this is actually really sad. you've got a mon with amazing stats, an amazing EV spread, an amazing round1 typing/ability, a solid round1 item, and..... its moves are useless. it can't even use its SpA EVs. it can't do anything other than annoy you. poor factory haunter
78 | Hippopotas | Adamant | Chesto Berry | Dig | Rock Tomb | Sand Tomb | Yawn | HP/Atk
hippopotas will remind you how hard dig hits for. pretend sand tomb doesn't exist. yawn is amazing in battle 7.
72 | Houndour | Adamant | Charcoal | Fire Fang | Bite | Roar | Will-O-Wisp | Atk/Spe
not the worst combination of stats and moves, but it's a round 1 fire type
137 | Illumise | Timid | Petaya Berry | Silver Wind | Swift | Wish | Helping Hand | SpA/Spe
And now you've got, what I believe to be a solid contender for top 3 round1 mons. Even with a wasted moveslot, Illumise will never let you down. And that's not even taking into consideration that this can have Tinted Lens, so that you can ohko Doduo. Petaya is a treat as well. Stick with Illumise if you ever get it.
102 | Kabuto | Adamant | Liechi Berry | Aqua Jet | Rock Tomb | Knock Off | Metal Sound | Atk/Def
weak, slow, and frail. pretty much like half the pool in round 1.
84 | Koffing | Modest | Poison Barb | Sludge | Psybeam | SmokeScreen | Spite | Def/SpA
it'll annoy you, but won't do much else
62 | Krabby | Quiet | Pecha Berry | BubbleBeam | ViceGrip | Leer | Protect | Def/SpA
corphish but even sadder, since they didn't even bother patching up its pathetic special defense
13 | Kricketot | Relaxed | Liechi Berry | Bug Bite | Bide | Mud-Slap | Growl | HP/Def/SpD
i don't understand. why is this in the round 1 pool when kricketune also is
119 | Kricketune | Adamant | Metronome | Fury Cutter | Rock Smash | Knock Off | Focus Energy | HP/Atk
still garbage
35 | Larvitar | Adamant | Liechi Berry | Rock Slide | Dig | Bite | Scary Face | HP/Atk
bad stats salvaged by top-tier moves and typing
129 | Ledian | Timid | Razor Claw | Silver Wind | Air Cutter | Agility | Baton Pass | SpA/SpD
the worst round 1 bug/flying(combee doesn't exist). lacks the speed of beautifly and yanma, and lacks the raw power of butterfree. i mean you can try BPing speed or a silver wind boost, that's always a laugh. still top tier though
124 | Lickitung | Adamant | Chesto Berry | Secret Power | Rock Tomb | Lick | Screech | HP/Atk
with full attack investment, an adamant nature, and a 70 BP stab, you'd think this would do 75% at worst to everything. nope. lickitung is actually kinda weak, failing to 2hko some stuff. but that doesn't matter, lickitung is retardedly bulky(even by round 3 standards it would have good bulk) and will remind you that secret power has body slam's paralysis chance. high tier mon, but makes your battles take way longer than they should
103 | Lileep | Calm | Lax Incense | AncientPower | Grass Knot | Ingrain | Confuse Ray | HP/Def/SpD
interesting typing for round 1. unfortunately makes it weak to bug and neutral to flying, and its stats are nothing to write home about either. as for moves, forget all of them but ancientpower.
87 | Lombre | Quiet | Damp Rock | Water Pulse | Mega Drain | Fake Out | Rain Dance | SpA/SpD
you see, this is how you do an offensive grass in round 1. plays more like a water type that isn't weak to electric, which works more in its favor. still super slow even with swift swim though, so you'll have to rely on its natural special bulk and raw power under the rain
107 | Loudred | Adamant | Persim Berry | Stomp | Bite | Howl | Supersonic | HP/Atk
i don't understand
76 | Luvdisc | Timid | Damp Rock | Water Pulse | Attract | Sweet Kiss | Rain Dance | SpA/Spe
as far as offensive waters go, you could do worse. just be super wary of this thing if your opponents have it, because it will hax you a lot and survive longer than it should thanks to its deceptive bulk
43 | Machop | Adamant | Scope Lens | Karate Chop | Rock Tomb | Foresight | Scary Face | HP/Atk
forget this thing exists
113 | Magby | Adamant | Pecha Berry | Fire Punch | Mach Punch | Leer | SmokeScreen | Atk/Spe
the best fire in round 1. this thing will make you forget that round 1 fire is a terrible typing. still needs to be wary of rock/grounds though, mach punch fails to 3hko graveler and onix
59 | Magnemite | Bold | Rawst Berry | Shock Wave | Mirror Shot | Metal Sound | Reflect | Def/SpA
terrifying stats, the best defensive typing in round 1, and solid moves combine to make this beast. its only flaw is its low speed, which is killer in round 1. still worth using if minun isn't available
93 | Mantyke | Hardy | Mystic Water | BubbleBeam | Aerial Ace | Icy Wind | Agility | SpA/SpD
another solid offensive water. aerial ace isn't even half bad since the likes of roselia and bulbasaur have crap physdef. even gets agility to patch up its speed. pity about the lack of HP though
118 | Mawile | Impish | Brightpowder | Iron Head | Bite | Tickle | Iron Defense | HP/Def
Every steel in round 1 except Aron will remind you why steels are never available early game in the story mode - they just never die. the AI has nothing to dent this beast, especially if it's intimidate. Iron Head's 80 BP more than makes up for the lack of investment. And its plethora of resistances can carry you through battle 7.
51 | Mime Jr. | Bold | Lax Incense | Copycat | Confusion | Barrier | Light Screen | SpA/SpD
skip this
147 | Minun | Timid | Salac Berry | Shock Wave | Swift | Encore | Helping Hand | SpA/Spe
Ah, Minun. My favorite mon in round 1, and I think it's the best, for one simple reason. Encore. You see, in early game factory, the AI selects moves completely at random. This means that Minun can lock a hugely damaging threat into a useless move, and everything you face in round 1 will have at least one useless move. Minun is also the fastest thing in round 1 (aside from a speed boost yanma), so it WILL go first. Its bulk is solid by round 1 standards, and it deals respectable damage as well. This is, bar none, the best electric in round 1, and round 1 has a LOT of good electrics.
9 | Mudkip | Modest | Mystic Water | Water Pulse | Icy Wind | Mud-Slap | Growl | HP/SpA
shouldn't have pressed b
132 | Munchlax | Relaxed | Sitrus Berry | Metronome | Recycle | Stockpile | Swallow | Def/SpD
whenever i see munchlax i always groan, because i know it's going to take a super long time to whittle it down and there's nothing i can do about it. metronome is terrifying in the AI's hands as well.
144 | Murkrow | Jolly | BlackGlasses | Faint Attack | Wing Attack | Torment | Taunt | Atk/Spe
outspeeds nearly everything, has a boosting item combined with 60 BP attack, and solid attack to back it up? sign me up
57 | Natu | Timid | Twisted Spoon | Night Shade | Air Cutter | Ominous Wind | Future Sight | SpA/Spe
borderline usable
110 | Nidorina | Adamant | Poison Barb | Poison Fang | Double Kick | Bite | Flatter | HP/Atk
i mean, at least it has STAB
111 | Nidorino | Adamant | Focus Band | Toxic | Double Kick | Facade | Flatter | HP/Atk
poor thing
114 | Nosepass | Modest | Hard Stone | AncientPower | Shock Wave | Thunder Wave | Sandstorm | Def/SpA
decidedly average set and mon. differs from other rocks in that it hits on the special side (and has a nice support move in thunder wave)
46 | Numel | Serious | Lax Incense | Magnitude | Ember | Rock Tomb | Sandstorm | Atk/SpA
despite the nature, this set definitely isn't
88 | Nuzleaf | Adamant | Aspear Berry | Razor Leaf | Faint Attack | Swagger | Harden | HP/Atk
better grasses, and better darks.
53 | Oddish | Bold | Rose Incense | Mega Drain | Acid | Sweet Scent | Moonlight | SpA/SpD
a mediocre version of Gloom. a worse stat spread, a weaker support move (sweet scent instead of stun spore), and worse base stats. still usable though
101 | Omanyte | Bold | Pecha Berry | AncientPower | Water Gun | Mud Shot | Protect | Def/SpA
you could do worse, i guess
123 | Onix | Adamant | Hard Stone | Rock Slide | Dig | Screech | Sandstorm | Atk/Def
Onix sets the gold standard for Rocks in round 1. High BP moves, a boosting item, and super-high Defense. Also it's pretty fast even uninvested, so watch out
148 | Pachirisu | Jolly | Magnet | Spark | Quick Attack | Bite | Sweet Kiss | Atk/Spe
Weak, but fast and bulky. I'd rather have Elekid though
140 | Parasect | Jolly | Aspear Berry | Bug Bite | Grass Knot | Scratch | Stun Spore | SpD/Spe
why would you ever use this
73 | Phanpy | Adamant | Metronome | Rollout | Rock Tomb | Defense Curl | Sandstorm | HP/Atk
no stab and no speed. i don't get what they were going for here.
95 | Pidgeotto | Adamant | Rawst Berry | Wing Attack | Quick Attack | FeatherDance | Mirror Move | Atk/Spe
strictly worse than doduo, but good.
29 | Pikachu | Modest | Sitrus Berry | ThunderShock | Swift | Thunder Wave | Double Team | SpA/Spe
stick to minun
12 | Piplup | Bashful | Rindo Berry | BubbleBeam | Aerial Ace | Growl | Supersonic | Atk/SpA
average
146 | Plusle | Timid | Petaya Berry | Shock Wave | Swift | Fake Tears | Helping Hand | SpA/Spe
holy shit this is amazing, but it's still not minun. hits harder than minun, but lacks that extra bit of bulk, and of course no encore
122 | Poliwhirl | Quirky | Liechi Berry | BubbleBeam | DoubleSlap | Mist | Rain Dance | Atk/SpA
quirky indeed
149 | Ponyta | Adamant | Chesto Berry | Flame Wheel | Stomp | Will-O-Wisp | Tail Whip | Atk/Spe
you know the drill with round 1 fires at this point.
134 | Porygon | Modest | Persim Berry | Swift | Psybeam | Icy Wind | Recycle | HP/SpA
it's like delcatty in a way. an already amazing pokemon with an ability that makes it even more amazing, but getting the bad ability doesn't stop it from being good.
54 | Psyduck | Modest | Chesto Berry | Water Gun | Confusion | Water Sport | Disable | HP/SpA
nope
34 | Remoraid | Modest | Petaya Berry | BubbleBeam | Aurora Beam | Mud-Slap | Supersonic | SpA/Spe
never used this, but i wouldn't put it in garbage tier. sure it's frail, isn't too fast, and has meh moves but it still hits fairly hard
91 | Rhyhorn | Adamant | Persim Berry | Dig | Rock Blast | Scary Face | Tail Whip | HP/Atk/Def
like onix, but loses its consistent rock damage for even more bulk and attack power
24 | Riolu | Adamant | Expert Belt | Brick Break | Bullet Punch | Foresight | Counter | Atk/Spe
see: croagunk. this will rarely survive long enough to use a move.
138 | Roselia | Modest | Black Sludge | Mega Drain | Toxic | GrassWhistle | Cotton Spore | SpA/SpD
stay away from this
117 | Sableye | Impish | BlackGlasses | Faint Attack | Shadow Sneak | Fake Out | Detect | Atk/Def
Actually, this is a more accurate comparison to Delcatty than Porygon. The difference here is, Stall vs Keen Eye actually doesn't make too much of a difference because half the time Sableye will be using a priority move, and the other half it would be moving last anyway because you have base 50 speed uninvested. Sableye's typing is the key to its success here, as most mons in round 1 have Normal attacks. The Rock/Grounds will also be using Dig, so Protect comes into play for that instead.
30 | Sandshrew | Adamant | Soft Sand | Dig | Rock Tomb | Sandstorm | Sand-Attack | Atk/Def
bad stats
60 | Seel | Adamant | Aspear Berry | Aqua Jet | Ice Shard | Fake Out | Encore | Atk/SpD
pathetically weak
16 | Shedinja | Adamant | Lax Incense | Shadow Sneak | Fury Cutter | Confuse Ray | Sand-Attack | Atk/Spe
half the time you're facing down a Rock with this thing, and the other half you'd be better off using something else to beat their normals
65 | Shellos | Bold | Lax Incense | Water Pulse | Mud-Slap | Icy Wind | Harden | HP/SpA
literally mudkip but with slightly better stats
98 | Shieldon | Sassy | Focus Band | Iron Head | Rock Tomb | Swagger | Iron Defense | Atk/Def
It's a steel type. You know it's good.
20 | Shinx | Adamant | King's Rock | Thunder Fang | Bite | Howl | Leer | HP/Atk
similar to growlithe. useful for intimidate instead of the mon itself.
26 | Shuppet | Adamant | Spell Tag | Shadow Sneak | Knock Off | Will-O-Wisp | Grudge | HP/Atk
don't torture yourself by using this
86 | Skiploom | Hardy | Big Root | Mega Drain | Aerial Ace | Confusion | Cotton Spore | Atk/SpA
stay away from this
79 | Skorupi | Impish | Poison Barb | Poison Fang | Bug Bite | Bite | Toxic Spikes | Atk/Def
this is kinda bad as well
52 | Slowpoke | Modest | Cheri Berry | Water Pulse | Confusion | Disable | Yawn | HP/SpA
okay at support, but you really wanna make the battles take less time, not more
44 | Smoochum | Mild | Brightpowder | Confusion | Icy Wind | Fake Out | Sweet Kiss | SpA/Spe
don't be fooled by its low power moves, this thing pulls its weight. except against physical attackers, then it just dies instantly
37 | Snorunt | Adamant | King's Rock | Ice Fang | Headbutt | Bite | Protect | HP/Atk
would be okay if everything didn't hit it SE
81 | Snover | Adamant | NeverMeltIce | Ice Punch | Razor Leaf | GrassWhistle | Ingrain | HP/Atk
too slow to utilize its amazing moveset
33 | Snubbull | Adamant | Razor Claw | Headbutt | Bite | Swagger | Scary Face | HP/Atk
one of the better intimidators, because of Headbutt giving it some punch
108 | Spinda | Adamant | Silk Scarf | Dizzy Punch | Drain Punch | Faint Attack | Teeter Dance | HP/Atk
Never be fooled by whatever misconceptions you had about a poke before using it. Spinda is a solid alternative to Delcatty, boasting a stronger STAB and better coverage. Its bulk is solid, and it can even break Steels with Drain Punch. Also Own Tempo comes into play a lot blocking random Supersonics.
75 | Spoink | Modest | Sitrus Berry | Psywave | Swift | Magic Coat | Confuse Ray | SpA/SpD
psywave? that's cute
3 | Squirtle | Adamant | Sea Incense | Aqua Jet | Bite | Withdraw | Protect | HP/Atk
weak and slow.
90 | Staravia | Adamant | Sharp Beak | Endeavor | Wing Attack | Quick Attack | Whirlwind | Atk/Spe
has intimidate and is kinda speedy, also really strong moves. give it a whirl if you get it
17 | Starly | Adamant | Sharp Beak | Wing Attack | Quick Attack | Endeavor | Growl | Atk/Spe
slow, frail, no intimidate. not the worst
85 | Staryu | Timid | Cheri Berry | BubbleBeam | Twister | Swift | Light Screen | SpA/Spe
competes with Mantyke for an offensive water. Staryu is naturally fast and can hit opposing waters, but is somewhat frail.
67 | Stunky | Adamant | BlackGlasses | Pursuit | Toxic | Slash | SmokeScreen | Atk/Spe
that's the smell of a bad set
49 | Swablu | Modest | Mental Herb | Air Cutter | Swift | Mirror Move | Attract | SpA/SpD
pointless
70 | Teddiursa | Impish | Chesto Berry | Secret Power | Faint Attack | Attract | Rest | HP/Atk
i've rarely used this, but on paper it seems like a cool normal. problem is its bulk is a bit low so it can't make use of chesto rest very well
82 | Tentacool | Modest | Cheri Berry | BubbleBeam | Acid | Supersonic | Barrier | SpA/SpD
stop giving me flashbacks to RSE
143 | Togetic | Calm | Chesto Berry | Air Cutter | Swift | Magical Leaf | Wish | SpA/SpD
amazing as a team support. differs from illumise in that it's slow and bulky with good coverage.
8 | Torchic | Hardy | Charcoal | Ember | Mirror Move | Mud-Slap | Double Team | Atk/SpA
You can tell by the moves alone that this is useless.
6 | Totodile | Adamant | Razor Claw | Dive | Slash | Screech | Scary Face | Atk/Def
I've never used this. I mean, it should do pretty well, since Dive is like 80 BP or something and that's absolutely bonkers for round 1. Problem is, it's slow and specially frail.
7 | Treecko | Timid | Miracle Seed | Mega Drain | Swift | Flash | Double Team | SpA/Spe
you know the drill
10 | Turtwig | Adamant | Occa Berry | Razor Leaf | Bite | Tickle | Withdraw | HP/Atk
decent enough if it's in the trade slot or if you want to counterteam, but don't stick with it
42 | Venonat | Relaxed | SilverPowder | Bug Bite | PoisonPowder | Psybeam | Supersonic | HP/SpA
conflicting moves and EVs tells you that they didn't even know what they were going for when they made this
89 | Vibrava | Modest | Aspear Berry | DragonBreath | Mud-Slap | Ominous Wind | Supersonic | SpA/Spe
the sole viable user of dragon stab in round 1, which isn't as good as it sounds. also it's incredibly frail and lacks real use outside of its typing and dragonbreath
136 | Volbeat | Jolly | Liechi Berry | U-turn | Quick Attack | Confuse Ray | Helping Hand | Atk/Spe
while it hits harder than illumise, it's strictly inferior thanks to u-turn slowing down battles in round 1 and a worse normal move. also no wish. also it can't even abuse liechi at all
68 | Voltorb | Modest | Petaya Berry | Shock Wave | Swift | Thunder Wave | Light Screen | SpA/Spe
surprisingly bulky. it doesn't hit very hard however so watch out for that.
28 | Vulpix | Calm | Brightpowder | Ember | Swift | Will-O-Wisp | Confuse Ray | SpA/SpD
a terrible fire, even by round 1 fire standards
139 | Wailmer | Modest | Sea Incense | Water Pulse | Icy Wind | Roar | Mist | SpA/Spe
absolutely incredible. only issue is that when it takes a hit, you will have to sit there watching its HP bar take 10 seconds to drain
127 | Weepinbell | Quiet | Scope Lens | Razor Leaf | Acid | Wrap | Sweet Scent | Atk/SpA
never used this, don't think i ever will
145 | Wobbuffet | Jolly | Focus Band | Counter | Mirror Coat | Charm | Splash | Def/SpD/Spe
okay, i guess. becomes exponentially better if paired with a wish user. unfortunately, the nature of wobbuffet means that you will take forever to win battles, assuming that the AI even wants to attack into you.
131 | Yanma | Timid | Lax Incense | Silver Wind | Air Cutter | Double Team | Detect | SpA/Spe
The fastest of the Bug/Flyings. Trades bulk and coverage for speed and a cheeky evasion rate. I consider this to be worse than Butterfree and Beautifly, but which one you will end up using is up to the RNG's whims.
Solid. Best used as a lead. Not too shabby in round 2, either.
104 | Anorith | Adamant | Metronome | Fury Cutter | Rock Blast | Metal Claw | Protect | Atk/Spe
Incredibly unreliable. Don't use this, but be wary of its occasional 4+ hit rock blasts.
130 | Ariados | Adamant | SilverPowder | Bug Bite | Toxic | Shadow Sneak | Spider Web | HP/Atk
I've never used this - it seems too slow and vulnerable to all the Rock Tomb/AncientPowers and Aerial Ace/Air Cutters. Bad moves, as well.
74 | Aron | Impish | Metal Coat | Metal Claw | Rock Tomb | Iron Defense | Protect | Atk/Def
The defensive typing makes it usable, but definitely one of the worst steels in round 1.
150 | Azumarill | Quiet | Pecha Berry | BubbleBeam | Rollout | Defense Curl | Tail Whip | SpA/SpD
Only use it if every other swap option is completely unusable.
38 | Bagon | Naughty | Dragon Fang | DragonBreath | Headbutt | Brick Break | Scary Face | Atk/Def
Slow and specially frail, doesn't hit too hard either. Pass it up if better options are available.
36 | Baltoy | Modest | Twisted Spoon | Psybeam | Mud-Slap | AncientPower | Light Screen | SpA/SpD
On paper this seems legit. I haven't used this, but I wouldn't say it's garbage tier.
125 | Beautifly | Modest | SilverPowder | Silver Wind | Air Cutter | Mega Drain | Attract | SpA/Spe
Amazing lead. This is the best of the 3 Bug/Flyings thanks to its ability to OHKO the fearsome Rock/Grounds with Mega Drain and speed and power right off the bat. It's on the slower end of the speed-invested mons however, so be wary.
121 | Beedrill | Jolly | Scope Lens | Twineedle | Toxic | Assurance | Agility | Atk/SpD
why
19 | Bidoof | Adamant | Silk Scarf | Headbutt | Pluck | Growl | Yawn | HP/Atk
go back to being an HM slave
25 | Bonsly | Adamant | Rock Incense | Rock Slide | Low Kick | Copycat | Sandstorm | Atk/Def
A decidedly average set. The strong Rock Slides and solid typing/physical bulk keeps it far away from being the worst, but the lack of coverage and speed means you can do much better.
39 | Bronzor | Brave | Odd Incense | Confusion | Gyro Ball | AncientPower | Imprison | Atk/SpA
Don't use Gyro Ball. Competes with Aron for the title of worst round 1 Steel.
22 | Budew | Calm | Big Root | Mega Drain | Toxic | Growth | Worry Seed | SpA/SpD
Now we get into the garbage round 1 sets. Never use these except as death fodder.
77 | Buizel | Jolly | Wave Incense | Aqua Jet | Quick Attack | Pursuit | Growl | Atk/Spe
Too frail and too weak. The speed EVs mean nothing when you only have priority moves.
1 | Bulbasaur | Modest | Brightpowder | Magical Leaf | Toxic | Leech Seed | Sweet Scent | SpA/SpD
A bad round 1 Grass. In the same boat as Azumarill.
99 | Buneary | Adamant | Black Belt | Dizzy Punch | Drain Punch | Quick Attack | Foresight | Atk/Spe
This set is done better by other round 1 mons.
15 | Burmy | Adamant | Sitrus Berry | Bug Bite | Tackle | Snore | Protect | HP/Atk
no
120 | Butterfree | Modest | Pecha Berry | Silver Wind | Air Cutter | Psybeam | Tailwind | SpA/SpD
All of the Bug/Flyings are amazing leads in round 1. Butterfree boasts impressive team support and Special bulk as its draws, but lacks in the Speed department.
83 | Cacnea | Adamant | Aspear Berry | Needle Arm | Faint Attack | Cotton Spore | GrassWhistle | HP/Atk
you could do worse, i guess
45 | Carvanha | Adamant | Cheri Berry | Aqua Jet | Bite | Scary Face | Swagger | HP/Atk
see: buizel
135 | Castform | Timid | Persim Berry | Weather Ball | Sunny Day | Rain Dance | Hail | SpA/Spe
If you ever get a free turn, you WILL sweep their team. Solid stats too, for round 1.
2 | Charmander | Adamant | Scope Lens | Fire Fang | Metal Claw | SmokeScreen | Scary Face | Atk/Spe
Worth using if the foe has a really scary mon that's weak to fire, but otherwise best used as death fodder
141 | Chatot | Calm | Persim Berry | Chatter | Swift | Sing | Mirror Move | SpD/Spe
TIL this thing doesn't have spa EVs. Shows you how high Chatot's attack is that it can do that much damage uninvested. Definitely worth using.
21 | Cherubi | Modest | Rose Incense | Magical Leaf | Toxic | Leech Seed | Helping Hand | SpA/SpD
A worse Bulbasaur. And factory bulbasaur isn't even good in the first place
4 | Chikorita | Adamant | Lax Incense | Bullet Seed | Secret Power | Growl | Light Screen | HP/Atk
bullet seed is 10 BP in gen 4. Keep that in mind whenever you use this
11 | Chimchar | Adamant | Passho Berry | Flame Wheel | Facade | Leer | Fake Out | Atk/Spe
Probably the second best Fire mon in round 1. Pity that Fire is a terrible type in round 1 Factory.
69 | Chinchou | Modest | Magnet | Shock Wave | BubbleBeam | Icy Wind | Thunder Wave | HP/SpA
The unquestionably best bulky Water in round 1, even with Illuminate. Solid stats paired with a moveset that leaves nothing wasted. Always pick this guy if it shows up.
23 | Chingling | Modest | Twisted Spoon | Confusion | Swift | Disable | Growl | SpA/SpD
i used this thing once (as a trade slot) and was surprised at how much damage it was doing
92 | Clamperl | Bold | DeepSeaScale | Whirlpool | Toxic | Iron Defense | Protect | HP/Def
never
58 | Clefairy | Adamant | Brightpowder | Wake-Up Slap | Follow Me | Encore | Sing | HP/Atk
annoying to play against, never ever use this
18 | Combee | Serious | SilverPowder | Bug Bite | Gust | Ominous Wind | Sweet Scent | Atk/SpA/Spe
i forgot there was a bug/flying in round 1 factory that not only isn't god tier, but is absolute trash
47 | Corphish | Brave | Pecha Berry | BubbleBeam | ViceGrip | Knock Off | Swagger | HP/SpA
a lot of the time you can tell whether something is good in round 1 factory by its moveset. this is one of those mons. don't use corphish
115 | Corsola | Modest | Focus Band | BubbleBeam | AncientPower | Mirror Coat | Barrier | SpA/SpD
Competes with Chinchou for a team slot, but falls behind due to the latter's amazing moves
97 | Cranidos | Careful | Rock Incense | Rock Tomb | Pursuit | Scary Face | Leer | Def/SpD
what were they thinking
41 | Croagunk | Adamant | Black Sludge | Poison Jab | Wake-Up Slap | Taunt | Swagger | HP/Atk
even with the hp EVs, you aren't surviving anything. those high BP moves mean nothing if you never get to use them, and you probably aren't
55 | Cubone | Adamant | Soft Sand | Bone Club | Headbutt | Brick Break | Leer | Atk/Def
shouldn't be too bad, has high BP moves and solid physical bulk.
5 | Cyndaquil | Adamant | Quick Claw | Flame Wheel | Double Kick | Swift | SmokeScreen | Atk/SpD
fire is a terrible type in round 1, and cyndaquil is a terrible fire
116 | Delcatty | Adamant | Sitrus Berry | Secret Power | Faint Attack | Fake Out | Foresight | HP/Atk
This. This thing. If it's Cute Charm, lead with it and never look back. If it's Normalize, lead with it anyway and just remember that your teammates have to hit ghosts. Seriously, this is god tier if it's not normalize, and still solid if it is. Hell, it's even viable in round 2.
71 | Delibird | Adamant | NeverMeltIce | Present | Ice Ball | Aerial Ace | Hail | Atk/Spe
Only bother with this if it's Hustle. Even then, there are better fliers.
48 | Doduo | Jolly | Liechi Berry | Aerial Ace | Quick Attack | Faint Attack | Acupressure | Atk/Spe
Solid flier, second only to Murkrow and Staravia.
32 | Dratini | Modest | Cheri Berry | Twister | Water Pulse | Thunder Wave | Supersonic | SpA/SpD
don't even bother
94 | Drifloon | Modest | Petaya Berry | Ominous Wind | Air Cutter | Icy Wind | Will-O-Wisp | HP/SpA
it's like a weird combination of a bug/flying, murkrow, and chinchou. all of these combine to make a solid round 1 mon.
66 | Drowzee | Modest | Rawst Berry | Psybeam | Assist | Disable | Barrier | SpA/SpD
slow and has bad coverage
109 | Dunsparce | Adamant | Razor Claw | Headbutt | Bite | Spite | Glare | HP/Atk
A solid substitute for Delcatty. It's still slow, but that bulk though
27 | Duskull | Adamant | Spell Tag | Shadow Sneak | Pain Split | Will-O-Wisp | Confuse Ray | Def/SpD
annoying to play against, even more annoying to use
126 | Dustox | Modest | SilverPowder | Silver Wind | Toxic | Psybeam | Whirlwind | SpA/SpD
i mean, it's not terrible. i forget if i've ever used this, but it can't be that bad
64 | Eevee | Jolly | Salac Berry | Take Down | Bite | Flail | Endure | Atk/Spe
m_bison_yes.mp4
This is the only viable non-weather setup sweeper in round 1. Always take it, because even if you aren't getting set up and even if it's run away, STAB take down will do a lot of damage.
106 | Elekid | Jolly | Cheri Berry | ThunderPunch | Karate Chop | Quick Attack | Light Screen | Atk/Spe
Solid, but one of the weaker round 1 electrics thanks to its lack of bulk.
63 | Exeggcute | Modest | Odd Incense | Confusion | Grass Knot | Leech Seed | Light Screen | Def/SpA
terrible stats, bad moves
100 | Farfetch'd | Adamant | Stick | Slash | Air Cutter | Knock Off | Swords Dance | Atk/SpD
it's okay i guess. there's better fliers though
80 | Finneon | Modest | Wave Incense | Water Pulse | Silver Wind | Attract | Aqua Ring | SpA/SpD
no
112 | Flaaffy | Modest | Light Clay | Shock Wave | Swift | Thunder Wave | Light Screen | HP/SpA
amazing round 1 glue, thanks to light screen and thunder wave it can play the support role while its stats and typing allows it to be a great attacker. most rock/grounds aren't surviving 2 swifts either.
31 | Geodude | Adamant | Focus Band | Magnitude | Rock Blast | Strength | Protect | Atk/Def
I'd pass on this. It's extremely unreliable and folds to any special attack instantly.
40 | Gible | Adamant | Soft Sand | Dragon Rage | Sand Tomb | Metal Claw | Sandstorm | HP/Atk
bad stats, and its moves don't even match its EVs
50 | Glameow | Jolly | Razor Claw | Fury Swipes | Fake Out | Faint Attack | Attract | Atk/Spe
unreliable is the word of the day in round 1 factory
133 | Gloom | Modest | Miracle Seed | Mega Drain | Acid | Stun Spore | Moonlight | HP/SpA
previous comment retracted. this thing is so solid. it will never die to any resisted hits as you can recover the damage off. its moveset lets it play support. the lack of power isn't an issue given, you know, reliable recovery and solid bulk.
56 | Goldeen | Modest | Petaya Berry | Water Pulse | Psybeam | Supersonic | Rain Dance | Def/SpA
you aren't gorebyss
128 | Graveler | Adamant | Focus Band | Magnitude | Rock Tomb | Stealth Rock | Defense Curl | Atk/Def
now this is a mon. ignore the last 2 moves. who gives a fuck if its attacks can't do consistent damage, it's not dying to any flying or normal attack ever.
61 | Grimer | Adamant | Black Sludge | Toxic | Shadow Sneak | Acid Armor | Minimize | HP/Atk
spare yourself the torture and pass this up
96 | Growlithe | Adamant | Charcoal | Fire Fang | Bite | Roar | Agility | HP/Atk
this fire can actually play a decent role thanks to intimidate dialing back the power of the foe's threats. shines a lot in battle 7 if the foe is bringing physical mons.
14 | Happiny | Adamant | Sitrus Berry | Present | Sweet Kiss | Copycat | Charm | HP/Def
happiny will never be good in any format ever
142 | Haunter | Timid | Persim Berry | Night Shade | Toxic | Confuse Ray | Grudge | SpA/Spe
this is actually really sad. you've got a mon with amazing stats, an amazing EV spread, an amazing round1 typing/ability, a solid round1 item, and..... its moves are useless. it can't even use its SpA EVs. it can't do anything other than annoy you. poor factory haunter
78 | Hippopotas | Adamant | Chesto Berry | Dig | Rock Tomb | Sand Tomb | Yawn | HP/Atk
hippopotas will remind you how hard dig hits for. pretend sand tomb doesn't exist. yawn is amazing in battle 7.
72 | Houndour | Adamant | Charcoal | Fire Fang | Bite | Roar | Will-O-Wisp | Atk/Spe
not the worst combination of stats and moves, but it's a round 1 fire type
137 | Illumise | Timid | Petaya Berry | Silver Wind | Swift | Wish | Helping Hand | SpA/Spe
And now you've got, what I believe to be a solid contender for top 3 round1 mons. Even with a wasted moveslot, Illumise will never let you down. And that's not even taking into consideration that this can have Tinted Lens, so that you can ohko Doduo. Petaya is a treat as well. Stick with Illumise if you ever get it.
102 | Kabuto | Adamant | Liechi Berry | Aqua Jet | Rock Tomb | Knock Off | Metal Sound | Atk/Def
weak, slow, and frail. pretty much like half the pool in round 1.
84 | Koffing | Modest | Poison Barb | Sludge | Psybeam | SmokeScreen | Spite | Def/SpA
it'll annoy you, but won't do much else
62 | Krabby | Quiet | Pecha Berry | BubbleBeam | ViceGrip | Leer | Protect | Def/SpA
corphish but even sadder, since they didn't even bother patching up its pathetic special defense
13 | Kricketot | Relaxed | Liechi Berry | Bug Bite | Bide | Mud-Slap | Growl | HP/Def/SpD
i don't understand. why is this in the round 1 pool when kricketune also is
119 | Kricketune | Adamant | Metronome | Fury Cutter | Rock Smash | Knock Off | Focus Energy | HP/Atk
still garbage
35 | Larvitar | Adamant | Liechi Berry | Rock Slide | Dig | Bite | Scary Face | HP/Atk
bad stats salvaged by top-tier moves and typing
129 | Ledian | Timid | Razor Claw | Silver Wind | Air Cutter | Agility | Baton Pass | SpA/SpD
the worst round 1 bug/flying(combee doesn't exist). lacks the speed of beautifly and yanma, and lacks the raw power of butterfree. i mean you can try BPing speed or a silver wind boost, that's always a laugh. still top tier though
124 | Lickitung | Adamant | Chesto Berry | Secret Power | Rock Tomb | Lick | Screech | HP/Atk
with full attack investment, an adamant nature, and a 70 BP stab, you'd think this would do 75% at worst to everything. nope. lickitung is actually kinda weak, failing to 2hko some stuff. but that doesn't matter, lickitung is retardedly bulky(even by round 3 standards it would have good bulk) and will remind you that secret power has body slam's paralysis chance. high tier mon, but makes your battles take way longer than they should
103 | Lileep | Calm | Lax Incense | AncientPower | Grass Knot | Ingrain | Confuse Ray | HP/Def/SpD
interesting typing for round 1. unfortunately makes it weak to bug and neutral to flying, and its stats are nothing to write home about either. as for moves, forget all of them but ancientpower.
87 | Lombre | Quiet | Damp Rock | Water Pulse | Mega Drain | Fake Out | Rain Dance | SpA/SpD
you see, this is how you do an offensive grass in round 1. plays more like a water type that isn't weak to electric, which works more in its favor. still super slow even with swift swim though, so you'll have to rely on its natural special bulk and raw power under the rain
107 | Loudred | Adamant | Persim Berry | Stomp | Bite | Howl | Supersonic | HP/Atk
i don't understand
76 | Luvdisc | Timid | Damp Rock | Water Pulse | Attract | Sweet Kiss | Rain Dance | SpA/Spe
as far as offensive waters go, you could do worse. just be super wary of this thing if your opponents have it, because it will hax you a lot and survive longer than it should thanks to its deceptive bulk
43 | Machop | Adamant | Scope Lens | Karate Chop | Rock Tomb | Foresight | Scary Face | HP/Atk
forget this thing exists
113 | Magby | Adamant | Pecha Berry | Fire Punch | Mach Punch | Leer | SmokeScreen | Atk/Spe
the best fire in round 1. this thing will make you forget that round 1 fire is a terrible typing. still needs to be wary of rock/grounds though, mach punch fails to 3hko graveler and onix
59 | Magnemite | Bold | Rawst Berry | Shock Wave | Mirror Shot | Metal Sound | Reflect | Def/SpA
terrifying stats, the best defensive typing in round 1, and solid moves combine to make this beast. its only flaw is its low speed, which is killer in round 1. still worth using if minun isn't available
93 | Mantyke | Hardy | Mystic Water | BubbleBeam | Aerial Ace | Icy Wind | Agility | SpA/SpD
another solid offensive water. aerial ace isn't even half bad since the likes of roselia and bulbasaur have crap physdef. even gets agility to patch up its speed. pity about the lack of HP though
118 | Mawile | Impish | Brightpowder | Iron Head | Bite | Tickle | Iron Defense | HP/Def
Every steel in round 1 except Aron will remind you why steels are never available early game in the story mode - they just never die. the AI has nothing to dent this beast, especially if it's intimidate. Iron Head's 80 BP more than makes up for the lack of investment. And its plethora of resistances can carry you through battle 7.
51 | Mime Jr. | Bold | Lax Incense | Copycat | Confusion | Barrier | Light Screen | SpA/SpD
skip this
147 | Minun | Timid | Salac Berry | Shock Wave | Swift | Encore | Helping Hand | SpA/Spe
Ah, Minun. My favorite mon in round 1, and I think it's the best, for one simple reason. Encore. You see, in early game factory, the AI selects moves completely at random. This means that Minun can lock a hugely damaging threat into a useless move, and everything you face in round 1 will have at least one useless move. Minun is also the fastest thing in round 1 (aside from a speed boost yanma), so it WILL go first. Its bulk is solid by round 1 standards, and it deals respectable damage as well. This is, bar none, the best electric in round 1, and round 1 has a LOT of good electrics.
9 | Mudkip | Modest | Mystic Water | Water Pulse | Icy Wind | Mud-Slap | Growl | HP/SpA
shouldn't have pressed b
132 | Munchlax | Relaxed | Sitrus Berry | Metronome | Recycle | Stockpile | Swallow | Def/SpD
whenever i see munchlax i always groan, because i know it's going to take a super long time to whittle it down and there's nothing i can do about it. metronome is terrifying in the AI's hands as well.
144 | Murkrow | Jolly | BlackGlasses | Faint Attack | Wing Attack | Torment | Taunt | Atk/Spe
outspeeds nearly everything, has a boosting item combined with 60 BP attack, and solid attack to back it up? sign me up
57 | Natu | Timid | Twisted Spoon | Night Shade | Air Cutter | Ominous Wind | Future Sight | SpA/Spe
borderline usable
110 | Nidorina | Adamant | Poison Barb | Poison Fang | Double Kick | Bite | Flatter | HP/Atk
i mean, at least it has STAB
111 | Nidorino | Adamant | Focus Band | Toxic | Double Kick | Facade | Flatter | HP/Atk
poor thing
114 | Nosepass | Modest | Hard Stone | AncientPower | Shock Wave | Thunder Wave | Sandstorm | Def/SpA
decidedly average set and mon. differs from other rocks in that it hits on the special side (and has a nice support move in thunder wave)
46 | Numel | Serious | Lax Incense | Magnitude | Ember | Rock Tomb | Sandstorm | Atk/SpA
despite the nature, this set definitely isn't
88 | Nuzleaf | Adamant | Aspear Berry | Razor Leaf | Faint Attack | Swagger | Harden | HP/Atk
better grasses, and better darks.
53 | Oddish | Bold | Rose Incense | Mega Drain | Acid | Sweet Scent | Moonlight | SpA/SpD
a mediocre version of Gloom. a worse stat spread, a weaker support move (sweet scent instead of stun spore), and worse base stats. still usable though
101 | Omanyte | Bold | Pecha Berry | AncientPower | Water Gun | Mud Shot | Protect | Def/SpA
you could do worse, i guess
123 | Onix | Adamant | Hard Stone | Rock Slide | Dig | Screech | Sandstorm | Atk/Def
Onix sets the gold standard for Rocks in round 1. High BP moves, a boosting item, and super-high Defense. Also it's pretty fast even uninvested, so watch out
148 | Pachirisu | Jolly | Magnet | Spark | Quick Attack | Bite | Sweet Kiss | Atk/Spe
Weak, but fast and bulky. I'd rather have Elekid though
140 | Parasect | Jolly | Aspear Berry | Bug Bite | Grass Knot | Scratch | Stun Spore | SpD/Spe
why would you ever use this
73 | Phanpy | Adamant | Metronome | Rollout | Rock Tomb | Defense Curl | Sandstorm | HP/Atk
no stab and no speed. i don't get what they were going for here.
95 | Pidgeotto | Adamant | Rawst Berry | Wing Attack | Quick Attack | FeatherDance | Mirror Move | Atk/Spe
strictly worse than doduo, but good.
29 | Pikachu | Modest | Sitrus Berry | ThunderShock | Swift | Thunder Wave | Double Team | SpA/Spe
stick to minun
12 | Piplup | Bashful | Rindo Berry | BubbleBeam | Aerial Ace | Growl | Supersonic | Atk/SpA
average
146 | Plusle | Timid | Petaya Berry | Shock Wave | Swift | Fake Tears | Helping Hand | SpA/Spe
holy shit this is amazing, but it's still not minun. hits harder than minun, but lacks that extra bit of bulk, and of course no encore
122 | Poliwhirl | Quirky | Liechi Berry | BubbleBeam | DoubleSlap | Mist | Rain Dance | Atk/SpA
quirky indeed
149 | Ponyta | Adamant | Chesto Berry | Flame Wheel | Stomp | Will-O-Wisp | Tail Whip | Atk/Spe
you know the drill with round 1 fires at this point.
134 | Porygon | Modest | Persim Berry | Swift | Psybeam | Icy Wind | Recycle | HP/SpA
it's like delcatty in a way. an already amazing pokemon with an ability that makes it even more amazing, but getting the bad ability doesn't stop it from being good.
54 | Psyduck | Modest | Chesto Berry | Water Gun | Confusion | Water Sport | Disable | HP/SpA
nope
34 | Remoraid | Modest | Petaya Berry | BubbleBeam | Aurora Beam | Mud-Slap | Supersonic | SpA/Spe
never used this, but i wouldn't put it in garbage tier. sure it's frail, isn't too fast, and has meh moves but it still hits fairly hard
91 | Rhyhorn | Adamant | Persim Berry | Dig | Rock Blast | Scary Face | Tail Whip | HP/Atk/Def
like onix, but loses its consistent rock damage for even more bulk and attack power
24 | Riolu | Adamant | Expert Belt | Brick Break | Bullet Punch | Foresight | Counter | Atk/Spe
see: croagunk. this will rarely survive long enough to use a move.
138 | Roselia | Modest | Black Sludge | Mega Drain | Toxic | GrassWhistle | Cotton Spore | SpA/SpD
stay away from this
117 | Sableye | Impish | BlackGlasses | Faint Attack | Shadow Sneak | Fake Out | Detect | Atk/Def
Actually, this is a more accurate comparison to Delcatty than Porygon. The difference here is, Stall vs Keen Eye actually doesn't make too much of a difference because half the time Sableye will be using a priority move, and the other half it would be moving last anyway because you have base 50 speed uninvested. Sableye's typing is the key to its success here, as most mons in round 1 have Normal attacks. The Rock/Grounds will also be using Dig, so Protect comes into play for that instead.
30 | Sandshrew | Adamant | Soft Sand | Dig | Rock Tomb | Sandstorm | Sand-Attack | Atk/Def
bad stats
60 | Seel | Adamant | Aspear Berry | Aqua Jet | Ice Shard | Fake Out | Encore | Atk/SpD
pathetically weak
16 | Shedinja | Adamant | Lax Incense | Shadow Sneak | Fury Cutter | Confuse Ray | Sand-Attack | Atk/Spe
half the time you're facing down a Rock with this thing, and the other half you'd be better off using something else to beat their normals
65 | Shellos | Bold | Lax Incense | Water Pulse | Mud-Slap | Icy Wind | Harden | HP/SpA
literally mudkip but with slightly better stats
98 | Shieldon | Sassy | Focus Band | Iron Head | Rock Tomb | Swagger | Iron Defense | Atk/Def
It's a steel type. You know it's good.
20 | Shinx | Adamant | King's Rock | Thunder Fang | Bite | Howl | Leer | HP/Atk
similar to growlithe. useful for intimidate instead of the mon itself.
26 | Shuppet | Adamant | Spell Tag | Shadow Sneak | Knock Off | Will-O-Wisp | Grudge | HP/Atk
don't torture yourself by using this
86 | Skiploom | Hardy | Big Root | Mega Drain | Aerial Ace | Confusion | Cotton Spore | Atk/SpA
stay away from this
79 | Skorupi | Impish | Poison Barb | Poison Fang | Bug Bite | Bite | Toxic Spikes | Atk/Def
this is kinda bad as well
52 | Slowpoke | Modest | Cheri Berry | Water Pulse | Confusion | Disable | Yawn | HP/SpA
okay at support, but you really wanna make the battles take less time, not more
44 | Smoochum | Mild | Brightpowder | Confusion | Icy Wind | Fake Out | Sweet Kiss | SpA/Spe
don't be fooled by its low power moves, this thing pulls its weight. except against physical attackers, then it just dies instantly
37 | Snorunt | Adamant | King's Rock | Ice Fang | Headbutt | Bite | Protect | HP/Atk
would be okay if everything didn't hit it SE
81 | Snover | Adamant | NeverMeltIce | Ice Punch | Razor Leaf | GrassWhistle | Ingrain | HP/Atk
too slow to utilize its amazing moveset
33 | Snubbull | Adamant | Razor Claw | Headbutt | Bite | Swagger | Scary Face | HP/Atk
one of the better intimidators, because of Headbutt giving it some punch
108 | Spinda | Adamant | Silk Scarf | Dizzy Punch | Drain Punch | Faint Attack | Teeter Dance | HP/Atk
Never be fooled by whatever misconceptions you had about a poke before using it. Spinda is a solid alternative to Delcatty, boasting a stronger STAB and better coverage. Its bulk is solid, and it can even break Steels with Drain Punch. Also Own Tempo comes into play a lot blocking random Supersonics.
75 | Spoink | Modest | Sitrus Berry | Psywave | Swift | Magic Coat | Confuse Ray | SpA/SpD
psywave? that's cute
3 | Squirtle | Adamant | Sea Incense | Aqua Jet | Bite | Withdraw | Protect | HP/Atk
weak and slow.
90 | Staravia | Adamant | Sharp Beak | Endeavor | Wing Attack | Quick Attack | Whirlwind | Atk/Spe
has intimidate and is kinda speedy, also really strong moves. give it a whirl if you get it
17 | Starly | Adamant | Sharp Beak | Wing Attack | Quick Attack | Endeavor | Growl | Atk/Spe
slow, frail, no intimidate. not the worst
85 | Staryu | Timid | Cheri Berry | BubbleBeam | Twister | Swift | Light Screen | SpA/Spe
competes with Mantyke for an offensive water. Staryu is naturally fast and can hit opposing waters, but is somewhat frail.
67 | Stunky | Adamant | BlackGlasses | Pursuit | Toxic | Slash | SmokeScreen | Atk/Spe
that's the smell of a bad set
49 | Swablu | Modest | Mental Herb | Air Cutter | Swift | Mirror Move | Attract | SpA/SpD
pointless
70 | Teddiursa | Impish | Chesto Berry | Secret Power | Faint Attack | Attract | Rest | HP/Atk
i've rarely used this, but on paper it seems like a cool normal. problem is its bulk is a bit low so it can't make use of chesto rest very well
82 | Tentacool | Modest | Cheri Berry | BubbleBeam | Acid | Supersonic | Barrier | SpA/SpD
stop giving me flashbacks to RSE
143 | Togetic | Calm | Chesto Berry | Air Cutter | Swift | Magical Leaf | Wish | SpA/SpD
amazing as a team support. differs from illumise in that it's slow and bulky with good coverage.
8 | Torchic | Hardy | Charcoal | Ember | Mirror Move | Mud-Slap | Double Team | Atk/SpA
You can tell by the moves alone that this is useless.
6 | Totodile | Adamant | Razor Claw | Dive | Slash | Screech | Scary Face | Atk/Def
I've never used this. I mean, it should do pretty well, since Dive is like 80 BP or something and that's absolutely bonkers for round 1. Problem is, it's slow and specially frail.
7 | Treecko | Timid | Miracle Seed | Mega Drain | Swift | Flash | Double Team | SpA/Spe
you know the drill
10 | Turtwig | Adamant | Occa Berry | Razor Leaf | Bite | Tickle | Withdraw | HP/Atk
decent enough if it's in the trade slot or if you want to counterteam, but don't stick with it
42 | Venonat | Relaxed | SilverPowder | Bug Bite | PoisonPowder | Psybeam | Supersonic | HP/SpA
conflicting moves and EVs tells you that they didn't even know what they were going for when they made this
89 | Vibrava | Modest | Aspear Berry | DragonBreath | Mud-Slap | Ominous Wind | Supersonic | SpA/Spe
the sole viable user of dragon stab in round 1, which isn't as good as it sounds. also it's incredibly frail and lacks real use outside of its typing and dragonbreath
136 | Volbeat | Jolly | Liechi Berry | U-turn | Quick Attack | Confuse Ray | Helping Hand | Atk/Spe
while it hits harder than illumise, it's strictly inferior thanks to u-turn slowing down battles in round 1 and a worse normal move. also no wish. also it can't even abuse liechi at all
68 | Voltorb | Modest | Petaya Berry | Shock Wave | Swift | Thunder Wave | Light Screen | SpA/Spe
surprisingly bulky. it doesn't hit very hard however so watch out for that.
28 | Vulpix | Calm | Brightpowder | Ember | Swift | Will-O-Wisp | Confuse Ray | SpA/SpD
a terrible fire, even by round 1 fire standards
139 | Wailmer | Modest | Sea Incense | Water Pulse | Icy Wind | Roar | Mist | SpA/Spe
absolutely incredible. only issue is that when it takes a hit, you will have to sit there watching its HP bar take 10 seconds to drain
127 | Weepinbell | Quiet | Scope Lens | Razor Leaf | Acid | Wrap | Sweet Scent | Atk/SpA
never used this, don't think i ever will
145 | Wobbuffet | Jolly | Focus Band | Counter | Mirror Coat | Charm | Splash | Def/SpD/Spe
okay, i guess. becomes exponentially better if paired with a wish user. unfortunately, the nature of wobbuffet means that you will take forever to win battles, assuming that the AI even wants to attack into you.
131 | Yanma | Timid | Lax Incense | Silver Wind | Air Cutter | Double Team | Detect | SpA/Spe
The fastest of the Bug/Flyings. Trades bulk and coverage for speed and a cheeky evasion rate. I consider this to be worse than Butterfree and Beautifly, but which one you will end up using is up to the RNG's whims.
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