Reporting a 239 win streak for Level 50 Battle Tower with the following team. This is the level 50 version of Adedede's Dans Macabre team.
Slaking (F) @ Choice Band
Ability: Truant
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
IVs: 19-20 HP / 31 Atk / 22-23 Def/ 22-23 SpD / 31 Spe
Stats: 220 HP/ 233 Atk / 116 Def / 81 SpD / 152 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Double-Edge
- Earthquake
- Shadow Ball
- Hyper Beam
Gengar (F) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 36 Def / 220 Spe
IVs: 27-28 HP / 6-7 Atk / 31 Def/ 30-31 SpD / 31 Spe
Stats: 165 HP/ 65 Atk / 85 Def / 95 SpD / 173 Spe
Timid Nature
- Destiny Bond
- Perish Song
- Protect
- Mean Look
Wobbuffet (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Shadow Tag
EVs: 248 HP / 146 Def / 116 SpD
IVs: 30 HP / 20-21 Atk / 28-29 Def/ 31 SpD / 23 Spe
Stats: 296 HP/ 43 Atk / 104 Def / 93 SpD / 49 Spe
Bold Nature
- Destiny Bond
- Counter
- Encore
- Mirror Coat
My goals were humble with this team. I wanted the 100-win decoration and my offensive teams using my IV bred, EV trained Latias/Metagross/Milotic/Salamence were having a hard time getting past 80-90.
This is my first time posting, but I've lurked on these leaderboards before. I wanted to find a team that I could breed by conventional methods without RNG manipulation. So I looked for teams without pseudo-legendaries. This led me to the Dans Macabre team. It took me probably a month to get Pokemon with the correct natures and good enough stats to accept.
Notes on the team: As Adedede suggested to me (in a Youtube comment), Shadow Ball is the obvious choice for Slaking's 4th move in level 50 (as opposed to Brick Break needed for TTar in Open). I've seen that others have used this team for good reason. I strongly recommend breeding until you get perfect Attack/Speed on Slaking and good enough Gengar speed to get to the tier at 173 Spe. Those stats number are very important as there are many pokemon you just barely outspeed/KO. My other stats are pretty good. Having average speed on Wobbuffet meant that I didn't out speed Snorlax, but that never severely cost me since it is dealt with by Slaking/Gengar so well.
Check out Adedede's post for a lot of great information. However, I must say that the best way to learn this team is to try it out. I love how this team easily quashes trolling Double Teamers and Quick Claw Horn Drill/Fissure users. With this team you spend almost all your time predicting what the AI will use. You get very comfortable switching into hits. Damage calculators are essential since they help you play around critical hits. Generally, I tried to keep Slaking away from unnecessary damage or potential satuses. If I must sacrifice a Pokemon, it is almost always Wobbuffet since Gengar's Destiny Bond is an almost certainty, whereas Wobbuffet can more easily faulter due to no Lum Berry/ no Protect/lower speed.
A few differences from my own perspective:
- There were a lot of things I feared would happen that really never did. Examples:
- Trying to Destiny Bond with Gengar but getting double statused
- Getting quick claw rock slide into flinch on Gengar (happened once I think)
- Sheer Cold trolling by Lapras or Walrein. Actually, what sometimes nearly happened was Wobbuffet running out of Destiny Bond PP before the Sheer Colds ran out!
- Unlike what Adedede mentioned, I used Gengar's Mean Look pretty often. Since Encore may last until 1, 2, or all 3 perish song turns complete, it can sometimes be useful for Gengar to 1. Perish Song, 2. Mean Look, 3. Protect, 4. Switch to Wobbuffet (or Slaking!). This way you can limit the damage on Wobbuffet in certain situations.
- I almost never clicked Hyper Beam, though it certainly saved me on a near loss around win 135 (where Slaking 1 v 1'd Armaldo due to Hyper Beam damage + Double-Edge recoil damage!!)
- I agree that playing aggressive with this team pays off. You start to learn that you just always switch into Gengar when certain Pokemon appear for example.
- Something I couldn't figure out, but I would love to know is how to predict when the opponent will just spam Counter even if it has reasonable moves. This would happen even with Gengar and Wobbuffet out.
In addition to the Pokemon Adedede mentioned, here are some ones that I didn't like seeing (this particularly as a first Pokemon against Slaking)
- Raichu. It's a speed tie with Slaking. I've tried switching into Wobbuffet, but thunderbolt into paralysis made it hard to guarantee Mirror Coat or Destiny Bond. I've also kept in Slaking and KO'd it after getting paralyzed.
- Latios/Latias. There are so many different possibilities, but I almost always would go for Slaking - Shadow Ball and hope for no brightpowder/focus band hax. If Latios/Latias comes out second, it is also difficult to deal with. Sometimes I end up Encoring something like Calm Mind which usually means Wobbuffet will need to die.
- Heracross. Gengar deals well with Hera. But the problem is that you need to switch out to Wobbuffet for 1 turn. With my Def/HP stats, there was a ~10% chance that Megahorn OHKO's my Wobbuffet! This actually happened, and I then found out that the opponent can then switch out removing the Perish Song! Luckily I saved that battle with Slaking and Gengar, but I'm not sure how to avoid this issue.
Here is a video of the loss, which I saved in-game.
The loss may have been avoidable, but I had been getting away with aggressive play with this team for awhile.
Ranger Nelson
Regirock - I almost always switch to Gengar since there are 2 with Quick Claw and 1 with Brightpowder
Turn 1a - Switch to Gengar
Turn 1b - Rock Slide - It does <50% damage, so it is the Brightpowder Regirock with Explosion. Only a critical hit kills so I go for setting up Perish Song
Turn 2a - Perish Song
Turn 2b - Rock Slide Critical Hit - Gengar faints. Now I am in a bit of trouble. I am afraid of Slaking getting Brightpowder, which is a likely loss. I am also not certain if this will explode on Wobbuffet, but if it does I will survive.
Turn 3a - Switch to Wobbuffet - Perish Song Count 3
Turn 3b - Explosion - Wobbuffet is down to low health.
Regice - All the Regice will see a KO on Wobbuffet. I have two options, switch in to Slaking now and tank Ice Beam/Thunderbolt (hope against status/critical), or tank the hit on loafing turn for the next Pokemon. I decide to sacrifice Wobbuffet.
Turn 4a - Thunder bolt - Wobbuffet faints. I will switch in to Slaking and use Hyper Beam since I can't afford to accept the recoil damage from Double-Edge.
Turn 4b - Hyper Beam - Regice faints
Latios - I am actually happy. I am faster than all of them. I am thinking if Hyper Beam hits I will win and this fortunate streak will continue!
Turn 5a - Loafing around
Turn 5b - Psychic Critical Hit - Slaking faints - Game over.
Looking back at the possible Pokemon, tanking the hit on Regice was probably the play. I also think I could have switched to Wobbuffet after the first Rock Slide and then switched back to Gengar on Explosion. However, when the AI chooses Explosion was something I am still a little uncertain on. I believe a Metagross Explosion on Wobbuffet also helped end Adedede's streak. Maybe someone who knows a bit more can let me know.
I would love to know if someone knows what a better what to play out that fight would be.
Final thoughts: The team is really fun to play with. I think the streak could have ended much earlier (~135), but I was also starting to play a little careless (see loss) and so even with these lower IV's this particular team could probably reach ~400 if played more diligently.
Oh well, it has definitely been a pleasant walk down memory lane.
I’m always glad my previous work is still helping so many people, and I’m also honestly surprised it still finds success through multiple players given how far from that g3 gaming has recently gone.
Today, I would definitely not recomend this team, but nonetheless I still get why its intricate and yet fast and effective gameplan and its in-game breedable accessibility has made it so fascinating.
I’d like to add 2 considerations to your post.
Firstly, the Emerald decomp has made us aware of how AI “selects moves”, or better, how AI gives scores to every move based on the current status of the game.
Factory players have brought that to an art; AI score system is crucial in such an harsh facility, where top competitors must always squeeze every drop of water from the hardest rocks, but of course its understanding benefits every Frontier player to some extents.
I’ll link there Emerald AI choice analysis file, hope it helps:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CzTIoDbwdOX2cvQN9yldL7zLXfKQtBy_UWuxccpJnAM/edit?usp=sharing
In your loss, the analysis of whom will be my 2nd point, you where stuck in a point where you could have stayed in with low health Wobbuffet, or you could have switched into Slaking.
A Thunder Wave on the switch could have been atrocious, so you stayed in.
The reality is that due to decomp, you already know that a potential Regice3 f.e. would have never picked TWave.
Let’s see why, from the decomp file:
“Paralyzing Moves
Moves: Glare, Stun Spore, Thunder Wave
If the target is faster than the user, there is a 92% chance of +3 score. If the user is faster than the target, the move gets -1 score if 70% HP or less.
As a result, this is extremely likely to occur as a form of speed control. However, when not speed controlling it should only be used while at high HP, and with only +0 score.”
Then, due to Wobbuffet being at red health, look at the score of KOing moves:
So, Regice would have always picked an attack, and your best odds are to risk the secondary effect in a spot like that.
Don’t worry though, because I think the match was decided a couple turns earlier, but we’ll come to that soon.
A Thunder Wave on the switch could have been atrocious, so you stayed in.
The reality is that due to decomp, you already know that a potential Regice3 f.e. would have never picked TWave.
Let’s see why, from the decomp file:
“Paralyzing Moves
Moves: Glare, Stun Spore, Thunder Wave
If the target is faster than the user, there is a 92% chance of +3 score. If the user is faster than the target, the move gets -1 score if 70% HP or less.
As a result, this is extremely likely to occur as a form of speed control. However, when not speed controlling it should only be used while at high HP, and with only +0 score.”
Then, due to Wobbuffet being at red health, look at the score of KOing moves:
+6 | Priority moves that can kill (not Fake Out) |
+4 | Moves other than Explosion or Self Destruct, and power 1 moves that can kill |
+2 | Status moves, power 1 moves, discouraged moves, and the highest damage move if they are doubly super effective, ~69% of the time |
+0 | The highest damage move if the target lacks an absorbing ability; all other moves, including any status move, power 1 move, or discouraged move that is not doubly super effective the other ~31% of the time |
-1 | Damaging moves that are not the highest damage move. Explosion or Self Destruct if both the player and AI are on their last pokemon. |
Bad | Any move that would fail or the target would be immune to. Explosion or Self Destruct if the AI is on their last pokemon but the player is not. These will be in the range of -5 to -12 score. |
-100 | Moves that cannot be used at all (normally out of PP) |
So, Regice would have always picked an attack, and your best odds are to risk the secondary effect in a spot like that.
Don’t worry though, because I think the match was decided a couple turns earlier, but we’ll come to that soon.
My 2nd and last point revolves around the gameplan you chose in the losing match.
Nelson is a 31IVs trainer with all of Regis sets, so we have no info on Regirock leading set.
From this spot, it would have been better to go Wobb. Even in the worst situation (losing Wobb to an Explosion, that also practically happened), you are 2v2 with Gengar and Slaking. Every other haxy spot (like Thunder Wave full paras / consecutive flinches) needed a lot of misfortune to turn bad, while an opening Curse could have then been Encored, and even Encoring an incoming +1 RS due to QC would not have been the end of the world.
That said, let’s say you still want to switch into Gengar vs. a potential QC Regirock.
After recognizing Regirock6 from the damage calcs (nice scout!), there are no doubts left: the play would have definitely been to switch into Wobbuffet vs. that set, after a Protect to drain another RS PP.
I really see no reason why you should risk a CH with Gengar at this point, given Regirock6 doesn’t have TWave / QC Curse to potentially hax Wobb.
0+ Atk Regirock Rock Slide vs. 244 HP / 136+ Def Wobbuffet: 54-64 (18.2 - 21.6%) -- possible 7HKO after Leftovers recovery (47.8% chance to 7HKO after accuracy)
(54, 55, 55, 56, 56, 57, 58, 58, 59, 60, 60, 61, 62, 62, 63, 64)
It deals litterally nothing, while you just need 2 Counters to connect to KO.
It might not even have enough Rock Slide PPs to actually kill Wobb without exploding!
And if immediately / after one Counter it booms, the match is still in a good spot.
Brightpowder on opponent team is gone, Nelson at Lv.50 only has legendary birds, dogs, regis and latis.
There still could be a dangerous QC somewhere, but without BP around Slaking is very strong in 1v1 vs. this roster, with Gengar at full health (if switching on T1 into Wobb) / at ~56% HP (if switching on T3 into Wobb after Protect) as a layer of insurance vs. Registeel.
Now, the ending.
The precedent notes were just my thoughts and with a gun pointed at my head I’d have played that way, but, as everyone could easily read through lines, a lot of things could go very wrong in a colorful variety of ways with this team.
It is surprisingly effective in getting hundreds of wins (as multiple players have also confirmed in the past), but the magnitude of the safety difference between this and my latest Tower stall one is not accurately described by the Ws (3101 and counting vs. 1090); IRIDESCENCE is just exponentially better, the gap is incalculable.
Dans Macabre has been used with great success, also at first try / very few attempts, but it overperformed in my record streak and I won’t suggest this team to ones who want to competitively approach to Tower Singles nowadays.
Nonetheless, it always makes me feel very proud when players like you dedicate their time and effort to put into test, to rework and to master my creations at this level, so thank you!
…and for a fast, easy route to Gold Shield, DM still seems to be the best, funniest team tho!
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