That's because by mid battle, if they don't see that one Pokemon, it can screw them up big time. Nothing's worse than being caught off guard mid battle by something that can maul your team to death.
-
Check out the relaunch of our general collection, with classic designs and new ones by our very own Pissog!
-
Welcome to Smogon! Take a moment to read the Introduction to Smogon for a run-down on everything Smogon, and make sure you take some time to read the global rules.
Good Starters....
- Thread starter War10ck
- Start date
That's because by mid battle, if they don't see that one Pokemon, it can screw them up big time. Nothing's worse than being caught off guard mid battle by something that can maul your team to death.
Since he's full health, the focus sash is activated (saving him) - and then consumed.
If you ask me, Cyndaquil is the best one, definitely!
...Oops, wrong kinda starter.
So IMMA GOIN WITH ARCANINE. With Intimidate and STAB Flare Blitz she can stop a lot of lazorz from being fired.
...Oops, wrong kinda starter.
So IMMA GOIN WITH ARCANINE. With Intimidate and STAB Flare Blitz she can stop a lot of lazorz from being fired.
Metagross laughs at intimidate...though, not many people mentioned him anyway.
Still, he makes a decent option for a physical leader as he counters many.
I wouldn't recomend Gengar because Weaviles carry pursuit...
Weavile.
It takes a hit, stays at full (1) health; takes another, focus sash doesn't activate, and it faints (just as TheMaster42 has said).
But, if it takes a hit (and then stays at 1 health), and then switches out to come in later, I'm not sure if focus sash would activate again or not...but, from what he said, I'm guessing it will remain consumed, and it would faint...
I've fought several in the wi-fi battle tower, but, because the AIs never switch, I have no idea about the question I asked...
I actually haven't faught too many Weaviles lately, so maybe that's just me. But you can't have a perfect starter. Something's gonna be sent out that can maul it.
I like Firestorm's Butterfree for a starter, because it puts him in a good position: sleep or stun, and U-turn next turn when the opponent switches Pokemon. It puts you in an overall good position.
I like Firestorm's Butterfree for a starter, because it puts him in a good position: sleep or stun, and U-turn next turn when the opponent switches Pokemon. It puts you in an overall good position.
Ambipom is one of my favorite Pokes this gen, which is saying something seeing as I hated Aipom. In messing around with it, I've found it to probably be the best damn lead in the game. These are some Calcs with a Choice Band, and Ambipom can do way more:
Ambipom
#Technician#
@Choice Band 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd Jolly
Fake Out
U-Turn/Return/Double Attack
Brick Break
Shadow Claw/Payback
Fake Out is needed, it does a ton to everything. If you know Salamence isn't Choice'd, Return will 2HKO it, and OHKO quite a few things, but I like U-Turn 'cause that is pretty much the theme of my team, however I've been debating it with myself.
Brick Break is pretty much all you've got to hit steels, you can put Rock Smash if that's your thing. I still think people like it because it can be your HM whore and competitive Poke at the same time.
Note that Payback is 75 BP and 150 for switchins or getting attacked,(In other words, it OHKOs Dusknoir if it switches in on you and does like +40% to Metagross if it switches in) but Shadow Claw is a force against Fighting types if you don't like that.
Common Leads:
Weavile- Ambipom does like ~68% to it with Fake Out
Salamence**- Ambipom can either do ~33% to it with Fake Out or U-Turn out
Staraptor**- Ambipom does like ~39% or can U-Turn out
Gyarados**- Takes over ~28% even with max HP from Fake Out and can be U-Turned
Gengar- Most are Choice Scarf, so I would switch out
Heracross- Takes over 50% from Fake Out
Medicham- Takes over 60% from Fake Out
Shaymin- U-Turn does a lot, depending on EVs
Mesprit- U-Turn will do a lot, Shadow Claw CH nearly OHKOs 252 HP/Def Mesprit
Metagross- Will U-Turn out.
Slowbro- Will U-Turn out and finish it with Shadow Claw when weakened.
Milotic- Will U-Turn out.
Swampert- Will U-Turn out
Tyranitar- Brick Break OHKOs
Hippowdon- Will U-Turn out
Jolteon-Fake Out does over ~75%
Aerodactyl- Will switch out, but you do over 30%.
Crobat- Will switch out, but it does a ton with FO.
Sceptile- Fake Out does like ~68%
Ninjask- Fake Out LOL OHKOs
Zapdos- Fake Out does like ~40% on even defensive ones
Regice- After 2 Fake Outs Brick Break will KO Regice
Infernape- Hates Fake Outs, can U-Turn
Froslass- OHKOed by Shadow Claw, can U-Turn
Floatsel- Fake Out HURTS. Try over 70%.
Rampardos-OHKOed by Brick Break and will never outspeed Ambipom, even with Choice Scarf.
Bold is for things that take over 50% from Fake Out.
*All Calculations are done with Choice Band
**With Intimidate
Ambipom beats or gets quick damage on 23/26 of all common leads. Freakin' sweet.
So, yeah, Ambipom. Tauros, say hello to your cousin Ambi.
Ambipom
#Technician#
@Choice Band 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spd Jolly
Fake Out
U-Turn/Return/Double Attack
Brick Break
Shadow Claw/Payback
Fake Out is needed, it does a ton to everything. If you know Salamence isn't Choice'd, Return will 2HKO it, and OHKO quite a few things, but I like U-Turn 'cause that is pretty much the theme of my team, however I've been debating it with myself.
Brick Break is pretty much all you've got to hit steels, you can put Rock Smash if that's your thing. I still think people like it because it can be your HM whore and competitive Poke at the same time.
Note that Payback is 75 BP and 150 for switchins or getting attacked,(In other words, it OHKOs Dusknoir if it switches in on you and does like +40% to Metagross if it switches in) but Shadow Claw is a force against Fighting types if you don't like that.
Common Leads:
Weavile- Ambipom does like ~68% to it with Fake Out
Salamence**- Ambipom can either do ~33% to it with Fake Out or U-Turn out
Staraptor**- Ambipom does like ~39% or can U-Turn out
Gyarados**- Takes over ~28% even with max HP from Fake Out and can be U-Turned
Gengar- Most are Choice Scarf, so I would switch out
Heracross- Takes over 50% from Fake Out
Medicham- Takes over 60% from Fake Out
Shaymin- U-Turn does a lot, depending on EVs
Mesprit- U-Turn will do a lot, Shadow Claw CH nearly OHKOs 252 HP/Def Mesprit
Metagross- Will U-Turn out.
Slowbro- Will U-Turn out and finish it with Shadow Claw when weakened.
Milotic- Will U-Turn out.
Swampert- Will U-Turn out
Tyranitar- Brick Break OHKOs
Hippowdon- Will U-Turn out
Jolteon-Fake Out does over ~75%
Aerodactyl- Will switch out, but you do over 30%.
Crobat- Will switch out, but it does a ton with FO.
Sceptile- Fake Out does like ~68%
Ninjask- Fake Out LOL OHKOs
Zapdos- Fake Out does like ~40% on even defensive ones
Regice- After 2 Fake Outs Brick Break will KO Regice
Infernape- Hates Fake Outs, can U-Turn
Froslass- OHKOed by Shadow Claw, can U-Turn
Floatsel- Fake Out HURTS. Try over 70%.
Rampardos-OHKOed by Brick Break and will never outspeed Ambipom, even with Choice Scarf.
Bold is for things that take over 50% from Fake Out.
*All Calculations are done with Choice Band
**With Intimidate
Ambipom beats or gets quick damage on 23/26 of all common leads. Freakin' sweet.
So, yeah, Ambipom. Tauros, say hello to your cousin Ambi.
I dont' like choice-band Ambipom. Silk Scarf Fake-out + U-Turn usually does more damage than Choice Band Fake-out. (especially on T-tar)... then again, does T-Tar really get OHKOed by Brick Break o.O. Also, you missed Aerial Ace, recieving a Technician Boost and OHKOing Heracross without choice band.
I'm actually testing it out. I can't say I like it... but it beats double-hitting rocks. Not to mention, 50% chance of defense down == 50% chance you do more in 2 hits than with Brick Break. 40 + Technician == 60 BP for Rock Smash. Not too far off from 75 BP for Brick Break... and Brick break doesn't have the defense down thing.
The thing that I'll have to settle is whether rock smash is good enough to OHKO guys like Weavile and T-Tar.
Again. OHKOed by Aerial Ace without the choice band. Worth a mention. Watch out for choice scarf.
Really o.O T-Tar can't take Ambipom Brick Break?
EDIT2: According to that damage calculator below, Max-Def +Def nature T-Tar eats 244 max damage from Adamant Brick Break. Thats 366 damage with Choice Band. Typical T-Tar can't take a Choice-Band Brick Break however.
Both Brick Break and Rock Smash 2HKO without the band.
EDIT: According to http://pokemon.marriland.com/damage.php
Also, Max HP Bold Milotic gets between 92 and 109 damage raw from Adamant Fake-Out + Silk Scarf. Then it eats 159 to 188 damage from Adamant Silk Scarf Double-Hit. Max HP of Milotic is 394, so right there we've done at least 63% damage before Milotic even gives a counter-blow to Ampibom.
I figure Choice Band Adamant Double-Hit 2-hit KOs max HP max def Milotic.
Basically, Ambipom wins vs Milotic. Lol.
You can only Fake-Out once. The second Fake-out will fail. Which is why Choice band does not work well with Fake Out.
After I'm done with Ambipom, I'll be testing out Khangeskan. Fake-Out + Scrappy == Gengar WTF?
Tyranitar is OHKOed by CB Brick Break anyway, and although you can only Fake Out once, Ambipom only needs one Fake Out to permanantly make something impossible to come in again. Also of note is that Double Hit & Return do 88-100% to Heracross, not steady damage but that freaking hurts. It also isn't completely useless against everything else, unlike said Aerial Ace, and practically all lead Hera are Choice Scarf.
Rock Smash just misses the OHKO on Tar but it does OHKO Weavile. Also, Ambipom cannot afford 50% chance to KO something. If it doesn't, you are very likely to get OHKOed, or just damaged if you're lucky. Ambipom is Fragile, which is why I wouldn't risk 5 BP for 90% accuracy on DH, and go for the more trustworthy Return. 50% is a coinflip that I don't want to take.
50% chance you do 160 vs. 100% chance you do 150 is a matter of preference.
Rock Smash just misses the OHKO on Tar but it does OHKO Weavile. Also, Ambipom cannot afford 50% chance to KO something. If it doesn't, you are very likely to get OHKOed, or just damaged if you're lucky. Ambipom is Fragile, which is why I wouldn't risk 5 BP for 90% accuracy on DH, and go for the more trustworthy Return. 50% is a coinflip that I don't want to take.
50% chance you do 160 vs. 100% chance you do 150 is a matter of preference.
The 50% chance of defense-down is not for Ambipom. But for the next team member. It either means that the opponent is switching out while you setup, or that you OHKO their pokemon. A coin-flip chance yes, but if Brick Break was not going to OHKO, Brick Break has a chance to put you in a more favorable position.
Also, Double-hit vs Return really is a matter of preference. 90% is "Good enough for me". :-p
I can agree that Brick Break probably works better with Choice Band and if you are going for an early sweeper. I'm looking for a bit more utility out of my Ambipom. Again, I said I'm testing it out, not actually using it. Of course, Choice Band totally screws with my strategy with Ambipom, so i can't use it. But after running those calculations I can see why you like it.
Also, Double-hit vs Return really is a matter of preference. 90% is "Good enough for me". :-p
I can agree that Brick Break probably works better with Choice Band and if you are going for an early sweeper. I'm looking for a bit more utility out of my Ambipom. Again, I said I'm testing it out, not actually using it. Of course, Choice Band totally screws with my strategy with Ambipom, so i can't use it. But after running those calculations I can see why you like it.
oh man! i'm thinking about specsmie as my lead pokemon, but which move helps to counter hera??? sorry if it's a noob question U_U
I have Shadow Claw on the set already Tochukaso.
In lower tiers, I like both the Butterfree I made a thread on a while back (Its found in the analysis index), or Persian. Can't deny Fake Out + Fast Hypnosis + Technician on the little kitty. Outspeeds a LOT, too.
Ambipom can use focus sash well or not so u can use Fake out in one turn and other atak for kill pokes like garchomp jolly or heracross with choice scarf?
Arcanine's Thunder Fang will never KO Bulky Gyara, and then you have to take Gyarados' Intimidate into consideration :cloud:
I use Manaphy as my lead, if their starter is Salamence, Swampert, Tyranitar and even Gyarados they switch so I have a free Tail Glow, and after a Tail Glow Manaphy hits soo hard =P
Too bad it's likely to be banned
Why don't we have normal smiles?? oO
I use a choice scarf gallade, so I can CC weaviles and tyraitars early in the game.
I also use leaf blade for swapy leads, and EQ for choice scarf heatran (heatrun) leads
EDIT: we dont have normal smilies because the mods think it's funny. they're laughing at they're little inside joke, while I dont know anybody on the them =/
I also use leaf blade for swapy leads, and EQ for choice scarf heatran (heatrun) leads
EDIT: we dont have normal smilies because the mods think it's funny. they're laughing at they're little inside joke, while I dont know anybody on the them =/
This isn't common knowledge, but Focus Sash is a consumable item, like a berry - it can't ever activate more than once in a fight. If you activate Focus Sash outside of wi-fi battle (say, against a wild poke or a trainer), you'll lose it.
Damn, thats interesting; I didn't know that; the only time I've ever used it before was on wi-fi/battle towers, etc...
I guess at least you can buy another using BP...