GSC Little Cup - Cross Chop spam
https://pokepast.es/afde6da9537123e0
Hello hello, I made this team for the GSC Little Cup Kickoff back in the spring. It was genuinely such a fun experience,
so I hope that a Little Cup RMT can help bring some more exposure to the format!
Machop @ Gold Berry
Ability: No Ability
Level: 5
- Cross Chop
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
- Light Screen
Machop is not a highly ranked Pokemon in this tier, but I chose him as the lead for a handful of reasons. The first, obviously, is because he learns Cross Chop. Beyond that, he generally matches up well into common leads like Pineco, Chinchou and Meowth. Despite having an awful speed stat of 13, Machop still outspeeds Pineco and can lure it with a combination of Cross Chop into Fire Blast (opening with Fire Blast will proc its Gold Berry, giving it a chance to explode on you after). Light Screen is also a unique support option that has good synergy with Gold Berry, allowing Machop (or its frail teammates) to tank repeated hits from special attackers like Ponyta, Elekid, or the aforementioned Chinchou while dealing heavy damage in return with its high BP attacks.
Psyduck @ Gold Berry
Ability: No Ability
Level: 5
- Cross Chop
- Surf
- Icy Wind
- Psych Up
From low ranked to unranked, Psyduck is included on the team for one reason--its the only Pokemon in Little Cup to threaten an OHKO on Cubone that also learns Cross Chop! This is a very important contingency to have, as AgiliPass Cubone farms teams that aren't prepared for it. If Spinarak or Ledyba enters, immediately switch to Psyduck and get to business spamming Surf. The only issue with this plan is that Ledyba might try to set up Light Screen before passing, which allows Cubone to survive Surf and subsequently annihilate the team. This is where Psych Up comes in! If you switch in as Ledyba uses Agility, Psych Up on the next turn covers both Light Screen and raw BP into Cubone, as Psyduck naturally outspeeds and will either OHKO outright with Surf or 2HKO through Light Screen if Ledyba tries to pass after you copy its boost. You could also try to copy boosts from Spinarak, but that Sludge Bomb really hurts. Another benefit Psyduck has outside of the BP matchup is that his Surf into Cross Chop has a significant chance to KO Porygon without knocking it into Gold Berry range (unless Porygon has lower DVs by carrying the rare HP Grass, but even then a low Surf roll will still accomplish this). As a water type, Psyduck also checks top Pokemon like Ponyta and Diglett, ensuring it isn't dead weight in matches without these ultra-specific circumstances. Icy Wind used to be Hypnosis, but sleep was banned after the Kickoff tournament and I couldn't think of anything better.
Elekid @ Gold Berry
Ability: No Ability
Level: 5
IVs: 6 HP / 28 Atk / 28 Def
- Cross Chop
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Thief
In my opinion, Elekid is one of the top 3 Pokemon in GSC Little Cup along with Porygon and Diglett. It also learns Cross Chop. This makes it a fearsome attacker, complimented by a blistering 19 speed that ties Voltorb and Diglett for fastest in the tier (and notably outspeeding Staryu). Thief provides utility, allowing Elekid to switch into strong attacks with less worry, as its almost guaranteed to steal an opponents Gold Berry before being hit again. HP Grass rounds out Elekid's coverage, giving it the ability to hit both Onix and Cubone (who is very common even without BP support).
Magby @ Gold Berry
Ability: No Ability
Level: 5
IVs: 6 HP / 28 Atk / 28 Def
- Cross Chop
- Fire Blast
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Thief
Despite being an uncommon sight in GSC LC, Magby learns Cross Chop. Enough said. On a serious note, the first three members of the team share a common weakness to the Grass types of the tier (especially Exeggcute). Magby both patches up this flaw and, while not as fast as teammates Elekid and Diglett, sports a robust speed stat of 17. In general, the three form a very potent offensive core that threatens the vast majority of the tier. HP Grass is chosen on Magby as well to prevent it from being a momentum sink into Onix and other ground types, especially with no resist on the team.
Porygon @ Gold Berry
Ability: No Ability
Level: 5
IVs: 14 HP / 24 Atk
- Double-Edge
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Thief
Porygon isn't quite is mandatory as Snorlax in OU, but its still by far and away the best glue Pokemon in the tier (there's a reason why loading up 4 Cross Chop mons is viable). Porygon slows down the pace of games with its raw bulk, while being both strong and versatile with its STAB and coverage. Double Edge threatens just about everything that doesn't resist it, and Ice Beam compliments it by dealing massive damage to Onix, Cubone, Exeggcute, and Geodude. It also has a slightly higher chance to OHKO Diglett. HP Ground rounds out the coverage by threatening Magnemite and Gastly, the lone Steel and Ghost type respectively. It also uses Thief to increase its longevity, as few Pokemon are capable of outright OHKOing Porygon. Omanyte should be noted as an answer to this set, but it is a rare pick and must be wary of HP Grass.
Diglett @ Berry Juice
Ability: No Ability
Level: 5
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Substitute
- Thief
Diglett rounds out the team as another fast attacker who checks top threats like Elekid, Doduo, Ponyta, and Houndour. Berry Juice is used over Gold Berry in the rare circumstance that something like a 1 HP Porygon thiefs your item. Diglett only has 20 HP, so it doesn't miss out on the extra healing from Gold Berry. Substitute is very annoying in conjunction with Diglett's high speed, allowing it to chip itself into Berry range, then Thief the opponents item with very little counterplay. Diglett is notorious for just barely surviving neutral STABS/super effective coverage, making it a great Thief user in general. Its also a terrifying late game cleaner thanks to its aforementioned speed and powerful STAB Earthquake.
Replays
I only have two replays of this team, both from the Kickoff tournament. The first I kind of haxxed my opponent, but it also showcases how potent it can be to just spam fast offensive mons in this tier https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen2nu-2085684151-y151h4jfmb57lalvzbe4r6l5qep5yjxpw?p2
The second replay is me getting blown away by Cubone BP. This was the game that made me swap Mankey for Psyduck so I wouldn't auto-lose to the strategy in the future https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen2nu-2095279544-56gh4iugygdl4ka61j3x0vcc259by2rpw?p2
Closing Thoughts
Little Cup is an extremely fun and fresh way to play GSC. The metagame is still so new and has plenty of room for innovation--I highly encourage anyone reading this to try it out before the next tournament rolls around :)
https://pokepast.es/afde6da9537123e0
Hello hello, I made this team for the GSC Little Cup Kickoff back in the spring. It was genuinely such a fun experience,
so I hope that a Little Cup RMT can help bring some more exposure to the format!
Machop @ Gold Berry
Ability: No Ability
Level: 5
- Cross Chop
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
- Light Screen
Machop is not a highly ranked Pokemon in this tier, but I chose him as the lead for a handful of reasons. The first, obviously, is because he learns Cross Chop. Beyond that, he generally matches up well into common leads like Pineco, Chinchou and Meowth. Despite having an awful speed stat of 13, Machop still outspeeds Pineco and can lure it with a combination of Cross Chop into Fire Blast (opening with Fire Blast will proc its Gold Berry, giving it a chance to explode on you after). Light Screen is also a unique support option that has good synergy with Gold Berry, allowing Machop (or its frail teammates) to tank repeated hits from special attackers like Ponyta, Elekid, or the aforementioned Chinchou while dealing heavy damage in return with its high BP attacks.
Psyduck @ Gold Berry
Ability: No Ability
Level: 5
- Cross Chop
- Surf
- Icy Wind
- Psych Up
From low ranked to unranked, Psyduck is included on the team for one reason--its the only Pokemon in Little Cup to threaten an OHKO on Cubone that also learns Cross Chop! This is a very important contingency to have, as AgiliPass Cubone farms teams that aren't prepared for it. If Spinarak or Ledyba enters, immediately switch to Psyduck and get to business spamming Surf. The only issue with this plan is that Ledyba might try to set up Light Screen before passing, which allows Cubone to survive Surf and subsequently annihilate the team. This is where Psych Up comes in! If you switch in as Ledyba uses Agility, Psych Up on the next turn covers both Light Screen and raw BP into Cubone, as Psyduck naturally outspeeds and will either OHKO outright with Surf or 2HKO through Light Screen if Ledyba tries to pass after you copy its boost. You could also try to copy boosts from Spinarak, but that Sludge Bomb really hurts. Another benefit Psyduck has outside of the BP matchup is that his Surf into Cross Chop has a significant chance to KO Porygon without knocking it into Gold Berry range (unless Porygon has lower DVs by carrying the rare HP Grass, but even then a low Surf roll will still accomplish this). As a water type, Psyduck also checks top Pokemon like Ponyta and Diglett, ensuring it isn't dead weight in matches without these ultra-specific circumstances. Icy Wind used to be Hypnosis, but sleep was banned after the Kickoff tournament and I couldn't think of anything better.
Elekid @ Gold Berry
Ability: No Ability
Level: 5
IVs: 6 HP / 28 Atk / 28 Def
- Cross Chop
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Thief
In my opinion, Elekid is one of the top 3 Pokemon in GSC Little Cup along with Porygon and Diglett. It also learns Cross Chop. This makes it a fearsome attacker, complimented by a blistering 19 speed that ties Voltorb and Diglett for fastest in the tier (and notably outspeeding Staryu). Thief provides utility, allowing Elekid to switch into strong attacks with less worry, as its almost guaranteed to steal an opponents Gold Berry before being hit again. HP Grass rounds out Elekid's coverage, giving it the ability to hit both Onix and Cubone (who is very common even without BP support).
Magby @ Gold Berry
Ability: No Ability
Level: 5
IVs: 6 HP / 28 Atk / 28 Def
- Cross Chop
- Fire Blast
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Thief
Despite being an uncommon sight in GSC LC, Magby learns Cross Chop. Enough said. On a serious note, the first three members of the team share a common weakness to the Grass types of the tier (especially Exeggcute). Magby both patches up this flaw and, while not as fast as teammates Elekid and Diglett, sports a robust speed stat of 17. In general, the three form a very potent offensive core that threatens the vast majority of the tier. HP Grass is chosen on Magby as well to prevent it from being a momentum sink into Onix and other ground types, especially with no resist on the team.
Porygon @ Gold Berry
Ability: No Ability
Level: 5
IVs: 14 HP / 24 Atk
- Double-Edge
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Thief
Porygon isn't quite is mandatory as Snorlax in OU, but its still by far and away the best glue Pokemon in the tier (there's a reason why loading up 4 Cross Chop mons is viable). Porygon slows down the pace of games with its raw bulk, while being both strong and versatile with its STAB and coverage. Double Edge threatens just about everything that doesn't resist it, and Ice Beam compliments it by dealing massive damage to Onix, Cubone, Exeggcute, and Geodude. It also has a slightly higher chance to OHKO Diglett. HP Ground rounds out the coverage by threatening Magnemite and Gastly, the lone Steel and Ghost type respectively. It also uses Thief to increase its longevity, as few Pokemon are capable of outright OHKOing Porygon. Omanyte should be noted as an answer to this set, but it is a rare pick and must be wary of HP Grass.
Diglett @ Berry Juice
Ability: No Ability
Level: 5
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Substitute
- Thief
Diglett rounds out the team as another fast attacker who checks top threats like Elekid, Doduo, Ponyta, and Houndour. Berry Juice is used over Gold Berry in the rare circumstance that something like a 1 HP Porygon thiefs your item. Diglett only has 20 HP, so it doesn't miss out on the extra healing from Gold Berry. Substitute is very annoying in conjunction with Diglett's high speed, allowing it to chip itself into Berry range, then Thief the opponents item with very little counterplay. Diglett is notorious for just barely surviving neutral STABS/super effective coverage, making it a great Thief user in general. Its also a terrifying late game cleaner thanks to its aforementioned speed and powerful STAB Earthquake.
Replays
I only have two replays of this team, both from the Kickoff tournament. The first I kind of haxxed my opponent, but it also showcases how potent it can be to just spam fast offensive mons in this tier https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen2nu-2085684151-y151h4jfmb57lalvzbe4r6l5qep5yjxpw?p2
The second replay is me getting blown away by Cubone BP. This was the game that made me swap Mankey for Psyduck so I wouldn't auto-lose to the strategy in the future https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen2nu-2095279544-56gh4iugygdl4ka61j3x0vcc259by2rpw?p2
Closing Thoughts
Little Cup is an extremely fun and fresh way to play GSC. The metagame is still so new and has plenty of room for innovation--I highly encourage anyone reading this to try it out before the next tournament rolls around :)