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Resource Monotype Winter Premier VI - Set, Team and Monologue dump
- Thread starter Larry
- Start date
Hey whats up, just thought i'd dump some sets that I did/wanted to bring this season. Before I start I just want to say learning Monotype was a lot of fun and in my short time in the tier I believe there is a still a lot of room for development especially in BW Mono.
Thundurus-Therian (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def
- Protect
- Grass Knot
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
First set which I wanted to bring but never did was Protect Thundurus on Mono Flying. A lot of this things checks are Choice locked be that as Choice Band Mamoswine, Choice Scarf/Specs Latias or a Choice Scarf Excadrill and being able to scout the move it clicks seems really valuable to me in theory. Especially Mamoswine in the MonoGround matchup being able to click Protect and scout if its going to try predict the switch and click crash and then you're able to click a free Grass Knot unpunished seems really strong to me. You do lose some breaking power but being able to turn some 50/50 turns around looks really strong.
Keldeo @ Expert Belt
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def / 30 SpD
- Surf
- Scald
- Secret Sword
- Hidden Power [Bug]
The second set I think is really strong is Expert Belt Hidden Power Bug Keldeo. This was my first Monotype game and I assumed Sabella obviously being a lot more knowledgeable and experienced than me in Monotype would bring something standard and just try and skill gap me and instantly the idea of running some lure Keldeo came to me. In test games it was really strong and ended up sniping a lot of poor Celebi's coming in trying to wall it. If the Celebi is running 0 bulk it just outright kills the Celebi with Bug (usually not the case) and after a hit on the switch in from max HP invested it drops too. In the game vs Sab, i completely robbed and the Keldeo didn't have to do anything (I'm Sorry!) so no point in linking the replay but nonetheless a really cool set for Rain. Another Keldeo set you can do too is Payapa Berry which can bait being Choice Scarf, doesn't hit as hard as the Expert Belt but can still snipe Celebi, just from a lower range.
Gyarados @ Power Herb/Liechi Berry
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Bounce
- Dragon Dance
- Ice Fang/Natural Gift
Gonna lump these two sets together all be it they have different targets (well kind of). The Liechi Berry Natural Gift set was a set I stole from OU and its purpose is to snipe Gastrodon (and Seismitoed though used to a lesser extent here). The main idea behind this set for MonoWater teams was to be able to destroy Gastrodon once at +1 vs MonoGround and then you have 6 Water spamming guys in the back vs no water resist. The Power Herb set was for sniping Toxic Orb Breloom since with Protect and Bulk Up it has decent odds of just winning 1v1, and its also really annoying for a Rain team to face. This also hits Toxicroak too as long as you dont get Thunder Punched coming in and it also stops Celebi from hit and running on the Bounce charge up turn where you they hit you as you set up and then pivot to Slowbro the turn after. I think both of these sets are pretty neat especially the Liechi Berry set and i think it should be used (at least more than its usage right now which is 0).
Gliscor (M) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 244 HP / 20 Def / 244 SpD
Careful Nature
- Swords Dance
- Facade
- Taunt
- Roost
One more set which we didn't end up using in the end though I think it is probably pretty good is Taunt Sword Dance Gliscor. Another set I stole from OU and it's main purpose is to disrupt and annoy stuff, mainly Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Hippowdown. Originally when I built around this set with Sasha we used it on Flying but thinking about it now I think this set my suit the pace of Ground more, being able to deny hazards more directly and allowing for Scarf Excadril or even just a Leftovers Sand Force Excadrill click a move it actually wants rather than being forced into Spinning to keep everything alive.
Thanks for listening to be ramble, and a huge thank you to hex for giving me the chance to play as well as helping me every week(And Attribute too i guess even though it felt like you were trolling me half the time). I had a blast. I hope to get more chances to play this tier in the future, its a lot of fun!
Thundurus-Therian (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def
- Protect
- Grass Knot
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
First set which I wanted to bring but never did was Protect Thundurus on Mono Flying. A lot of this things checks are Choice locked be that as Choice Band Mamoswine, Choice Scarf/Specs Latias or a Choice Scarf Excadrill and being able to scout the move it clicks seems really valuable to me in theory. Especially Mamoswine in the MonoGround matchup being able to click Protect and scout if its going to try predict the switch and click crash and then you're able to click a free Grass Knot unpunished seems really strong to me. You do lose some breaking power but being able to turn some 50/50 turns around looks really strong.
Keldeo @ Expert Belt
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def / 30 SpD
- Surf
- Scald
- Secret Sword
- Hidden Power [Bug]
The second set I think is really strong is Expert Belt Hidden Power Bug Keldeo. This was my first Monotype game and I assumed Sabella obviously being a lot more knowledgeable and experienced than me in Monotype would bring something standard and just try and skill gap me and instantly the idea of running some lure Keldeo came to me. In test games it was really strong and ended up sniping a lot of poor Celebi's coming in trying to wall it. If the Celebi is running 0 bulk it just outright kills the Celebi with Bug (usually not the case) and after a hit on the switch in from max HP invested it drops too. In the game vs Sab, i completely robbed and the Keldeo didn't have to do anything (I'm Sorry!) so no point in linking the replay but nonetheless a really cool set for Rain. Another Keldeo set you can do too is Payapa Berry which can bait being Choice Scarf, doesn't hit as hard as the Expert Belt but can still snipe Celebi, just from a lower range.
Gyarados @ Power Herb/Liechi Berry
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Bounce
- Dragon Dance
- Ice Fang/Natural Gift
Gonna lump these two sets together all be it they have different targets (well kind of). The Liechi Berry Natural Gift set was a set I stole from OU and its purpose is to snipe Gastrodon (and Seismitoed though used to a lesser extent here). The main idea behind this set for MonoWater teams was to be able to destroy Gastrodon once at +1 vs MonoGround and then you have 6 Water spamming guys in the back vs no water resist. The Power Herb set was for sniping Toxic Orb Breloom since with Protect and Bulk Up it has decent odds of just winning 1v1, and its also really annoying for a Rain team to face. This also hits Toxicroak too as long as you dont get Thunder Punched coming in and it also stops Celebi from hit and running on the Bounce charge up turn where you they hit you as you set up and then pivot to Slowbro the turn after. I think both of these sets are pretty neat especially the Liechi Berry set and i think it should be used (at least more than its usage right now which is 0).
Gliscor (M) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
EVs: 244 HP / 20 Def / 244 SpD
Careful Nature
- Swords Dance
- Facade
- Taunt
- Roost
One more set which we didn't end up using in the end though I think it is probably pretty good is Taunt Sword Dance Gliscor. Another set I stole from OU and it's main purpose is to disrupt and annoy stuff, mainly Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Hippowdown. Originally when I built around this set with Sasha we used it on Flying but thinking about it now I think this set my suit the pace of Ground more, being able to deny hazards more directly and allowing for Scarf Excadril or even just a Leftovers Sand Force Excadrill click a move it actually wants rather than being forced into Spinning to keep everything alive.
Thanks for listening to be ramble, and a huge thank you to hex for giving me the chance to play as well as helping me every week(And Attribute too i guess even though it felt like you were trolling me half the time). I had a blast. I hope to get more chances to play this tier in the future, its a lot of fun!
Last edited:
Hello everyone. While this tour may not necessarily have gone according to plan, it was still an extremely fun experience. I wanted to share the teams that I brought during this tour and explain the reasoning behind some of the sets that I concocted.
Week 1: Didn't play.
Week 2 [W]:
This was the first of four times I brought Dragon during this tournament, and out of all of the teams I brought this is probably the one that can be considered the most "normal." I have been experimenting quite a bit with dropping one member of the Archaludon/Goodra-H/Gouging defensive core in order to fit more offensive Pokemon to help with other matchups, and in this game Goodra-H was the one left out. The drawback of doing this is that a Dragon team without a Goodra can end up lacking special bulk. Not to worry though, for Bulwark Gouging successfully fills that role. This is a set that I have endorsed since its suspect; reliable recovery combined with a surprise Burning Bulwark makes Gouging an excellent defensive Pokemon. In the game, Bulwark would immediately prove its value by getting a crucial burn on the second turn.
Week 3 [W]: 
This time, Gouging is the one left out, and it is also the first time I attempted to use a very special Dragapult set. (Spoiler alert: It will not be the last time.) Since Specs Dragapult usually just likes to spam its STAB moves anyway, I decided to forgo one of its coverage options in favor of Hex. Against a target afflicted by status, Specs Hex becomes absurdly strong, hitting for 62.5% more damage than Shadow Ball. This leads to some impressive rolls:
Of course, the obvious caveat is that unlike with regular Hex Pult (who typically runs Sub and Willo), Specs Hex Pult has to rely on teammates to inflict the status. To this end, I put Thunder Wave on both Archaludon and Latios. Naturally this is rather tricky to set up properly and does not work against every type. In this game, I would never once click Hex (Spoiler alert: It will not be the last time). Instead, the game was a Dragon mirror and the various anti-Dragon mechanisms I included in this team helped me get the win.
Nonetheless, even now I still believe that Specs Hex Pult is something worth considering, and I would make another attempt to prove that the following week.
Week 4 [L]:
Ok here's Specs Hex Pult again and this time it has new and improved support. While having both Archaludon and Latios run Thunder Wave is usually fine, there are some instances where this can end up lacking flexibility. Furthermore, both are ineffective against Ground. So this led me to consider some... alternative ways of inflicting status. One thing led to another, and the result was Flame Orb Latios. Being able to inflict burn is incredibly potent and there are many matchups where, on paper, having the option to trick a Flame Orb onto somebody can be extremely valuable. One such matchup is Dragon, where the natural switch-in to 99% of Latios sets, Goodra-H, may face a rather nasty surprise. Of course, the surprise is difficult to conceal as Flame Orb will be revealed at the end of every turn. However, I believe that in some matchups even having the Flame Orb revealed is not a big deal as any burn on the opponent will likely be more damaging than the burn on Latios (due to Hex).
Alas, a Dragon team cannot switch their Goodra into Latios if they do not have a Goodra. To add insult to injury, I took Draco off of Archaludon which certainly didn't help with the mirror matchup. The game was still winnable regardless but my opponent just played better.
Week 5 [W]:
Finally a change of pace; this is my Secret Santa team! I've already explained why Manaphy + Alomomola is such a potent combo in that post; still, there are several Pokemon like Azumarill and Ogerpon-H that can cause headaches for that team. At first I looked at some more drastic changes to the team before finding the more focused and effective solution that keeps the team intact: Mirror Herb Pex.
The benefits are threefold. First, against Azumarill (the primary target of the Mirror Herb tech), the concern is that +6 Azu will OHKO Pex after 3 layers of Spikes. However, by running Mirror Herb, Toxapex consumes its item while also copying the +6 Atk, meaning Knock Off no longer OHKOs while Pex's Poison Jab will OHKO Azu. Second, against Ogerpon-H, copying +2 Atk threatens a roll to OHKO with Poison Jab (bonus: Fire teams will often run Ceruledge and consuming the item also makes Poltergeist fail). Third, against Calm Mind users, copying a SpD boost makes Pex much more effective defensively. In the game, this third use case would prove critical as the SpD boost let Pex avoid the 2HKO from +2 Sinistcha.
Week 6 [W]: 
It's Specs Hex Pult again again. This time I put Will-o-Wisp on Dragapult so it can inflict the status for itself. This team is much less focused on Dragapult itself, instead using it as one of several components of an offensive core centered on Future Sight Latios. I also tried to make Weakness Policy Roaring Moon work as its bulk allows it to live moves like U-Turn. Alas, in several matchups no viable Weakness Policy activator exists, and Ground is one of these matchups. On the flip side, Future Sight proved to be very useful here. The game was a very messy one and Future Sight only compounded this so perhaps the true advantage of this set was psychological.
Oh, and in all three games I never clicked Hex on Dragapult.
Week 7: Didn't play.
Thanks for reading!
Week 1: Didn't play.
Week 2 [W]:
This was the first of four times I brought Dragon during this tournament, and out of all of the teams I brought this is probably the one that can be considered the most "normal." I have been experimenting quite a bit with dropping one member of the Archaludon/Goodra-H/Gouging defensive core in order to fit more offensive Pokemon to help with other matchups, and in this game Goodra-H was the one left out. The drawback of doing this is that a Dragon team without a Goodra can end up lacking special bulk. Not to worry though, for Bulwark Gouging successfully fills that role. This is a set that I have endorsed since its suspect; reliable recovery combined with a surprise Burning Bulwark makes Gouging an excellent defensive Pokemon. In the game, Bulwark would immediately prove its value by getting a crucial burn on the second turn.
Week 3 [W]:
This time, Gouging is the one left out, and it is also the first time I attempted to use a very special Dragapult set. (Spoiler alert: It will not be the last time.) Since Specs Dragapult usually just likes to spam its STAB moves anyway, I decided to forgo one of its coverage options in favor of Hex. Against a target afflicted by status, Specs Hex becomes absurdly strong, hitting for 62.5% more damage than Shadow Ball. This leads to some impressive rolls:
Code:
252 SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Hex (130 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Gliscor: 229-271 (64.6 - 76.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Poison Heal (2HKO even including 1 Protect!)
252 SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Hex (130 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Corviknight: 211-250 (52.7 - 62.5%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Hex (130 BP) vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Toxapex: 150-177 (49.5 - 58.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Black Sludge recovery
252 SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Hex (130 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Assault Vest Tornadus-Therian: 193-228 (53.4 - 63.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKONonetheless, even now I still believe that Specs Hex Pult is something worth considering, and I would make another attempt to prove that the following week.
Week 4 [L]:
Ok here's Specs Hex Pult again and this time it has new and improved support. While having both Archaludon and Latios run Thunder Wave is usually fine, there are some instances where this can end up lacking flexibility. Furthermore, both are ineffective against Ground. So this led me to consider some... alternative ways of inflicting status. One thing led to another, and the result was Flame Orb Latios. Being able to inflict burn is incredibly potent and there are many matchups where, on paper, having the option to trick a Flame Orb onto somebody can be extremely valuable. One such matchup is Dragon, where the natural switch-in to 99% of Latios sets, Goodra-H, may face a rather nasty surprise. Of course, the surprise is difficult to conceal as Flame Orb will be revealed at the end of every turn. However, I believe that in some matchups even having the Flame Orb revealed is not a big deal as any burn on the opponent will likely be more damaging than the burn on Latios (due to Hex).
Alas, a Dragon team cannot switch their Goodra into Latios if they do not have a Goodra. To add insult to injury, I took Draco off of Archaludon which certainly didn't help with the mirror matchup. The game was still winnable regardless but my opponent just played better.
Week 5 [W]:
Finally a change of pace; this is my Secret Santa team! I've already explained why Manaphy + Alomomola is such a potent combo in that post; still, there are several Pokemon like Azumarill and Ogerpon-H that can cause headaches for that team. At first I looked at some more drastic changes to the team before finding the more focused and effective solution that keeps the team intact: Mirror Herb Pex.
The benefits are threefold. First, against Azumarill (the primary target of the Mirror Herb tech), the concern is that +6 Azu will OHKO Pex after 3 layers of Spikes. However, by running Mirror Herb, Toxapex consumes its item while also copying the +6 Atk, meaning Knock Off no longer OHKOs while Pex's Poison Jab will OHKO Azu. Second, against Ogerpon-H, copying +2 Atk threatens a roll to OHKO with Poison Jab (bonus: Fire teams will often run Ceruledge and consuming the item also makes Poltergeist fail). Third, against Calm Mind users, copying a SpD boost makes Pex much more effective defensively. In the game, this third use case would prove critical as the SpD boost let Pex avoid the 2HKO from +2 Sinistcha.
Week 6 [W]:
It's Specs Hex Pult again again. This time I put Will-o-Wisp on Dragapult so it can inflict the status for itself. This team is much less focused on Dragapult itself, instead using it as one of several components of an offensive core centered on Future Sight Latios. I also tried to make Weakness Policy Roaring Moon work as its bulk allows it to live moves like U-Turn. Alas, in several matchups no viable Weakness Policy activator exists, and Ground is one of these matchups. On the flip side, Future Sight proved to be very useful here. The game was a very messy one and Future Sight only compounded this so perhaps the true advantage of this set was psychological.
Oh, and in all three games I never clicked Hex on Dragapult.
Week 7: Didn't play.
Thanks for reading!
Larry adorluigi goldmason Thanks for hosting!
Ashbala Mateeus Thanks for drafting me! Though the results could have gone better, the streets won't forget Dural Madrid, the true protagonists of this tournament. The atmosphere was incredible and our server never fell into despair. In fact, our 5-0 start to Week 6 was one of the most jubilant moments I have experienced in team tours even though we were already eliminated by then. I'm looking forward to future collaborations!
TheWyvernKing Thanks for all your help in building and testing! We definitely bounced ideas off of each other a lot during this tour, and your excellent record is definitely deserved. I'm certainly hoping to team with you again in the future.
Jolly Togekiss ^-^ Welcome back! You did very well in the threat slot and it was great prepping and discussing random topics with you. I hope to continue working with you in future tours as well.
yedla Pengairxan memedose46 Showl Thanks for all your help in preparing SV this tour! You were all great teammates and while circumstances conspired against us this year, perhaps in a future tour we can address each other as "co-champions!"
Quinn Dj Breloominati♬ CrossHeart Trouser Snakes While we didn't interact too much during this tour (partially due to me knowing nothing about other tiers), I still wanted to convey my appreciation for contributing to some unforgettable moments and making Dural Madrid a great place to be.
HALA MADRID!
Ashbala Mateeus Thanks for drafting me! Though the results could have gone better, the streets won't forget Dural Madrid, the true protagonists of this tournament. The atmosphere was incredible and our server never fell into despair. In fact, our 5-0 start to Week 6 was one of the most jubilant moments I have experienced in team tours even though we were already eliminated by then. I'm looking forward to future collaborations!
TheWyvernKing Thanks for all your help in building and testing! We definitely bounced ideas off of each other a lot during this tour, and your excellent record is definitely deserved. I'm certainly hoping to team with you again in the future.
Jolly Togekiss ^-^ Welcome back! You did very well in the threat slot and it was great prepping and discussing random topics with you. I hope to continue working with you in future tours as well.
yedla Pengairxan memedose46 Showl Thanks for all your help in preparing SV this tour! You were all great teammates and while circumstances conspired against us this year, perhaps in a future tour we can address each other as "co-champions!"
Quinn Dj Breloominati♬ CrossHeart Trouser Snakes While we didn't interact too much during this tour (partially due to me knowing nothing about other tiers), I still wanted to convey my appreciation for contributing to some unforgettable moments and making Dural Madrid a great place to be.
HALA MADRID!
I built a bunch of teams this tour and wanted to post some of the unused concepts. Some are more tested than others but feel free to try them out and tell me if they work or not.
In SV I was trying out what Dragon could look like without Archaludon, Gouging Fire or even both as well as how to build a more hazard focused composition. Dragon is still Dragon so all three performed well enough
In NDM I didn't build too much but wanted to share two wacky builds. The first is a Dragon featuring Mega Latios, the second was what I wanted to bring vs Murkows if we had won the week already (sadly it didn't get used) and lastly a rough concept for HO Flying.
In SV I was trying out what Dragon could look like without Archaludon, Gouging Fire or even both as well as how to build a more hazard focused composition. Dragon is still Dragon so all three performed well enough
In NDM I didn't build too much but wanted to share two wacky builds. The first is a Dragon featuring Mega Latios, the second was what I wanted to bring vs Murkows if we had won the week already (sadly it didn't get used) and lastly a rough concept for HO Flying.
Good morning,
Now that MWP is over just gonna post the teams i had a hand in making or were my own. Tier will probably be different by the time another tour rolls around so use to your discretion.
SV: https://pokepast.es/604dc992e788c779
NDM: https://pokepast.es/6f469f1acc3c88dd
Now that MWP is over just gonna post the teams i had a hand in making or were my own. Tier will probably be different by the time another tour rolls around so use to your discretion.
SV: https://pokepast.es/604dc992e788c779
NDM: https://pokepast.es/6f469f1acc3c88dd
One of the most important parts of being a respectable competitor is preparation. Leading my team to victory this season was a learning experience for me all around, with many lessons I can take with me for the rest of the time on this website.
The first lesson is that team work is nessesary, and that I absolutely cannot do things alone. You may think this is obvious cause it's a team tournament right? My teammates won the tournament, not you. I understand team work is important but my monotype teams don't reflect that always.
This message seems harmless, but I was 100% serious when I said I want a Co manager that did nothing(He did alot <3). A close friend as my co meant that I wasn't forced to collaborate or compromise with anyone. Because of this, it gives me control over the majority of the draft(I don't gotta get anyones friends), and prep. While we won, I'll admit I stressed myself out more than normal prepping for 5 slots each week. Between work and an active social life, I can't put up legendary effort and that caused some problems in semis and in finals with 1 of my players.
The second lesson is that CG Focus comes before all. I disrespected SV too much but in reality it's a great meta that isn't a meme. While I felt my team was great, the uneasiness in finals where i felt a bit outclassed is a reason why I feel I should invest paying more attention to it. I'll be real, the reason we won the tournament is because of the addition of Charmriah (especially him) and Scarfire and I don't have any shame in admitting that. They had a better handle on the meta than I did and gave us the edge we needed to push through. My future drafts will pay attention to that more often.
Lessons aside, im very proud of myself as a manager, especially after making finals in mpl. Lots of hard work, tests, and games went into our victory and I want to showcase the teams I built or edited. Anyone that helped will be credited and mentioned. Not posting anything I didn't make or posted before.
ORAS
https://pokepast.es/6d8c0fc28d71dbe5
https://pokepast.es/1ad1528062bc0f2d
Co built by me and Fade
https://pokepast.es/c09fb4fdd2dc7251
Built by me fade and stories
https://pokepast.es/817af2acbcef8340
SM
https://pokepast.es/9ee979fd1dcabcbb
https://pokepast.es/cc0d48453f3d5b89
https://pokepast.es/ec3933b2d3f5ec08
SS
https://pokepast.es/7b39a50cc5c31886
Built by me, 3D, seo, and fade
And finally....
Domain Expansion: The Perfect Win
https://pokepast.es/e7b037a0ff23a407
Original builder: Neko
Edited and tweaked by: me and Charmriah
Thanks again for reading, and I'll see you guys next mpl on the Honchkrows managed by.... me and style.css (or sabella idk)
The first lesson is that team work is nessesary, and that I absolutely cannot do things alone. You may think this is obvious cause it's a team tournament right? My teammates won the tournament, not you. I understand team work is important but my monotype teams don't reflect that always.
This message seems harmless, but I was 100% serious when I said I want a Co manager that did nothing(He did alot <3). A close friend as my co meant that I wasn't forced to collaborate or compromise with anyone. Because of this, it gives me control over the majority of the draft(I don't gotta get anyones friends), and prep. While we won, I'll admit I stressed myself out more than normal prepping for 5 slots each week. Between work and an active social life, I can't put up legendary effort and that caused some problems in semis and in finals with 1 of my players.
The second lesson is that CG Focus comes before all. I disrespected SV too much but in reality it's a great meta that isn't a meme. While I felt my team was great, the uneasiness in finals where i felt a bit outclassed is a reason why I feel I should invest paying more attention to it. I'll be real, the reason we won the tournament is because of the addition of Charmriah (especially him) and Scarfire and I don't have any shame in admitting that. They had a better handle on the meta than I did and gave us the edge we needed to push through. My future drafts will pay attention to that more often.
Lessons aside, im very proud of myself as a manager, especially after making finals in mpl. Lots of hard work, tests, and games went into our victory and I want to showcase the teams I built or edited. Anyone that helped will be credited and mentioned. Not posting anything I didn't make or posted before.
ORAS
https://pokepast.es/6d8c0fc28d71dbe5
Oras mono is my bread and butter gen, vs an unfamiliar opponent I wanted something neutral vs everything. Keldeo ban puts flying in an interesting spot because dark gets better, which means Psychic and Dragon get worse in theory.(both bad match ups) We have a lead Aerodactyl set with defog, shout outs to Niko who brought it in spl first https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen6ou-744745 this set allows me to almost ALWAYS keep rocks off, and makes aero useful to keep as a sack. Charizard is our main breaker with defog as well just incase rocks go up again(you can do equake>blast but you're worse into ttar), dnite with no espeed sounds strange but sometimes zard isnt enough so some extra power vs steel is nice. Hawlucha is a niche cleaner used to help with both normal and fighting, and thundy is for water and ground.
https://pokepast.es/1ad1528062bc0f2d
Co built by me and Fade
As much as I liked steel back in the day, I don't think it's very good atm. I don't even think we did a scout on vid LOL, this teams p standard and 1 thing to point out is you should absolutely never lose to dark with this. Lucario plots on Mandibuzz after Scizor goes down and the game ends. Hp grass zone was so the water match up wasn't awkward, and taunt bish helps break down flying. Don't let anyone gaslight you on zone btw you absolutely need Twave for Hydreigon, plot mew, and other meta threats and theres absolutely never any reason to use toxic/flash. If you have any arguments on that go to Cell
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen6monotype-811960
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen6monotype-811960
https://pokepast.es/c09fb4fdd2dc7251
Built by me fade and stories
If you suggested I use dragon 2 years ago I'd be like bro enjoy your loss LOL what are we doing people? In the big 2025 though I believe it has a niche on beating what I call "the gamer types". (fire, ground, flying, steel, fighting, water) Kinda OD but if you don't account for dark(best type atm) it actually beats a huge chunk of the meta. The teams P standard, althoughI will say a mega is usually unessesary unless you're trying to beat normal OR feel insecure vs flying. Specs latios is needed for ground, flying and Psychic and scarf latias is needed for fighting, fast HW, and a way to revenge volc after chip.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen6monotype-817468
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen6monotype-818820
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen6monotype-817468
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen6monotype-818820
https://pokepast.es/817af2acbcef8340
Just found out this game got played. Im not even going to go into too much detail, instead going to talk about how people are using... scrafty? Bro, that shit does NOT beat steel or normal LMAO idk what witch told you guys that but stop using it. It only gets past staraptor 1v1 with luck. And vs steel skarm phases it+ scizor can come in on a bulk up and 1v1 it. I admit you bot the mirror but otherwise you're playing 5v6 at preview.
SM
https://pokepast.es/9ee979fd1dcabcbb
My flagship team woo, I used to think rain was the best way to run water although I've changed my take on that. I will say I think every team needs a steel type if said type can fit it. Empoleon has so many cool resists and is great utility vs lots of shit. Keld greninja and pert make the offensive core, with a surprise scarf peli for gallade, kommo and the gang. Button pex helps get in threats easier.
https://pokepast.es/cc0d48453f3d5b89
Not gonna go into much detail since this is p standard,(zapdos should be volt sorry) but thats my take on electric.
https://pokepast.es/ec3933b2d3f5ec08
Double Dance keys 6-0s dragon if you position it correctl, more of a fun team tbh unfortunately chaitanya haxed smh
SS
https://pokepast.es/7b39a50cc5c31886
Built by me, 3D, seo, and fade
Ngl I don't remember what when on here but I assure you no one gave a fuck LOL. The darm set is cool under the correct conditions. You 6-0 steel with a drum up if theres no priority, 6-0 flying, and improves your poison match up nicely. Mike ran into scarf pult unfortunately so it didnt do shit but cool team regardless.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen8monotype-811908
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen8monotype-811908
And finally....
Domain Expansion: The Perfect Win
https://pokepast.es/e7b037a0ff23a407
Original builder: Neko
Edited and tweaked by: me and Charmriah
You can learn alot from your opponents as a competitor :) https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen9monotype-818956 while we got smashed here, it taught me alot and decided it was the move here. I was worried about fog in tiebreak but I knew 3d could bully frol ingame and with a neutral match up he should win. Sub teapot bots water and ground extremely hard if you can get it going. Scarf pult helps with dragon and fairy, also adds some much need speed control. Ngl i dont even care enough to elaborate the rest so just take the team.
Thanks again for reading, and I'll see you guys next mpl on the Honchkrows managed by.... me and style.css (or sabella idk)
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