What is C&C?
C&C (Contributions & Corrections) is the process of writing in-depth and insightful analyses of specific Pokemon. If you are familiar with the Smogon Dex, that is where they are located. For Draft, this covers the Pokemon's most commonly used sets, moves, and items, as well as common partners and counters to give the reader a good understanding of its viability and how it is used in a Draft setting.
All SV (Gen 9) Analyses
All USUM (Gen 7) Analyses
Draft Analysis Format
This analysis format should be copied exactly as is and used for every Draft analysis. Do not change the formatting, as it is needed to upload properly once complete. An in-depth explanation of each section is written at the bottom of this post.
For those of you familiar with C&C in other formats, Draft has many differences. Most notably, Draft analyses do not use sets. Due to the preparation gameplay of Draft, where Pokemon are built specifically to counter an opponent's drafted team, the idea of default EVs, items, or even moves are not applicable. Our format structure instead focuses on Draft-specific information and concepts.
Please be aware that Draft as a format ranges wildly in structure, format, and strategy. What is standard fare in one community may be unheard of in another. These analyses are focused on Smogon Draft's style of tournament. (8 Pokemon teams, 90-point budget) See our DCL II thread for drafting and battle rules that these analyses are structured on.
How to get involved
Anyone can write an analysis! You can see which Pokemon are currently available to be written about in the Reservation Thread. The "New Slate Ping" role is pinged in the Discord server when new Pokemon become available as well. Post which Pokemon you would like to write about in that thread, and once one of the C&C moderators reacts to it, you are good to start writing!
Note that writing generally requires some Draft experience as well as firsthand knowledge of how the Pokemon is used. We may reassign analyses that are inaccurate, incomplete, or would require lots of additional work.
You may only reserve one analysis per format at a time. Once your analysis is in the GP stage, you may reserve another.
Quality Control (QC)
Once you have finished writing, add the "Quality Control" tag to the thread and add "[QC 0/2]" to the title. This will let the Quality Control team know you are ready. The QC team is a team of experienced draft players that will look over your analysis and add missing information, remove unnecessary information, make sure everything is covered accurately, etc. Most analyses require two QC checks (with the exception of some cheap / niche Pokemon, which may only require one).
We are always looking for new people to join the QC team as well! Anyone can do unofficial am (amateur) checks to get a hang of the process, and the QC team will gladly give you feedback. You can view this thread to see what we typically look for in good amchecks. Note that amchecks should not be added to credits without approval from an official QC team member.
Grammar Prose (GP)
After receiving enough QC checks, add the "Copyediting" tag to the post, add "[GP 0/1]" to the title, and tag the "GP Team" account. This will notify the GP team that a new analysis is ready to be checked. The GP team proofreads the analysis and checks for grammar issues, removes unnecessary information, and makes sentences flow better. This normally only requires one check. Be sure to read this thread before implementing GP checks..
Unlike the QC team, the GP team can work with all formats, not just Draft. If you are interested in joining the team, there are many ways to get started. Join the GP Discord server, and you can start doing amchecks and eventually sign up for tutoring! This thread explains how to become involved more in-depth.
Spelling & Grammar Standards
GP Beginner Notes
Analysis Sections
C&C (Contributions & Corrections) is the process of writing in-depth and insightful analyses of specific Pokemon. If you are familiar with the Smogon Dex, that is where they are located. For Draft, this covers the Pokemon's most commonly used sets, moves, and items, as well as common partners and counters to give the reader a good understanding of its viability and how it is used in a Draft setting.
All SV (Gen 9) Analyses
All USUM (Gen 7) Analyses
Draft Analysis Format
This analysis format should be copied exactly as is and used for every Draft analysis. Do not change the formatting, as it is needed to upload properly once complete. An in-depth explanation of each section is written at the bottom of this post.
Format and prototype notes by UT
HTML:
[overview]
**Draft Order**: (What round(s) the Pokemon is often drafted)
**Price Range**: (be as specific as possible)
**Overview**: (Short paragraph highlighting the key elements of the Pokemon, including what it usually does, why it's drafted, what holds it back, etc. Should be very high level but give the picture of what it does)
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Role 1**: (1-2 sentences about the role and how it is used)
**Role 2**:
(repeat as necessary)
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: (List all relevant moves, separated by commas)
**Setup Moves**:
**Utility Moves**:
**Coverage**:
Niche Moves
========
**Niche move 1**: (Brief sentence about when and why the niche move is usable)
**Niche move 2**:
(repeat as necessary)
Common Items (Remove the item sections if you are writing about a Mega Evolution)
========
**Common item 1**: (Brief sentence explaining why the item useful and what roles should consider it. Order items by relevance)
**Common item 2**:
(repeat as necessary)
Niche Items
========
**Niche item 1**:
**Niche item 2**:
(repeat as necessary)
Draft Strategy
========
1-2 sentence highlight of draft strategy (how it helps teams, what it looks for in teammates, etc). Then go into specifics in bullet points below.
**Role 1**: (Explain how the role and the Pokemon work well together, and give 2-3 examples of Pokemon)
**Role 2**: etc.
(repeat as necessary)
Checks and Counters
========
**Common check 1**: (Explain why it checks the Pokemon, and give 2-3 examples of Pokemon)
**Common check 2**:
(repeat as necessary)
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user1.100000
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user2.200000
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.300000
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.400000For those of you familiar with C&C in other formats, Draft has many differences. Most notably, Draft analyses do not use sets. Due to the preparation gameplay of Draft, where Pokemon are built specifically to counter an opponent's drafted team, the idea of default EVs, items, or even moves are not applicable. Our format structure instead focuses on Draft-specific information and concepts.
Please be aware that Draft as a format ranges wildly in structure, format, and strategy. What is standard fare in one community may be unheard of in another. These analyses are focused on Smogon Draft's style of tournament. (8 Pokemon teams, 90-point budget) See our DCL II thread for drafting and battle rules that these analyses are structured on.
How to get involved
Anyone can write an analysis! You can see which Pokemon are currently available to be written about in the Reservation Thread. The "New Slate Ping" role is pinged in the Discord server when new Pokemon become available as well. Post which Pokemon you would like to write about in that thread, and once one of the C&C moderators reacts to it, you are good to start writing!
Note that writing generally requires some Draft experience as well as firsthand knowledge of how the Pokemon is used. We may reassign analyses that are inaccurate, incomplete, or would require lots of additional work.
You may only reserve one analysis per format at a time. Once your analysis is in the GP stage, you may reserve another.
Quality Control (QC)
Once you have finished writing, add the "Quality Control" tag to the thread and add "[QC 0/2]" to the title. This will let the Quality Control team know you are ready. The QC team is a team of experienced draft players that will look over your analysis and add missing information, remove unnecessary information, make sure everything is covered accurately, etc. Most analyses require two QC checks (with the exception of some cheap / niche Pokemon, which may only require one).
We are always looking for new people to join the QC team as well! Anyone can do unofficial am (amateur) checks to get a hang of the process, and the QC team will gladly give you feedback. You can view this thread to see what we typically look for in good amchecks. Note that amchecks should not be added to credits without approval from an official QC team member.
Grammar Prose (GP)
After receiving enough QC checks, add the "Copyediting" tag to the post, add "[GP 0/1]" to the title, and tag the "GP Team" account. This will notify the GP team that a new analysis is ready to be checked. The GP team proofreads the analysis and checks for grammar issues, removes unnecessary information, and makes sentences flow better. This normally only requires one check. Be sure to read this thread before implementing GP checks..
Unlike the QC team, the GP team can work with all formats, not just Draft. If you are interested in joining the team, there are many ways to get started. Join the GP Discord server, and you can start doing amchecks and eventually sign up for tutoring! This thread explains how to become involved more in-depth.
Spelling & Grammar Standards
GP Beginner Notes
- "Its" refers to the Pokemon, and "it's" means "it is".
- Commas should be used before "and" in a list of multiple items. (one, two, and three)
- Never use the term "abuse".
- Hazards should be referred to as "entry hazards" the first time they are mentioned in a paragraph.
- Stealth Rock, not Stealth Rocks.
- U-turn, not U-Turn.
- Refer to opposing Pokemon as "foes", not "opponents". The opposing player is the opponent.
- Regional formes should be spelled out, other formes should only use the first letter of the forme name.
- Galarian Slowking, not Slowking-Galar or Slowking-G.
- Landorus-T, not Landorus-Therian.
- Landorus, not Landorus-I or Landorus-Incarnate. (The base forme is never abbreviated - Urshifu-S/R is the only exception)
- When referring to a Pokemon's type, it is X-type. ("Regieleki struggles against Ground-types.")
- List multiple types as "Steel- and Fairy-types" or "Steel-, Fairy-, and Dragon-types"
- Use "survives" or "takes" instead of "lives", and use "KOs" instead of "kills".
- Stats are always capitalized. ("Meowscarada has a great Speed stat.")
- "STAB" is an adjective, not a noun. "STAB moves", "STAB Knock Off", "STAB types", etc are correct.
- Pokemon should never be referred to as "who" - use "that" or "which" instead.
- Similarly, refer to singular Pokemon as "it" rather than "he", "she", or "they".
Analysis Sections
Draft Order: When the Pokemon is typically drafted. Note that Smogon uses an 8 Pokemon format, so this should never exceed Round 8.
This should say "Round x onwards". If it is typically drafted in Round 8, "onwards" is not needed. You can specify "Early / Late round x onwards" if it is typically drafted in round 1 or 2.
Price Range: The typical price of the Pokemon. Smogon's max price is 19, so its price should not exceed that. If its Tera price is higher, list that price instead. This should look like "8-10 points" with the lower number first.
Overview: This is a brief introductory paragraph covering the basics of how the Pokemon is used in Draft. This should not go too in-depth, but it should have enough information to familiarize the reader with the Pokemon. Typically, this explains some of its strengths and unique traits and ends with its weaknesses and flaws.
In the overview, only mention specific Pokemon if you are comparing it with others (Torkoal & Ninetales for example) or if it is drafted specifically to counter specific Pokemon. Other instances are too specific for the overview and can be covered later in the analysis.
This should say "Round x onwards". If it is typically drafted in Round 8, "onwards" is not needed. You can specify "Early / Late round x onwards" if it is typically drafted in round 1 or 2.
Price Range: The typical price of the Pokemon. Smogon's max price is 19, so its price should not exceed that. If its Tera price is higher, list that price instead. This should look like "8-10 points" with the lower number first.
Overview: This is a brief introductory paragraph covering the basics of how the Pokemon is used in Draft. This should not go too in-depth, but it should have enough information to familiarize the reader with the Pokemon. Typically, this explains some of its strengths and unique traits and ends with its weaknesses and flaws.
In the overview, only mention specific Pokemon if you are comparing it with others (Torkoal & Ninetales for example) or if it is drafted specifically to counter specific Pokemon. Other instances are too specific for the overview and can be covered later in the analysis.
This section should be self-explanatory; the roles that a Pokemon frequently uses is listed here. This number can vary, and some Pokemon only have one role. Sets should explain specific moves and items that are frequently used as well as how the set itself is supposed to be used properly. Niche roles that might see very infrequent use but are generally unused should not be mentioned (such as Coil Serperior)
Examples of common role names include:
Examples of common role names include:
- Physical / Special Wallbreaker
- Revenge Killer
- Cleaner
- Dragon Dance / Quiver Dance / Setup / Contrary Sweeper
- Physical / Special Wall
- Offensive / Defensive Utility
- Entry Hazard Lead
Note: Make sure you are looking at the Pokemon's moveset for the correct generation.
Primary STAB Moves: Pretty self-explanatory. Pivoting and priority moves should be included here if they are STAB moves. This also includes weaker moves with additional effects, such as Scald, Giga Drain, and multi-hit moves.
Setup Moves: Moves that boost the Pokemon's stats. This includes Trailblaze, Flame Charge, Contrary moves, Scale Shot, Meteor Beam, etc, though moves should only be listed if they actually see use from the user. If a Pokemon has no setup moves, this section can be removed.
Utility Moves: Moves that help the Pokemon or its teammates make progress in the game. This includes pivoting, Knock Off, entry hazards, dual screens, phazing (Taunt, Encore, Roar, etc), status moves, etc. Brick Break and Psychic Fangs should be included here unless they are the user's strongest options of those types. Baton Pass is outright banned in Smogon Draft, so it should never be mentioned here.
Coverage: Non-STAB moves that the Pokemon frequently uses. Weaker options with upsides (Rock Slide, Aura Sphere, etc) can be included as well, though Blizzard and Thunder are typically not mentioned.
Niche Moves: Any moves that rarely see use but have their niche should be put here. This typically varies per Pokemon, but some commonly mentioned niche moves include:
Primary STAB Moves: Pretty self-explanatory. Pivoting and priority moves should be included here if they are STAB moves. This also includes weaker moves with additional effects, such as Scald, Giga Drain, and multi-hit moves.
Setup Moves: Moves that boost the Pokemon's stats. This includes Trailblaze, Flame Charge, Contrary moves, Scale Shot, Meteor Beam, etc, though moves should only be listed if they actually see use from the user. If a Pokemon has no setup moves, this section can be removed.
Utility Moves: Moves that help the Pokemon or its teammates make progress in the game. This includes pivoting, Knock Off, entry hazards, dual screens, phazing (Taunt, Encore, Roar, etc), status moves, etc. Brick Break and Psychic Fangs should be included here unless they are the user's strongest options of those types. Baton Pass is outright banned in Smogon Draft, so it should never be mentioned here.
Coverage: Non-STAB moves that the Pokemon frequently uses. Weaker options with upsides (Rock Slide, Aura Sphere, etc) can be included as well, though Blizzard and Thunder are typically not mentioned.
Niche Moves: Any moves that rarely see use but have their niche should be put here. This typically varies per Pokemon, but some commonly mentioned niche moves include:
- Speed-lowing Moves (Icy Wind, Bulldoze, etc)
- Endure / Endeavor / Reversal
- Fling
- Stat-lowering moves (Eerie Impulse, Metal Sound, Charm, etc)
- Self-KO moves (Steel Beam, Explosion, Misty Explosion)
- Two-turn moves (Dig, Fly, Solar Beam, etc)
- Trick Room
- Natural Gift
- Weather-setting moves (other than Pokemon with weather abilities and Prankster)
- Gimmicky moves / moves that might have a use, but extremely rarely (Such as Psych Up, Skill Swap, and Life Dew)
Note: Mega Evolutions and item-locked Pokemon do not need this section.
Common Items should be the items the Pokemon most frequently uses. Ideally, these should cover the items used in its common roles. Items should be sorted based on their viability; for example, Zeraora's common items in USUM are Z-Crystals, Expert Belt, Shuca Berry, Pinch Berries, and Choice Band.
Niche Items are used less frequently but have their occasional use depending on the matchup. This could include Mental Herb on slow utility Pokemon, Custap Berry for slow Pokemon with Endure, and resistance Berries, but it generally depends on the Pokemon. Some Pokemon will not have many niche items, but try to not list too many.
Common Items should be the items the Pokemon most frequently uses. Ideally, these should cover the items used in its common roles. Items should be sorted based on their viability; for example, Zeraora's common items in USUM are Z-Crystals, Expert Belt, Shuca Berry, Pinch Berries, and Choice Band.
Niche Items are used less frequently but have their occasional use depending on the matchup. This could include Mental Herb on slow utility Pokemon, Custap Berry for slow Pokemon with Endure, and resistance Berries, but it generally depends on the Pokemon. Some Pokemon will not have many niche items, but try to not list too many.
Highlight Paragraph
This part has two sections: an introductory highlight and specific teammates that the Pokemon should be paired with to use it properly. The paragraph should be short and cover what the Pokemon brings to a team and what it looks for in teammates. (For example, Greninja is a strong fast pivot that can chip foes down and bring in other teammates safely, but it benefits from defensive partners to fall back on and entry hazards to further weaken foes)
Do not repeat what is said in the overview, and do not explain how a cheaper Pokemon "is not the centerpiece of the draft" because this is obvious and unnecessary.
Specific Teammates
Common teammates / roles should be specific and explain why they benefit the user and why the user benefits them. Each example should specify 2-3 Pokemon as examples. (For example, Entry hazard removers like Tornadus-T, Serperior, and Rotom-W help clear the field for Mega Charizard X, letting it set up while staying healthy) Example Pokemon should be meta-relevant Pokemon, and different Pokemon should be used as examples for each role. Do not specifically mention a singular Pokemon as its own bullet point. Very few Pokemon are reliant on a specific partner.
Common roles include:
This part has two sections: an introductory highlight and specific teammates that the Pokemon should be paired with to use it properly. The paragraph should be short and cover what the Pokemon brings to a team and what it looks for in teammates. (For example, Greninja is a strong fast pivot that can chip foes down and bring in other teammates safely, but it benefits from defensive partners to fall back on and entry hazards to further weaken foes)
Do not repeat what is said in the overview, and do not explain how a cheaper Pokemon "is not the centerpiece of the draft" because this is obvious and unnecessary.
Specific Teammates
Common teammates / roles should be specific and explain why they benefit the user and why the user benefits them. Each example should specify 2-3 Pokemon as examples. (For example, Entry hazard removers like Tornadus-T, Serperior, and Rotom-W help clear the field for Mega Charizard X, letting it set up while staying healthy) Example Pokemon should be meta-relevant Pokemon, and different Pokemon should be used as examples for each role. Do not specifically mention a singular Pokemon as its own bullet point. Very few Pokemon are reliant on a specific partner.
Common roles include:
- Entry Hazard Setters / Removers / Control
- Type-resistant Pokemon
- X-type Pokemon
- Pivots / Wallbreakers
- Defensive / Specially Defensive Walls
- Weather / Terrain Setters (for Pokemon with weather abilities or Unburden)
- Support Options (dual screens, status spreading, Knock Off, Healing Wish, etc)
- A Functioning Team / A Team Unreliant on X Pokemon
- Should be used for most cheap Pokemon that fill holes late-draft and shouldn't be relied on in most matches
This section is pretty self-explanatory; it explains what types of Pokemon check and counter the Pokemon being written about. Each point should explain why the role beats the Pokemon as well as 2-3 examples of Pokemon. This often includes:
- X-type Pokemon / attacks
- Faster Pokemon / Priority (for fast wallbreakers / setup sweepers)
- Physically / Specially Defensive Pokemon (for wallbreakers without setup)
- Phazing (Taunt, Encore, Roar, etc, for setup sweepers)
- Status Effects (Paralysis for fast Pokemon, poison for bulky Pokemon, burn for physical Pokemon)
- Entry Hazards (for Rock-weak Pokemon)
- Chip Damage (for Pokemon without healing; sometimes combined with entry hazards and/or status effects)
- Lures (resistance Berries, Red Card, etc to force it out, especially after setup or single-use items)
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