Resource ORAS OU Simple Questions, Simple Answers (Read the OP First!)

[aVocado]

For offensively orientated teams, or non-defensive/stall, teams are Pokemon that resist/can eat up hits from like FlyingSpam still important? Basically, are Pokemon defensively-inclined/EV'd or those with strong resistances still important to have on like Hyper Offense?

Thundurus is a pretty good answer to flying spam on HO/offensive teams. scarf/specs Rotom-W too, or even things like Scarf Garchomp who makes Talonflame take a lot of recoil damage, outspeeds both Staraptor and Mega Pinsir and OHKOs all of them with Stone Edge.

 

[Indiladhar]

I'm looking for 2 pokemon to help counter flying threats to venusaur. I have defensive hippowdon (running stealth rock, stone edge, EQ & slack off) as one, but I'd like another (preferably flying) pokemon to help- torn between zapdos/thundurus- unsure if they can switch into talonflame/mega pinsir & still ko it. I'm open to other suggestions- I've thought about switching hippo for scarf garchomp, but I also need a defog member (or rapid spin). Any suggestions to cover these 2 slots whilst also providing a rapid spin/defog user?

 

[The Lonely Alula]

For offensively orientated teams, or non-defensive/stall, teams are Pokemon that resist/can eat up hits from like FlyingSpam still important? Basically, are Pokemon defensively-inclined/EV'd or those with strong resistances still important to have on like Hyper Offense?

Generally, yes, but they almost never are EV'd in their defenses and instead use their typing or natural uninvested bulk to take hits from Flying-types. Thundurus is a very popular Pokemon on offensive teams for many reasons, and one of those reasons is because of its ability to counter FlyingSpam due to its high speed and resistance to Flying. It also has Prankster Thunder Wave to further shut them down. Pokemon with fast priority such as Dragonite or Talonflame itself also do a pretty good job at destroying most members of FlyingSpam.

I'm looking for 2 pokemon to help counter flying threats to venusaur. I have defensive hippowdon (running stealth rock, stone edge, EQ & slack off) as one, but I'd like another (preferably flying) pokemon to help- torn between zapdos/thundurus- unsure if they can switch into talonflame/mega pinsir & still ko it. I'm open to other suggestions- I've thought about switching hippo for scarf garchomp, but I also need a defog member (or rapid spin). Any suggestions to cover these 2 slots whilst also providing a rapid spin/defog user?

It depends on if you're using a defensive or offensive Venusaur really. If you're using a Venusaur with lots of defensive EVs and moves then defensive partners like Skarmory and Hippowdon are the way to go. If you're using a more offensive Venusaur then options with higher attacking stats like Garchomp and Zapdos are better. Zapdos can also provide Defog support, and so can Skarmory if you decide to use it. If you're unsure about whether or not they'll survive you can use the Pokemon Showdown calculator here http://pokemonshowdown.com/damagecalc/.

 

[rachet67]

I don't know what changed with BP team so I don't understandwhy people want to ban it NOW. Can someone explain me what changed since the last generation ?

BP has gained what Arikado already mentioned, but to be honest, there were a good amount of people who wanted it gone last generation as well. There was just so much stuff to suspect, discussion never really got around to it on the large scale.

 

[Frogifier]

I'm using Lucario in UU,and I have this set so far:
Lucario@Air Balloon
EVS:252 Atk/252 Spe/4 HP
Jolly Nature
-Swords Dance
-Close Combat
-Extremespeed
-unknown move

Can you guys help me decide on a fourth move and maybe offer other suggestions?(all the sets I could find are OU)

Crunch is an option. Mega lucario used to run bullet punch, but you already have espeed.

 

[aVocado]

Crunch is an option. Mega lucario used to run bullet punch, but you already have espeed.

Both can be ran, since BP kills non-phys defensive Florges at +2 LO adamant.

 

[JayWood2010]

I was going to teach my Pinsir Return but i wanted to make sure how i max out the base power of the move. If i just use Amie fore Max Effection would that max out the attack return?

 

[Hclegend]

I was going to teach my Pinsir Return but i wanted to make sure how i max out the base power of the move. If i just use Amie fore Max Effection would that max out the attack return?

IIRC Amie affection =/= happiness. So no.
I'd recommend slapping a Soothe Bell on Pinsir and going around Prism Tower a few (thousand) times to max it out. That's what I did when I had to breed Lucario (Don't remind me...)

 

[JayWood2010]

IIRC Amie affection =/= happiness. So no.
I'd recommend slapping a Soothe Bell on Pinsir and going around Prism Tower a few (thousand) times to max it out. That's what I did when I had to breed Lucario (Don't remind me...)

lol So you max it out by walking? How do i know when it is maxed out?

 

[RowDog]

If I were to trap a Pokemon with say Infestation or Block, and then use Baton Pass with the Pokemon that used Infestation or Block, would the opposing Pokemon still be trapped or will the opponent be able to switch?

 

[Hclegend]

lol So you max it out by walking? How do i know when it is maxed out?

according to Bulbapedia, the Kalos friendship rater is in Laverne City (The most northern one) in the Pokemon Fan Club. Talk to the Breeder (Guy dressed in green) to find out the happiness
Edit: CURSE OF THE FORMATTING ERRORS
lol JK but still fucking formatting tho
oh, and here's the quote for Max friendship for reference

"It's amazingly friendly toward you! It must be so happy spending every day with you!"

 

[Pyritie]

I was going to teach my Pinsir Return but i wanted to make sure how i max out the base power of the move. If i just use Amie fore Max Effection would that max out the attack return?

If you levelled it on your cart from 1 to 50 that should do most, if not all, of the happiness for you. Double check with the person in laverre city first though.

 

[anhlong1122]

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-129112860
I storm upon this match, until now i was always think that if your last mon use explosion , killing both it and it opponent (also the last mon) you lose.
It have changed or just never been there?

 

[SoulRed12]

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-129112860
I storm upon this match, until now i was always think that if your last mon use explosion , killing both it and it opponent (also the last mon) you lose.
It have changed or just never been there?

According to official VGC rules, if your and your opponent's final pokemon faint due to explosion, the player who used explosion loses. So either that's a bug or Smogon singles has a different rule for that. What's funny is I saw a game end to explosion the other day and it ended in a tie. lol. So I dunno what's going on with that.

 

[Talpr0ne]

http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/ties-shouldnt-exist-in-xy.3495041/

 

[Mustakrakish36]

Hey guys decided to take Defog off my Choice Band Scizor in favor of getting a Defog Latios. Now I have an Adamant Choice Banded Scizor with Bulletpunch, U-Turn, and Superpower. Without rebreeding, what are some good options for a fourth move? Including the move tutor in Dendemile.

Im thinking about Pursuit, Acrobatics, and Knock Off, but with all the coverage moves floating around I dont see Scizor scaring off enough threats to think pursuit trapping would be better than U-Turning on predicted switches, Acrobatics actually seems cool and base 55 power menas it would be technician boosted and choice band boosted. Knock Off is a great move this gen, but I already have a Conkeldurr with Knock Off.

Any ideas?

 

[anhlong1122]

http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/ties-shouldnt-exist-in-xy.3495041/

I see, but there was no conclusion in that thread, is it somewhere else?

 

[anhlong1122]

http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/ties-shouldnt-exist-in-xy.3495041/

 

[Magnemite]

Hey guys decided to take Defog off my Choice Band Scizor in favor of getting a Defog Latios. Now I have an Adamant Choice Banded Scizor with Bulletpunch, U-Turn, and Superpower. Without rebreeding, what are some good options for a fourth move? Including the move tutor in Dendemile.

Im thinking about Pursuit, Acrobatics, and Knock Off, but with all the coverage moves floating around I dont see Scizor scaring off enough threats to think pursuit trapping would be better than U-Turning on predicted switches, Acrobatics actually seems cool and base 55 power menas it would be technician boosted and choice band boosted. Knock Off is a great move this gen, but I already have a Conkeldurr with Knock Off.

Any ideas?

Go with Knock Off. Pursuit isn't that important this generation on Scizor unless you have something that really appriciate a the Pursuit support, in which case you would be better off using Scarftar or Bisharp anyway. Acrobatics is weak and provides little coverage, while Knock Off is a great move on just about anything that learns it.

 

[pika pal]

Hey guys decided to take Defog off my Choice Band Scizor in favor of getting a Defog Latios. Now I have an Adamant Choice Banded Scizor with Bulletpunch, U-Turn, and Superpower. Without rebreeding, what are some good options for a fourth move? Including the move tutor in Dendemile.

Im thinking about Pursuit, Acrobatics, and Knock Off, but with all the coverage moves floating around I dont see Scizor scaring off enough threats to think pursuit trapping would be better than U-Turning on predicted switches, Acrobatics actually seems cool and base 55 power menas it would be technician boosted and choice band boosted. Knock Off is a great move this gen, but I already have a Conkeldurr with Knock Off.

Any ideas?

Knock Off seems like the best move unless your team benefits more from Flying coverage from Scizor. Knock Off is a spammable move since even if it's resisted, most Pokemon take a loss if they lose their item.

If you insist otherwise, I suggest Aerial Ace over Acrobatics, as it has a 60 Base Power, still boosted by Technician. Acrobatics will only ever out damage Aerial Ace if Scizor has no item (which is reasonable if your opponent has multiple Knock Off mons), but even then, that seems situational enough that the ~10BP difference with the Band is more worth your time.

252+ Atk Choice Band Technician Scizor Acrobatics (55 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Conkeldurr: 308-364 (74.3 - 87.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Scizor Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Conkeldurr: 276-326 (66.6 - 78.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Technician Scizor Aerial Ace vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Conkeldurr: 338-398 (81.6 - 96.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Technician Scizor Aerial Ace vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Conkeldurr: 226-266 (54.5 - 64.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

With the band, Scizor can manage a rare OHKO with SR, but Conk has a safe margin no matter the situation with Acrobatics.


All that said, I still recommend Knock Off for being spammable.

 

[Hclegend]

One thing that's confused me recently
People call Staraptor a "Wallbreaker"
Yet it carries a Scarf (Base 100 speed, it's somewhat understandable)
But the thing is, why are people saying that its a Wallbreaker and doesn't have any other niche, when it can also be a good revenge killer? (Better than Talonflame IMO due to coverage, but let's ignore that)

 

[aVocado]

One thing that's confused me recently
People call Staraptor a "Wallbreaker"
Yet it carries a Scarf (Base 100 speed, it's somewhat understandable)
But the thing is, why are people saying that its a Wallbreaker and doesn't have any other niche, when it can also be a good revenge killer? (Better than Talonflame IMO due to coverage, but let's ignore that)

Because there are better scarfers. Staraptor's niche is its incredible power with a choice band, ridiculous attack and reckless, which boosts its 120 base power STAB move even more.

 

[Magnemite]

Scarf Staraptor isn't too bad on birdspam teams, but outside of that, it's pretty much entirely inferior to CB Talonflame.

 

[Mustakrakish36]

Knock Off seems like the best move unless your team benefits more from Flying coverage from Scizor. Knock Off is a spammable move since even if it's resisted, most Pokemon take a loss if they lose their item.

If you insist otherwise, I suggest Aerial Ace over Acrobatics, as it has a 60 Base Power, still boosted by Technician. Acrobatics will only ever out damage Aerial Ace if Scizor has no item (which is reasonable if your opponent has multiple Knock Off mons), but even then, that seems situational enough that the ~10BP difference with the Band is more worth your time.

252+ Atk Choice Band Technician Scizor Acrobatics (55 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Conkeldurr: 308-364 (74.3 - 87.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Scizor Acrobatics (110 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Conkeldurr: 276-326 (66.6 - 78.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Technician Scizor Aerial Ace vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Conkeldurr: 338-398 (81.6 - 96.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Technician Scizor Aerial Ace vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Conkeldurr: 226-266 (54.5 - 64.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

With the band, Scizor can manage a rare OHKO with SR, but Conk has a safe margin no matter the situation with Acrobatics.


All that said, I still recommend Knock Off for being spammable.

Damn, the guy who traded me Scizor already had knock off on it but i deleted it for u-turn. Will the tutor relearn it since he had it at one point?

 

[SotheBlacKnight]

So I don't know if I'm dumb or something is up with Showdown,
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/nubeta-129202336
on turn 6 Pangoro uses crunch and gets a defense drop on Malamar, however it's a Contrary Malamar (as they all are) but instead of it becoming a defense up it stays as a down.
Does Mold Breaker negate Contrary or did I get really unlucky?