OU SPL XII SM Discussion Thread

[Egor]

s/o Zracknel for the artwork!
thread approved by Lutra

Heyo! Welcome to the thread dedicated to SM on the ongoing Smogon Premier League XII! In this place y'all can discuss battles and metagame trends, teams and techs, share your own predictions and opinions. I will also be updating the OP with each week's replays and usage stats as well as player standings. The tournament's schedule can be found here.

Auction results:

Potential SM players (power ranking starters in bold)

Alpha Ruiners: Empo, Gondra, Will of Fire, Askov, Aurella

Congregation of the Classiest: Kenix, Tamahome, obii, Jytcampbell

Dragonspiral Tyrants: Omfuga, Sabella, John W

Cryonicles: z0mOg, Leo, xtra$hine, umbry, [K-12] The Madchine

Wi-fi Wolfpack: Relous, Bloody alfa, TPP, Quaze

Team Raiders: frisoeva, H.MN.I.P, Ajna

Stark Sharks: Welli0u, Ruft, Luispeikou, MAX UND MAX

Ever Grande BIGs: Eternal Spirit, Insult, Hayburner, devin

Indie Scooters: Corazan, Chaitanya, false

Circus Maximus Tigers: robjr, Gtcha, beatiful, CBU


Replays

week 1

[RAI] frisoeva vs Eternal spirit [BIG]
[TIG] Robjr vs Corazan [SCO]
[TYR] Omfuga vs Tamahome [CLA]
[CRY] z0mOG vs Empo [RUI]
[SHA] Welli0u vs Relous [WOL]

week 2

[RAI] frisoeva vs Empo Aurella [RUI]
[CLA] Tamahome vs Relous [WOL]
[SCO] Corazan vs Welli0u [SHA]
[BIG] Eternal spirit vs z0mOG [CRY]
[TIG] Robjr vs Omfuga [TYR]

week 3

[RAI] frisoeva vs Robjr [TIG]
[TYR] Omfuga vs Eternal spirit [BIG]
[CRY] umbry vs Corazan [SCO]
[SHA] Welli0u vs kenix [CLA]
[WOL] Relous vs Empo [RUI]

Usage Stats

week 1

Leads / Combos / Moves + Teammates

+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon            | Use  | Usage % |  Win %  |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1    | Kartana            |    6 |  60.00% |  66.67% |
| 1    | Landorus-Therian   |    6 |  60.00% |  50.00% |
| 3    | Magearna           |    4 |  40.00% |  75.00% |
| 3    | Heatran            |    4 |  40.00% |  50.00% |
| 5    | Rotom-Wash         |    3 |  30.00% | 100.00% |
| 5    | Toxapex            |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 5    | Tapu Fini          |    3 |  30.00% |   0.00% |
| 8    | Tornadus-Therian   |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 8    | Alakazam           |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 8    | Tapu Bulu          |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 8    | Lopunny            |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 8    | Tyranitar          |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 8    | Gliscor            |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 8    | Jirachi            |    2 |  20.00% |   0.00% |
| 8    | Serperior          |    2 |  20.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Tangrowth          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Excadrill          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Mawile             |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Kommo-o            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Tapu Lele          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Diancie            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Greninja           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Mamoswine          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Zapdos             |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Charizard          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Victini            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Thundurus-Therian  |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Clefable           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Scizor             |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Weavile            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |

week 2

Leads / Combos / Moves & Teammates

+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon            | Use  | Usage % |  Win %  |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1    | Landorus-Therian   |    6 |  60.00% |  50.00% |
| 2    | Alakazam           |    4 |  40.00% |  75.00% |
| 2    | Tapu Lele          |    4 |  40.00% |  50.00% |
| 4    | Celesteela         |    3 |  30.00% |  66.67% |
| 4    | Heatran            |    3 |  30.00% |  66.67% |
| 4    | Magearna           |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 4    | Kartana            |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 4    | Greninja           |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 4    | Clefable           |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 4    | Gliscor            |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 11   | Rotom-Wash         |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 11   | Chansey            |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 11   | Ferrothorn         |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 11   | Magnezone          |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 11   | Lopunny            |    2 |  20.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Tyranitar          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Amoonguss          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Garchomp           |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Latios             |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Toxapex            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Zapdos             |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Latias             |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Necrozma           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Tapu Koko          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Mawile             |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Serperior          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Victini            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Tornadus-Therian   |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Sableye            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Keldeo             |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |

overall

Leads / Combos / Moves & Teammates

+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon            | Use  | Usage % |  Win %  |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1    | Landorus-Therian   |   12 |  60.00% |  50.00% |
| 2    | Kartana            |    9 |  45.00% |  55.56% |
| 3    | Magearna           |    7 |  35.00% |  57.14% |
| 3    | Heatran            |    7 |  35.00% |  57.14% |
| 5    | Alakazam           |    6 |  30.00% |  83.33% |
| 6    | Rotom-Wash         |    5 |  25.00% | 100.00% |
| 6    | Tapu Lele          |    5 |  25.00% |  60.00% |
| 6    | Gliscor            |    5 |  25.00% |  40.00% |
| 9    | Toxapex            |    4 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 9    | Greninja           |    4 |  20.00% |  25.00% |
| 9    | Clefable           |    4 |  20.00% |  25.00% |
| 9    | Lopunny            |    4 |  20.00% |  25.00% |
| 13   | Celesteela         |    3 |  15.00% |  66.67% |
| 13   | Tyranitar          |    3 |  15.00% |  66.67% |
| 13   | Tornadus-Therian   |    3 |  15.00% |  66.67% |
| 13   | Serperior          |    3 |  15.00% |   0.00% |
| 13   | Tapu Fini          |    3 |  15.00% |   0.00% |
| 18   | Chansey            |    2 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 18   | Tapu Bulu          |    2 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 18   | Mawile             |    2 |  10.00% |  50.00% |
| 18   | Ferrothorn         |    2 |  10.00% |  50.00% |
| 18   | Magnezone          |    2 |  10.00% |  50.00% |
| 18   | Zapdos             |    2 |  10.00% |  50.00% |
| 18   | Victini            |    2 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 18   | Jirachi            |    2 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 26   | Amoonguss          |    1 |   5.00% | 100.00% |
| 26   | Garchomp           |    1 |   5.00% | 100.00% |
| 26   | Latios             |    1 |   5.00% | 100.00% |
| 26   | Latias             |    1 |   5.00% | 100.00% |
| 26   | Tangrowth          |    1 |   5.00% | 100.00% |
| 26   | Excadrill          |    1 |   5.00% | 100.00% |
| 26   | Kommo-o            |    1 |   5.00% | 100.00% |
| 26   | Necrozma           |    1 |   5.00% |   0.00% |
| 26   | Tapu Koko          |    1 |   5.00% |   0.00% |
| 26   | Sableye            |    1 |   5.00% |   0.00% |
| 26   | Keldeo             |    1 |   5.00% |   0.00% |
| 26   | Diancie            |    1 |   5.00% |   0.00% |
| 26   | Mamoswine          |    1 |   5.00% |   0.00% |
| 26   | Charizard          |    1 |   5.00% |   0.00% |
| 26   | Thundurus-Therian  |    1 |   5.00% |   0.00% |
| 26   | Scizor             |    1 |   5.00% |   0.00% |
| 26   | Weavile            |    1 |   5.00% |   0.00% |

Player Standings
​

 

[Egor]

Week 1
~
Replays
[RAI] frisoeva vs Eternal spirit [BIG]
[TIG] Robjr vs Corazan [SCO]
[TYR] Omfuga vs Tamahome [CLA]
[CRY] z0mOG vs Empo [RUI]
[SHA] Welli0u vs Relous [WOL]

Usage Stats

week 1

+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon            | Use  | Usage % |  Win %  |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1    | Kartana            |    6 |  60.00% |  66.67% |
| 1    | Landorus-Therian   |    6 |  60.00% |  50.00% |
| 3    | Magearna           |    4 |  40.00% |  75.00% |
| 3    | Heatran            |    4 |  40.00% |  50.00% |
| 5    | Rotom-Wash         |    3 |  30.00% | 100.00% |
| 5    | Toxapex            |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 5    | Tapu Fini          |    3 |  30.00% |   0.00% |
| 8    | Tornadus-Therian   |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 8    | Alakazam           |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 8    | Tapu Bulu          |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 8    | Lopunny            |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 8    | Tyranitar          |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 8    | Gliscor            |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 8    | Jirachi            |    2 |  20.00% |   0.00% |
| 8    | Serperior          |    2 |  20.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Tangrowth          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Excadrill          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Mawile             |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Kommo-o            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Tapu Lele          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Diancie            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Greninja           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Mamoswine          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Zapdos             |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Charizard          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Victini            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Thundurus-Therian  |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Clefable           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Scizor             |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Weavile            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |

Next Week Matchups
~
[RAI] frisoeva vs Empo [RUI]
[CLA] Tamahome vs Relous [WOL]
[SCO] Corazan vs Welli0u [SHA]
[BIG] Eternal spirit vs z0mOG [CRY]
[TIG] Robjr vs Omfuga [TYR]


Sorry that I couldn't make a more lenghty post with some analytics this time, really busy :(

 

[Egor]

Week 2
~
Replays
[RAI] frisoeva vs Empo Aurella [RUI]
[CLA] Tamahome vs Relous [WOL]
[SCO] Corazan vs Welli0u [SHA]
[BIG] Eternal spirit vs z0mOG [CRY]
[TIG] Robjr vs Omfuga [TYR]

Usage Stats

week 2

Leads / Combos / Moves & Teammates

+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon            | Use  | Usage % |  Win %  |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1    | Landorus-Therian   |    6 |  60.00% |  50.00% |
| 2    | Alakazam           |    4 |  40.00% |  75.00% |
| 2    | Tapu Lele          |    4 |  40.00% |  50.00% |
| 4    | Celesteela         |    3 |  30.00% |  66.67% |
| 4    | Heatran            |    3 |  30.00% |  66.67% |
| 4    | Magearna           |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 4    | Kartana            |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 4    | Greninja           |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 4    | Clefable           |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 4    | Gliscor            |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 11   | Rotom-Wash         |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 11   | Chansey            |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 11   | Ferrothorn         |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 11   | Magnezone          |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 11   | Lopunny            |    2 |  20.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Tyranitar          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Amoonguss          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Garchomp           |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Latios             |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Toxapex            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Zapdos             |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Latias             |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Necrozma           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Tapu Koko          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Mawile             |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Serperior          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Victini            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Tornadus-Therian   |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Sableye            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Keldeo             |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |

overall

Leads / Combos / Moves & Teammates

+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon            | Use  | Usage % |  Win %  |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1    | Landorus-Therian   |   12 |  60.00% |  50.00% |
| 2    | Kartana            |    9 |  45.00% |  55.56% |
| 3    | Magearna           |    7 |  35.00% |  57.14% |
| 3    | Heatran            |    7 |  35.00% |  57.14% |
| 5    | Alakazam           |    6 |  30.00% |  83.33% |
| 6    | Rotom-Wash         |    5 |  25.00% | 100.00% |
| 6    | Tapu Lele          |    5 |  25.00% |  60.00% |
| 6    | Gliscor            |    5 |  25.00% |  40.00% |
| 9    | Toxapex            |    4 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 9    | Greninja           |    4 |  20.00% |  25.00% |
| 9    | Clefable           |    4 |  20.00% |  25.00% |
| 9    | Lopunny            |    4 |  20.00% |  25.00% |
| 13   | Celesteela         |    3 |  15.00% |  66.67% |
| 13   | Tyranitar          |    3 |  15.00% |  66.67% |
| 13   | Tornadus-Therian   |    3 |  15.00% |  66.67% |
| 13   | Serperior          |    3 |  15.00% |   0.00% |
| 13   | Tapu Fini          |    3 |  15.00% |   0.00% |
| 18   | Chansey            |    2 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 18   | Tapu Bulu          |    2 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 18   | Mawile             |    2 |  10.00% |  50.00% |
| 18   | Ferrothorn         |    2 |  10.00% |  50.00% |
| 18   | Magnezone          |    2 |  10.00% |  50.00% |
| 18   | Zapdos             |    2 |  10.00% |  50.00% |
| 18   | Victini            |    2 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 18   | Jirachi            |    2 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 26   | Amoonguss          |    1 |   5.00% | 100.00% |
| 26   | Garchomp           |    1 |   5.00% | 100.00% |
| 26   | Latios             |    1 |   5.00% | 100.00% |
| 26   | Latias             |    1 |   5.00% | 100.00% |
| 26   | Tangrowth          |    1 |   5.00% | 100.00% |
| 26   | Excadrill          |    1 |   5.00% | 100.00% |
| 26   | Kommo-o            |    1 |   5.00% | 100.00% |
| 26   | Necrozma           |    1 |   5.00% |   0.00% |
| 26   | Tapu Koko          |    1 |   5.00% |   0.00% |
| 26   | Sableye            |    1 |   5.00% |   0.00% |
| 26   | Keldeo             |    1 |   5.00% |   0.00% |
| 26   | Diancie            |    1 |   5.00% |   0.00% |
| 26   | Mamoswine          |    1 |   5.00% |   0.00% |
| 26   | Charizard          |    1 |   5.00% |   0.00% |
| 26   | Thundurus-Therian  |    1 |   5.00% |   0.00% |
| 26   | Scizor             |    1 |   5.00% |   0.00% |
| 26   | Weavile            |    1 |   5.00% |   0.00% |

Highlights
: throughout the first two weeks Rotom-W offenses, albeit not facing lots of usage, have been performing rather good; the washing machine, with 5 wins out of 5, is one of the key components on this type of builds: along with other pivots like Landorus-T and Assault Vest Magearna, it creates the vital pivoting core which does a great job enabling numerous offensive options. I believe Rotom-W structres will be in a relatively solid positin during the whole season.
: Mega Alakazam has yet again proven it is a force to be reckoned with, winning 5 games out of 6 throughout Weeks 1 & 2. Furthermore, Mega Alakazam makes a nice fit for the aforementioned offenses due to its blistering Speed and huge firepower, which allow it to put in work at all stages of the battle. Another take on Mega Alakazam is putting it into balances, where its Speed tier grants the team a strong offensive piece and an offensive check to a bunch of threats. Mega Alakazam balances haven't been being used much compared to more proactive structures, but it's definitely a good option for players to consider.
: Kartana has suffered a relatively hard downfall compared to Week 1. Its Choice Scarf set is still an effective cleaner versus frailer offenses, while Swords Dance and Choice Band sets pose a huge threat to bulkier structures, but this week teams seemed to be more prepared to Kartana naturally, and it also includes the appearance of Celesteela - one of the premier Kartana answers which hasn't beed played at all Week 1. Nonetheless, Kartana is a very strong offensive threat and should never be underestimated both in the builder and in the game.
: this week we got to see Corazan utilizing an interesting tech in Icium Z on their Tornadus-T. Subzero Slammer not only targets Landorus-T and Zapdos, which Corazan's Mega Lopunny definitely enjoys, but also serves as a surprise countermeasure to Gliscor, which seems to be rather annoying to the team Corazan brought. However, opting for Icium Z means that Tornadus-T will not be able to use less niche Z-Crystals - Flyinium Z or Fighinium Z.

Next Week Matchups
~
[RAI] frisoeva vs Robjr [TIG]
[TYR] Omfuga vs Eternal spirit [BIG]
[CRY] umbry vs Corazan [SCO]
[SHA] Welli0u vs kenix [CLA]
[WOL] Relous vs Empo [RUI]

 

[Clem]

Updating this cause I wanted to take a look at the different replays and saw that it wasn't up to date

Week 3
~
Replays
[RAI] frisoeva vs Robjr [TIG]
[TYR] Omfuga vs Eternal spirit [BIG]
[CRY] umbry vs Corazan [SCO]
[SHA] Welli0u vs Jytcampbell [CLA]
[WOL] Relous vs Empo [RUI]

week 3

Leads / Combos / Moves + Teammates

+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon            | Use  | Usage % |  Win %  |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1    | Landorus-Therian   |    6 |  60.00% |  50.00% |
| 2    | Kartana            |    5 |  50.00% |  60.00% |
| 3    | Tangrowth          |    3 |  30.00% |  66.67% |
| 3    | Chansey            |    3 |  30.00% |  66.67% |
| 3    | Tapu Fini          |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 3    | Heatran            |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 7    | Medicham           |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 7    | Zapdos             |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 7    | Victini            |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Tyranitar          |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Mawile             |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Gliscor            |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Scizor             |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Reuniclus          |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Diancie            |    2 |  20.00% |   0.00% |
| 7    | Serperior          |    2 |  20.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Lopunny            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Magearna           |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Rotom-Wash         |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Ditto              |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Garchomp           |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Jirachi            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Seismitoad         |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Magnezone          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Hawlucha           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Greninja           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Thundurus-Therian  |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Volcarona          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Kyurem-Black       |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Gastrodon          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Skarmory           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Clefable           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Latias             |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |

Week 4
~
Replays
[RAI] frisoeva vs Corazan [SCO]
[BIG] Insult vs Jytcampbell [CLA]
[TIG] Robjr vs Empo [RUI]
[TYR] Omfuga vs Relous [WOL]
[CRY] z0mOG vs Welli0u [SHA]

week 4

Leads / Combos / Moves + Teammates

+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon            | Use  | Usage % |  Win %  |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1    | Landorus-Therian   |    7 |  70.00% |  42.86% |
| 2    | Rotom-Wash         |    3 |  30.00% |  66.67% |
| 2    | Tornadus-Therian   |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 2    | Heatran            |    3 |  30.00% |   0.00% |
| 2    | Tyranitar          |    3 |  30.00% |   0.00% |
| 6    | Magearna           |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 6    | Kommo-o            |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 6    | Ferrothorn         |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 6    | Alakazam           |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 6    | Slowbro            |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 6    | Gliscor            |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 6    | Magnezone          |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 6    | Medicham           |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 6    | Tangrowth          |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 6    | Scizor             |    2 |  20.00% |   0.00% |
| 6    | Zapdos             |    2 |  20.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Kartana            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Tapu Lele          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Jirachi            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Latias             |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Victini            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Weavile            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Lopunny            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Tapu Fini          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Swampert           |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Greninja           |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Manaphy            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Pelipper           |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Clefable           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Chansey            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Toxapex            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Amoonguss          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Tapu Koko          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Reuniclus          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Hydreigon          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |

Week 5
~
Replays
[RAI] frisoeva vs Omfuga [TYR]
[CRY] z0mOG vs Robjr [TIG]
[SHA] Welli0u vs Insult [BIG]
[WOL] Relous vs Corazan [SCO]
[RUI] Empo vs soulgazer [CLA]

week 5

Leads / Combos / Moves + Teammates

+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon            | Use  | Usage % |  Win %  |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1    | Magearna           |    5 |  50.00% |  60.00% |
| 2    | Kartana            |    4 |  40.00% |  75.00% |
| 2    | Gliscor            |    4 |  40.00% |  75.00% |
| 2    | Heatran            |    4 |  40.00% |  25.00% |
| 5    | Toxapex            |    3 |  30.00% |  66.67% |
| 5    | Landorus-Therian   |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 5    | Tornadus-Therian   |    3 |  30.00% |   0.00% |
| 8    | Reuniclus          |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 8    | Latias             |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 8    | Volcarona          |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 8    | Gastrodon          |    2 |  20.00% |   0.00% |
| 8    | Clefable           |    2 |  20.00% |   0.00% |
| 8    | Rotom-Wash         |    2 |  20.00% |   0.00% |
| 14   | Kyurem             |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 14   | Chansey            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 14   | Charizard          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 14   | Ditto              |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 14   | Garchomp           |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 14   | Tapu Lele          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 14   | Greninja           |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 14   | Tyranitar          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 14   | Magnezone          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 14   | Zapdos             |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 14   | Diancie            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 14   | Thundurus-Therian  |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 14   | Serperior          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 14   | Kommo-o            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 14   | Scizor             |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 14   | Hoopa-Unbound      |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 14   | Tapu Koko          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 14   | Latios             |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 14   | Lopunny            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 14   | Celesteela         |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 14   | Ferrothorn         |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 14   | Medicham           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |

Week 6
~
Replays
[RAI] frisoeva vs z0mOG [CRY]
[SHA] Welli0u vs Omfuga [TYR]
[WOL] Quaze vs Robjr [TIG]
[RUI] Empo vs Devin [BIG]
[CLA] soulgazer vs Gondra [SCO]

week 6

Leads / Combos / Moves + Teammates

+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon            | Use  | Usage % |  Win %  |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1    | Landorus-Therian   |    5 |  50.00% |  60.00% |
| 1    | Magearna           |    5 |  50.00% |  40.00% |
| 3    | Kartana            |    3 |  30.00% |  66.67% |
| 3    | Gliscor            |    3 |  30.00% |  66.67% |
| 3    | Toxapex            |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 3    | Tapu Lele          |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 7    | Heatran            |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 7    | Weavile            |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 7    | Clefable           |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 7    | Ditto              |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Latias             |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Reuniclus          |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Scizor             |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Alakazam           |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Tornadus-Therian   |    2 |  20.00% |   0.00% |
| 7    | Greninja           |    2 |  20.00% |   0.00% |
| 7    | Rotom-Wash         |    2 |  20.00% |   0.00% |
| 18   | Charizard          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 18   | Tapu Fini          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 18   | Latios             |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 18   | Tangrowth          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 18   | Magnezone          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 18   | Chansey            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 18   | Serperior          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 18   | Kommo-o            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 18   | Swampert           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 18   | Ferrothorn         |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 18   | Manaphy            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 18   | Pelipper           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 18   | Victini            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 18   | Lopunny            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 18   | Hippowdon          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 18   | Hoopa-Unbound      |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |

Week 7
~
Replays
[RAI] H.M.N.I.P vs Quaze [WOL]
[RUI] Empo vs Welli0u [SHA]
[CLA] samqian vs z0mOG [CRY]
[SCO] Gondra vs Sabella [TYR]
[BIG] Insult vs Robjr [TIG]

week 7

Leads / Combos / Moves + Teammates

+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon            | Use  | Usage % |  Win %  |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1    | Landorus-Therian   |    5 |  50.00% |  40.00% |
| 2    | Greninja           |    4 |  40.00% |  50.00% |
| 2    | Tapu Lele          |    4 |  40.00% |  50.00% |
| 2    | Alakazam           |    4 |  40.00% |  25.00% |
| 5    | Tornadus-Therian   |    3 |  30.00% |  66.67% |
| 5    | Gliscor            |    3 |  30.00% |  66.67% |
| 5    | Toxapex            |    3 |  30.00% |  66.67% |
| 5    | Chansey            |    3 |  30.00% |  66.67% |
| 5    | Kartana            |    3 |  30.00% |  66.67% |
| 5    | Magearna           |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 11   | Magnezone          |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 11   | Manaphy            |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 11   | Pelipper           |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 11   | Swampert           |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 11   | Ferrothorn         |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 11   | Reuniclus          |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 17   | Scizor             |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Slowbro            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Weavile            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Latios             |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Pinsir             |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 17   | Hawlucha           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Tapu Koko          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Medicham           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Kommo-o            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Keldeo             |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Heatran            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Zapdos             |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 17   | Skarmory           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |

Week 8
~
Replays
[RAI] frisoeva vs obii [CLA]
[SCO] Gondra vs Empo [RUI]
[BIG] Eternal Spirit vs Relous [WOL]
[TIG] Robjr vs Welli0u [SHA]
[TYR] Sabella vs z0mOG [CRY]

week 8

Leads / Combos / Moves + Teammates

+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon            | Use  | Usage % |  Win %  |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1    | Ferrothorn         |    4 |  40.00% |  50.00% |
| 1    | Landorus-Therian   |    4 |  40.00% |  25.00% |
| 3    | Gliscor            |    3 |  30.00% |  66.67% |
| 3    | Greninja           |    3 |  30.00% |  66.67% |
| 3    | Latias             |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 3    | Rotom-Wash         |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 7    | Magnezone          |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 7    | Chansey            |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 7    | Volcarona          |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 7    | Tornadus-Therian   |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 7    | Kartana            |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Celesteela         |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Sableye            |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Manaphy            |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Magearna           |    2 |  20.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Kyurem-Black       |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Medicham           |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Skarmory           |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Weavile            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Diancie            |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Tapu Bulu          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Gastrodon          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Pelipper           |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Swampert           |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 16   | Toxapex            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Ditto              |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Lopunny            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Tapu Koko          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Heatran            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Mawile             |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Tapu Lele          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Jirachi            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Smeargle           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Scizor             |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Serperior          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Bisharp            |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 16   | Thundurus-Therian  |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |

Week 9
~
Replays
[RAI] frisoeva vs Welli0u [SHA]
[WOL] Tace vs Lusa [CRY]
[RUI] Empo vs Sabella [TYR]
[CLA] obii vs Robjr [TIG]
[SCO] Gondra vs Insult [BIG]

week 9

Leads / Combos / Moves + Teammates

+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon            | Use  | Usage % |  Win %  |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1    | Tyranitar          |    4 |  40.00% |  75.00% |
| 1    | Gliscor            |    4 |  40.00% |  50.00% |
| 1    | Heatran            |    4 |  40.00% |  50.00% |
| 1    | Landorus-Therian   |    4 |  40.00% |  50.00% |
| 5    | Tornadus-Therian   |    3 |  30.00% |  66.67% |
| 5    | Weavile            |    3 |  30.00% |  33.33% |
| 7    | Excadrill          |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 7    | Toxapex            |    2 |  20.00% | 100.00% |
| 7    | Diancie            |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Celesteela         |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Charizard          |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Tapu Fini          |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Chansey            |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Tapu Koko          |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Tangrowth          |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Slowbro            |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Kartana            |    2 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Rotom-Wash         |    2 |  20.00% |   0.00% |
| 19   | Latias             |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 19   | Aggron             |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 19   | Amoonguss          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 19   | Tapu Bulu          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 19   | Gastrodon          |    1 |  10.00% | 100.00% |
| 19   | Volcarona          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 19   | Serperior          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 19   | Hawlucha           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 19   | Magearna           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 19   | Kyurem-Black       |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 19   | Medicham           |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 19   | Blacephalon        |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 19   | Ferrothorn         |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |
| 19   | Reuniclus          |    1 |  10.00% |   0.00% |

Semi-Finals
~
Replays
[WOL] Relous vs obii [CLA]
[TYR] Sabella vs z0mOG [CRY]

semis

Leads / Combos / Moves + Teammates

+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon            | Use  | Usage % |  Win %  |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1    | Chansey            |    2 |  50.00% |  50.00% |
| 1    | Gliscor            |    2 |  50.00% |   0.00% |
| 3    | Diancie            |    1 |  25.00% | 100.00% |
| 3    | Serperior          |    1 |  25.00% | 100.00% |
| 3    | Cresselia          |    1 |  25.00% | 100.00% |
| 3    | Suicune            |    1 |  25.00% | 100.00% |
| 3    | Volcarona          |    1 |  25.00% | 100.00% |
| 3    | Magearna           |    1 |  25.00% | 100.00% |
| 3    | Latias             |    1 |  25.00% | 100.00% |
| 3    | Reuniclus          |    1 |  25.00% | 100.00% |
| 3    | Heatran            |    1 |  25.00% | 100.00% |
| 3    | Ferrothorn         |    1 |  25.00% | 100.00% |
| 3    | Landorus-Therian   |    1 |  25.00% | 100.00% |
| 3    | Mawile             |    1 |  25.00% |   0.00% |
| 3    | Weavile            |    1 |  25.00% |   0.00% |
| 3    | Tangrowth          |    1 |  25.00% |   0.00% |
| 3    | Rotom-Wash         |    1 |  25.00% |   0.00% |
| 3    | Kommo-o            |    1 |  25.00% |   0.00% |
| 3    | Toxapex            |    1 |  25.00% |   0.00% |
| 3    | Lopunny            |    1 |  25.00% |   0.00% |
| 3    | Tornadus-Therian   |    1 |  25.00% |   0.00% |
| 3    | Jirachi            |    1 |  25.00% |   0.00% |

Finals
~
Replay
[WOL] Relous vs Sabella [TYR]
[WOL] ABR vs John W [TYR] (Tiebreaker)

Overall usage

Leads / Combos / Moves + Teammates

+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokemon            | Use  | Usage % |  Win %  |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1    | Landorus-Therian   |   46 |  51.11% |  45.65% |
| 2    | Kartana            |   29 |  32.22% |  62.07% |
| 3    | Gliscor            |   26 |  28.89% |  57.69% |
| 3    | Magearna           |   26 |  28.89% |  50.00% |
| 5    | Heatran            |   25 |  27.78% |  40.00% |
| 6    | Tornadus-Therian   |   19 |  21.11% |  47.37% |
| 7    | Rotom-Wash         |   18 |  20.00% |  50.00% |
| 8    | Toxapex            |   17 |  18.89% |  52.94% |
| 9    | Greninja           |   16 |  17.78% |  43.75% |
| 10   | Chansey            |   15 |  16.67% |  73.33% |
| 10   | Tapu Lele          |   15 |  16.67% |  53.33% |
| 12   | Alakazam           |   14 |  15.56% |  57.14% |
| 13   | Tyranitar          |   13 |  14.44% |  53.85% |
| 13   | Ferrothorn         |   13 |  14.44% |  46.15% |
| 15   | Magnezone          |   11 |  12.22% |  81.82% |
| 15   | Latias             |   11 |  12.22% |  54.55% |
| 17   | Tapu Fini          |   10 |  11.11% |  40.00% |
| 17   | Reuniclus          |   10 |  11.11% |  40.00% |
| 17   | Clefable           |   10 |  11.11% |  30.00% |
| 17   | Scizor             |   10 |  11.11% |  30.00% |
| 21   | Tangrowth          |    9 |  10.00% |  66.67% |
| 21   | Weavile            |    9 |  10.00% |  66.67% |
| 21   | Lopunny            |    9 |  10.00% |  33.33% |
| 21   | Serperior          |    9 |  10.00% |  22.22% |
| 25   | Zapdos             |    8 |   8.89% |  50.00% |
| 25   | Celesteela         |    8 |   8.89% |  50.00% |
| 25   | Medicham           |    8 |   8.89% |  50.00% |
| 28   | Diancie            |    7 |   7.78% |  42.86% |
| 28   | Tapu Koko          |    7 |   7.78% |  14.29% |
| 30   | Kommo-o            |    6 |   6.67% |  83.33% |
| 30   | Volcarona          |    6 |   6.67% |  50.00% |
| 30   | Manaphy            |    6 |   6.67% |  50.00% |
| 30   | Victini            |    6 |   6.67% |  33.33% |
| 34   | Charizard          |    5 |   5.56% |  60.00% |
| 34   | Ditto              |    5 |   5.56% |  60.00% |
| 34   | Slowbro            |    5 |   5.56% |  60.00% |
| 34   | Swampert           |    5 |   5.56% |  60.00% |
| 34   | Pelipper           |    5 |   5.56% |  60.00% |
| 34   | Jirachi            |    5 |   5.56% |  40.00% |
| 34   | Mawile             |    5 |   5.56% |  40.00% |
| 34   | Gastrodon          |    5 |   5.56% |  40.00% |
| 42   | Tapu Bulu          |    4 |   4.44% | 100.00% |
| 42   | Latios             |    4 |   4.44% |  75.00% |
| 42   | Thundurus-Therian  |    4 |   4.44% |  25.00% |
| 45   | Excadrill          |    3 |   3.33% | 100.00% |
| 45   | Garchomp           |    3 |   3.33% | 100.00% |
| 45   | Amoonguss          |    3 |   3.33% |  66.67% |
| 45   | Sableye            |    3 |   3.33% |  33.33% |
| 45   | Kyurem-Black       |    3 |   3.33% |  33.33% |
| 45   | Skarmory           |    3 |   3.33% |  33.33% |
| 45   | Hawlucha           |    3 |   3.33% |   0.00% |
| 52   | Keldeo             |    2 |   2.22% |   0.00% |
| 52   | Hoopa-Unbound      |    2 |   2.22% |   0.00% |
| 54   | Seismitoad         |    1 |   1.11% | 100.00% |
| 54   | Kyurem             |    1 |   1.11% | 100.00% |
| 54   | Pinsir             |    1 |   1.11% | 100.00% |
| 54   | Aggron             |    1 |   1.11% | 100.00% |
| 54   | Mamoswine          |    1 |   1.11% |   0.00% |
| 54   | Necrozma           |    1 |   1.11% |   0.00% |
| 54   | Hydreigon          |    1 |   1.11% |   0.00% |
| 54   | Hippowdon          |    1 |   1.11% |   0.00% |
| 54   | Smeargle           |    1 |   1.11% |   0.00% |
| 54   | Bisharp            |    1 |   1.11% |   0.00% |
| 54   | Blacephalon        |    1 |   1.11% |   0.00% |

 

[John W]

Hey! I wanted to go over the team I used in tiebreak and talk about the whole process of my first tiebreak. To be frank, I probably won't be playing SM again in a team tour as I don't view myself as a strong SM player since I've never really built in the tier which is what I value in a player in any gen/tier. Anyone can pilot good teams which is basically what I've done for every SM game I've played but I had extra motivation for this game so I decided to attempt building a team.

paste

Before I started building, I focused on a couple main replays of ABR along with keeping track of what the Wolfpack used this season. The three main replays I focused on were the finals tiebreak vs TDK in 2018, and Stour 29 + 30 finals. I really expected a bulkier build since thats what my opponent has preferred in these high pressure situations with great success ofc.

Alright so initially I had two ideas with the first being classic manaphy rain, but I've never been too big on using rain so I had to practice a bit and I kept having issues with the mega latios/latias mu's which is something I couldn't afford to be having questions about given that the wolfpack just used it in finals vs us and how abr has been known to like this style in particular. While I could win the MU, it seemed like a slightly less than favorable mu where I had to play very proactive to position mana/pert to break.

The second idea was a band weavile + specs lele balance which was a fine team but I noticed how my opponent sometimes uses protect on mons to ease prediction against powerful breakers like specs lele and this team was very similar to the build sabella used vs relous in the finals so I wasn't very confident in this team either.

I spent a couple days thinking I was gonna use rain but around thursday morning, I realized this isn't the proper pick for me as a player and given how in both OLT semis and Smogon Tour semis I picked teams I wasn't comfortable with which made me feel pretty helpless in the actual games as I never really had a chance in any of those 4 games. I kinda panicked at this point since my game was friday afternoon and I essentially had nothing I liked with zero idea of what I wanted to use, so I did what anyone in my position would do and asked tricking for ideas in which he mentioned hp ice magma ep taunt heatran. Personally, I really liked the idea to catch gliscors that weren't running 286, 289, or 297 speed.

I probably spent a good hour trying out different combinations in the builder and I was a big fan of the synergy with mega ttar. I didn't have much time so I just threw on standard rocks pursuit tar to trap lati which is obviously pretty good for a heatran like this but I quickly realized that DD ttar with fire punch, ice punch, edge could be a strong wincon/breaker against abr so I had a crossroads with what I wanted, and ultimately I fused these two ideas and went with a max attack 4 attacks ttar w pursuit which covered being able to trap lati along with having strong breaker power vs regen cores. I wanted to play fast and not really worry about having proper switchins so I made a more offensive version of the team which ended up like this Draft 1. This version is super aggressive and is pretty much weak to any strong breakers/megas like lopunny, zam, etc. Even something like rotom wash was a complete nuisance as my switchin was quite literally bulu w half my team being completely walled. The one good thing about this team is it made me realize I like the synergy of MegaTar, Heatran, Bulu, Torn. I needed a reliable rocker that could pressure defog torn so I decided to go with rocks toxic gliscor. I viewed keeping hazards on the field as an absolute must against a bulkier build which is very possible with a gliscor set like this. The last slot was between Cm boltbeam clef and rotom wash, I decided to go with rotom wash because of how I could get momentum into heatran/tar to put pressure on my opponent. I still am not 100% sure if z torn is better than z rotom here coz the team itself is very slow and lacks any real revenge kill power vs faster threats and setup mons. I didn't test the team out much but in the few games I played, I was very happy with how it turned out in the end.

Battle: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen7ou-552815

Obviously after we lost the first game, I got a bit nervous but it wasn't until team preview where I thought I was fucked. I really did not expect an HO and as I mentioned earlier, I sacrificed a lot of the teams ability to revenge kill setup sweepers for a better mu against bulkier teams. I pretty much knew most of the sets on preview besides the z kommo coverage and if zard x was sub, coverage, or roost as the 4th. I wasn't really sure how to plan out the game since any mistake on my end can lead to losing multiple mons or just getting straight up swept. This is one of those games where you can't really plan and just have to take it turn for turn which is what I did.

The first major decision of the game is on turn 5 where I successfully hit Kommo-o with magma storm on the previous turn. I couldn't afford to go torn t on z clang because my team had no possible way to revenge kill a +1 kommo at 59% and with the right coverage, I could just lose the game. If he also clicked a move to kill heatran then magearna probably wins the game so this turn could pretty much decide the game if he gets the play right. I banked on him not expecting hp ice which makes the overprediction more likely since worst case scenario he still can get a couple kills as long as I don't have protect so I end up going for the hp ice and he does click z clang and loses his kommo.

The next few turns I basically am just playing in a way where zard x can't come in and sweep since that mon was by far the scariest threat to my team if it carried substitute while trying to preserve as many sacks as possible for the zard. On turn 15, he brings in magearna which I wasn't too concerned about but I needed to figure out how to prevent the zard from sweeping since if he is sub and doesn't mega then my gliscor is walled. I thought my best play was to volt switch with rotom w and go heatran and kill off magearna so as he goes zard and clicks dd I can taunt which forces him to attack. Unfortunately I miss the magma storm vs zard which put it in range of gliscor eq after taking torn t helmet damage.

0 Atk Gliscor Earthquake vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Charizard-Mega-X: 188-224 (63.2 - 75.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

I couldnt afford to eq because if he had bulk and I got a low roll, I could get swept since one of my sacks was bulu which cancels out sandstorm chip and if he had roost as well then it could become problematic if he roosts on a sack. I have to hit toxic for the game which I do land and thus gives me the win. I'm pretty happy with how I played and was shocked that I won given how much of a problem kommo + zard were for this team.

I wanted to make this post for the reason that this whole tiebreak experience was new to me and to go out of my comfort zone in SS OU and play one of the best in their home tier being down 0-1 in a finals tiebreak is something I'll look fondly upon for as long as I keep playing this game. Definitely my last post about this tour but thanks to everyone who went out of their way to say something positive after our defeat yesterday.

Take care.

 

[Clem]

Hey everyone. Now that SPL is over, I wanna talk a little bit about a mon that has shown itself to be one of the absolute best mons if not the best mon this season: Mega Alakazam.

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As you can see on this post, Alakazam was the 12th most used Pokemon this SPL, appearing on 15.56% of teams and boasting a winrate of 57.14%. It has appeared on a number of different archetypes, from PsySpam Offense with Lele to Balance teams.

Zam + Lele
[CRY] z0mOG vs Empo [RUI] (week 1)
[CLA] Tamahome vs Relous [WOL] (week 2)
[SCO] Corazan vs Welli0u [SHA] (week 2)
[CRY] z0mOG vs Welli0u [SHA] (week 4)
[RUI] Empo vs Devin [BIG] (week 6)
[CLA] soulgazer vs Gondra [SCO] (week 6)
[RUI] Empo vs Welli0u [SHA] (week 7)
[CLA] samqian vs z0mOG [CRY] (week 7)
[BIG] Insult vs Robjr [TIG] (week 7)

Balance
[RAI] frisoeva vs Eternal spirit [BIG] (week 1)
[SCO] Gondra vs Sabella [TYR] (week 7)

Bulky Offense
[TIG] Robjr vs Empo [RUI] (week 4)

Mega Alakazam has always been a force to be reckoned with in the USM OU tier, being the fastest unboosted Pokemon in the metagame with sky high Special Attack and perfect coverage thanks to its STAB Psychic, Shadow Ball and Focus Blast.
The most important factor here is its Speed, as Alakazam is a difficult Pokemon to revenge kill without a Choice Scarfer or a Priority user.
Alakazam also has the potential to be a deadly sweeper, thanks to Calm Mind, allowing it to boost its Special Attack and decent Special bulk, making it even more difficult to revenge kill on the Special side of the spectrum. Calm Mind 3 Attacks has been seen quite a lot this season, the popularity of Regen cores making it easy for Alakazam to Trace Regenerator to recover, making it a great option against bulkier Regen Balance teams. Finally, Recover helps Alakazam switch into weaker hits, such as Scald from Toxapex, Drain Punch from defensive Kommo-o and even Earth Power from Heatran. Magic Guard prior to Mega Evolving makes it difficult to wear down with hazards or statuses, and Trace after Mega Evolving allows it to abuse Abilities like Regenerator, Natural Cure or Heatran's Flash Fire. Furthermore, Trace is also great as an offensive tool, since Alakazam can easily copy the likes of Beast Boost or Soul Heart to get a Special Attack boost after each KO.
Alakazam has a variety of sets and coverage options, making it even more difficult to switch into. Knock Off is my favorite option, as it removes the item from would be switch ins such as Assault Vest Magearna, SpDef Celesteela's Leftovers, Chansey's Eviolite and even Gliscor's Toxic Orb if it hasn't been activated. Energy Ball allows it to completely stuff Rain Teams, as Alakazam copies Swampert's Swift Swim to become even faster. Energy Ball is also useful to dent Tyranitar and OHKO Greninja without having to hit Focus Blast. HP Ice is another great option to deal with Specially Defensive Gliscor and to dent Garchomp and Landorus alike, while HP Fire, although uncommon, makes it that Alakazam doesn't have to hit Focus Blast to damage Ferrothorn while hitting Scizor for super effective damage.


As seen with the high usage of this combination, Alakazam loves the support brought by Tapu Lele. These Pokemon work together to wear down their common checks, mainly Celesteela and Magearna. Psychic Terrain boosts Zam and Lele's Psychic moves to crazy levels of power, while giving both of them an immunity to priority moves (Bullet Punch from Scizor, Quick Attack and/or Fake Out from Lopunny and even Water Shuriken from Greninja-Ash), thus limiting the options to revenge kill them.


Both AV and Shift Gear Magearna are terrific partners for Alakazam, the former being able to switch into most Special hits of the tier to safely bring in Alakazam thanks to Volt Switch. Shift Gear Magearna and Alakazam share a decent amount of checks, such as Celesteela, Rachi and opposing Magearna. Both of these mons can work together to weaken their common checks, especially with Magearna being able to run a variety of Z-Moves, from All-Out Pummeling for Steel-Types to Gigavolt Havoc for Steela and Bulky Waters.

Currently, the best switch-ins to Alakazam and Tapu Lele are Steel Types that don't fear Focus Blast, being these 4:
(Specially Defensive) (and to some extent)

Depending on its 4th move, Alakazam can either dent or severly cripple these common switch ins, with Knock Off for Celesteela, bulky Magearna and bulky Jirachi, HP Fire or Focus Blast prior to Mega Evolving for Scizor, and repeated hits on Mawile-Mega. Furthermore, Alakazam shares these checks with Tapu Lele, making it even easier to wear them down. Lele has the option to run Thunder or Thunderbolt for Celesteela, Shadow Ball for Specially Defensive Jirachi (yea I know this doesn't really exist), HP Fire for Scizor, and Specs Lele's Psyshock severely dents even Assault Vest Magearna under terrain, cleanly 3HKOing it, preventing Magearna from repeatedly switching into Tapu Lele and Alakazam.

Additionally, very bulky specially defensive Pokemon can deal with Alakazam to some extent:
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Once again, Alakazam has the option to deal with most of these. Gliscor gets stuffed by HP Ice and has to activate its Toxic Orb to switch into Alakazam. Chansey fears Knock Off and gives Alakazam Natural Cure, healing its Status condition by forcing it out. SpDef Tapu Bulu is unviable can repeatedly switch into Alakazam even in Psychic Terrain thanks to Grassy Surge to force it out, but can be 2HKOd with hazards or with a Special Defense drop from Psychic. Tyranitar can switch into Psychic and is able to eat a Focus Blast with investment to easily Pursuit Trap Alakazam (EVs: 228 HP / 12 Atk / 180 SpD / 88 Spe with a Careful Nature), but struggles to switch into it without a proper prediction as a little bit of chip damage from either hazards or a single Shadow Ball can easily put it in range of Focus Blast. Muk-Alola is probably its best switch-in, as it doesn't fear any of Alakazam's options and can Pursuit trap it with ease. However, this mon is more of a niche option that most team cannot afford to run due to the amount of support it requires to work properly. Sableye-Mega is another great answer, being immune to both Psychic and Focus Blast; but Stall isn't very good in the tier right now.

These Pokemon can reliably revenge kill Alakazam:
Scarf users: (if Protean)
Priority users: (if Sucker Punch)

Revenge killing Alakazam is the best way for Offense to deal with it, as Scarf Users faster than Scarf Landorus-T outspeed Alakazam-Mega and can hit it hard enough to either KO it or prevent it from switching in. However, none of these Pokemon can reliably switch into Alakazam, as a bad predict will blow Greninja, Jirachi, Victini and Weavile away.
Priority users can deal with Alakazam outside of Psychic Terrain, but besides Scizor and Mawile to some extent, none of these Pokemon appreciate Alakazam's strong attacks especially with Hazards up.

These Pokemon can Pursuit trap Alakazam, forcing it to hit Focus Blast or win a 50/50:


Pursuit trapping is usually a good way to deal with Zam, but once again, Tyranitar and Weavile struggle to switch into it, while Zor and Muk struggle from the same issues we talked about earlier.

TLDR: While I don't think Alakazam is broken per say, it's definitely a very difficult mon to handle, especially in conjunction with Lele, and a pain in the Teambuilder. Building in USM OU is already a challenge in itself due to the absurd power level brought by behemoths like Ash-Greninja, Kartana, Tapu Lele, and Z-Move users such as Garchomp, Heatran, and Volcarona. Alakazam fits in perfectly in this metagame where defensive Dark types aren't exactly good due to the amount of Fairies and Fighting type moves, and where its coverage options and common partners help it overwhelm common answers, such as Steel Types or bulky SpDef mons. Alakazam is very threatening to most archetypes, as offense struggles to switch into a simple Recover + 3 Attacks set, while balance gets messed up by Calm Mind Alakazam.

Thanks for reading this and have a nice day!