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Congrats to the winners of the 2023 Smog Awards!
The Ho-Oh + Celebi GSC Tournament - Finals [Won by Astamatitos]
- Thread starter BKC
- Start date
Won in 3 against p2, ggs! Really enjoyed our series!
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen2ubers-439469https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen2ubers-439470https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen2ubers-439473
Overall I really enjoyed the Celebi + Ho-oh meta, here's the teams i ran throughout the tour: https://pokepast.es/99002144a6544526
Some thoughts:
Ho-Oh doesn't have much influence in the builder. It felt very lacklustre as it doesn't have the ability to overpower Snorlax or break through Zapdos. It's utility in my opinion is limited to Sacred Fire + Whirlwind with Spikes in the back in order to provide circumstantial advantages in the form of Burns/forcing rests.
Celebi is a Pokemon i really liked using throughout the tour. It's influence can be felt in the meta even within the few games played in this tour. It provides the long coveted free-switch to Zapdos and Raikou while also providing a base 100 speed Heal Bell and the ability to fend off Nidoking and Gengar.
Team 1 was my take on getting the standard Marowak team and using the newfound role compression that Celebi provides to provide the team with Spikes:
Simply put: The role of the [Raikou Starmie Miltank] core was compressed to [Celebi Forretress], maintaining the switches to electrics, machamp, nidoking, snorlax and the utility of Rapid Spin and temporary tanking of opposing Snorlax with Seed cele. This yields a slightly more exaggerated weakness to curselax but in turn gives me Spikes and a free Pokemon slot.
I opted for Zapdos in that pokemon slot because Marowak appreciates para-spread and twave Zap would force Celebi to eventually accept paralysis on its Pokes as the Celebi user will eventually try to conserve Heal bells. I did HP Water on Zapdos as I'd never be able to overpower Celebi, and HP Water would allow me to hit all of the immune mons that would try to pivot into my twaves.
I also decided to go Tyranitar over Skarmory in order to not exemplify a Ho-Oh weakness on my team. Ho-Oh isn't that great, but given this is a Ho-Oh tour a lot of people would opt to use it. That change would necessitate more curselax measures from my team which is why i went with LK lax.
Teams 2 and 3 pivot around very similar concepts, with Twave Zap and Celebi being a staple across all. Team 2 plays around the same concept of paraspread with Golem and Celebi allowing me to play the long-game until Charizard can attempt a sweep. Charizard felt real nice in this metagame as Celebi provides a sustainable way of attempting to stall out electrics in case the window of opportunity never arises. It can also solo Ho-Oh most of the time which is a nice perk.
The Vaporeon team i used also utilizes the Ubers set of Rhydon, with Curse Bug Slide Roar, inspired by 378's suggestion. It makes for a nice setup to Vaporeon while also maintaining what makes Rhydon good.
Thanks to BKC and Earthworm for hosting and I look forward to hearing any of your takes on this meta.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen2ubers-439469https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen2ubers-439470https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen2ubers-439473
Overall I really enjoyed the Celebi + Ho-oh meta, here's the teams i ran throughout the tour: https://pokepast.es/99002144a6544526
Some thoughts:
Ho-Oh doesn't have much influence in the builder. It felt very lacklustre as it doesn't have the ability to overpower Snorlax or break through Zapdos. It's utility in my opinion is limited to Sacred Fire + Whirlwind with Spikes in the back in order to provide circumstantial advantages in the form of Burns/forcing rests.
Celebi is a Pokemon i really liked using throughout the tour. It's influence can be felt in the meta even within the few games played in this tour. It provides the long coveted free-switch to Zapdos and Raikou while also providing a base 100 speed Heal Bell and the ability to fend off Nidoking and Gengar.
Team 1 was my take on getting the standard Marowak team and using the newfound role compression that Celebi provides to provide the team with Spikes:
Simply put: The role of the [Raikou Starmie Miltank] core was compressed to [Celebi Forretress], maintaining the switches to electrics, machamp, nidoking, snorlax and the utility of Rapid Spin and temporary tanking of opposing Snorlax with Seed cele. This yields a slightly more exaggerated weakness to curselax but in turn gives me Spikes and a free Pokemon slot.
I opted for Zapdos in that pokemon slot because Marowak appreciates para-spread and twave Zap would force Celebi to eventually accept paralysis on its Pokes as the Celebi user will eventually try to conserve Heal bells. I did HP Water on Zapdos as I'd never be able to overpower Celebi, and HP Water would allow me to hit all of the immune mons that would try to pivot into my twaves.
I also decided to go Tyranitar over Skarmory in order to not exemplify a Ho-Oh weakness on my team. Ho-Oh isn't that great, but given this is a Ho-Oh tour a lot of people would opt to use it. That change would necessitate more curselax measures from my team which is why i went with LK lax.
Teams 2 and 3 pivot around very similar concepts, with Twave Zap and Celebi being a staple across all. Team 2 plays around the same concept of paraspread with Golem and Celebi allowing me to play the long-game until Charizard can attempt a sweep. Charizard felt real nice in this metagame as Celebi provides a sustainable way of attempting to stall out electrics in case the window of opportunity never arises. It can also solo Ho-Oh most of the time which is a nice perk.
The Vaporeon team i used also utilizes the Ubers set of Rhydon, with Curse Bug Slide Roar, inspired by 378's suggestion. It makes for a nice setup to Vaporeon while also maintaining what makes Rhydon good.
Thanks to BKC and Earthworm for hosting and I look forward to hearing any of your takes on this meta.