The Reserves

[Werecario]

I havn't been to a vgc yet and I was wondering. How much time do we have for item shuffling or switching out to the reserves between battles. From what I've read so far there is not much time.

 

[Oberon]

I havn't been to a vgc yet and I was wondering. How much time do we have for item shuffling or switching out to the reserves between battles. From what I've read so far there is not much time.

From what I've heard almost no time. At least not until the later rounds. It wouldn't seem to take very long though.

 

[J-Leo-L]

From what I've heard almost no time. At least not until the later rounds. It wouldn't seem to take very long though.

Yeah, I second this. As I said before, in the elimination rounds, once you beat your opponent, you're immediately ushered on to your next battle. I suppose that if you're quick you could change items before you save and enter the colosseum for the battle, but that leaves less than a minute for any strategic decision.

 

[Pokethan]

Yeah, I second this. As I said before, in the elimination rounds, once you beat your opponent, you're immediately ushered on to your next battle. I suppose that if you're quick you could change items before you save and enter the colosseum for the battle, but that leaves less than a minute for any strategic decision.

You might not be bale to switch after you hand in the sheet so im just saying be a 100% sure you have the right team going for you.

 

[J-Leo-L]

You might not be bale to switch after you hand in the sheet so im just saying be a 100% sure you have the right team going for you.

Actually, I thought I read in the rules that you can shuffled items, so long as they're only the items listed on your team sheet.

But yeah, I agree with you. It's better to have a solid team that you think will win, rather than rely on this guess-and-check, touch-and-go item swapping that could cost you a match.

 

[Pokethan]

Actually, I thought I read in the rules that you can shuffled items, so long as they're only the items listed on you're team sheet.

But yeah, I agree with you. It's better to have a solid team that you think will win, rather than rely on this guess-and-check, touch-and-go item swapping that could cost you a match.

The number one thing with the VGC is you need to not handle one team but all of them. You need to handle all other threats. If you counter a TR team but don't bother with rain you will get knocked out. You have to think of what the opponent is going to use before you even face them. Predictability might even be more crucial in this than in 1v1 cuz you don't have time to make mistakes. you need to start knocking your opponent down turn 1, no stalling, no walls, you need to tear into them like a pack of wolves. You need to give them a one-two punch. That is what VGC playing is supposed to be about.

 

[mattj]

You do have plenty of time to switch items. You can stand there and talk to your opponent if you want too. It's just that they "generally" want you to "keep a lively pace". However, if your opponent complains (me) then they'll start holding a stopwatch to you (Thank you Marriland).

 

[Gymdude]

I've never been to vgc (or maybe I'm not understanding the question), but with my teams I usually have 2 pairs of lead Pokemon and 2 support Pokemon that come in after the leads, so I choose which strategy I'm going to use instead of using the same strategy and just having two leftover team members.

 

[mattj]

I've never been to vgc (or maybe I'm not understanding the question), but with my teams I usually have 2 pairs of lead Pokemon and 2 support Pokemon that come in after the leads, so I choose which strategy I'm going to use instead of using the same strategy and just having two leftover team members.

They don't have to be just "left over" pokemon. They can serve a very serious purpose.
1) If you know your opponent personally (many MANY of us do know each other in real life either from last year's VGCs, IRC, or daily life) you can use them to counter their team, either specifically, or generally ("well I know he plays defensively" or "well I know he plays hyper offensively").
2) If you're in the final rounds where it's "best of 3", and you've already seen most of your opponents pokes, and know their basic strategy.
3) If you get there and feel that one of your pokes REEEEEALLY isn't holding up well to random noobs or whatever (trust me it happens).

 

[R4M3N]

By the end of VGC last year (Worlds), players who were still in the tournament were not allowed outside of the play area while there were matches ongoing (all the monitors faced away from the play area). Breaks were common for everyone, so anytime a competitor could actually see a monitor, there was nothing on it.

The problem with the "You're a smogoner?" bait is the troll who's reading this right now and chooses to say "no" in the tournament...

 

[Tyler]

You have time to change items especially if you pwned the guy the last round. because they immediately bring you to another box and you can put the game in and change them around.

 

[Pokérob]

The only use I have for my other slot 5 and 6 are for the later rounds when people have said "he uses X and Y" then if I know the person I just change my team strategy with these two that swap!

It's especially useful vs people who you've played and trained vs and have gotten to pair vs you in later rounds in my view.

 

[FrenzyB3ar]

You do get time to switch things if need be, I did a few item swaps last year. But if someone complains,its abit petty. Reserves play an important role as much as the main 4.

 

[Oberon]

By the end of VGC last year (Worlds), players who were still in the tournament were not allowed outside of the play area while there were matches ongoing (all the monitors faced away from the play area). Breaks were common for everyone, so anytime a competitor could actually see a monitor, there was nothing on it.

The problem with the "You're a smogoner?" bait is the troll who's reading this right now and chooses to say "no" in the tournament...

Ah shit, I totally forgot about that possibility. lol