Resource VGC: Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer

I've just noticed Ditto got ranked on the VR, particularly high too (B-)
Can someone tell me its niche and probably at which games it got to put work?

When Ditto copies a Pokemon, it also copies any stat changes that it has as well. This is particularly useful in a metagame where it can copy a Xerneass who has boosted with Geomancy. It's also important to note that Ditto will always copy the Pokemon directly across from it in battle.

It's not amazing, but it can certainly make your opponent rethink setting up if you have one of your team.
 
I've just noticed Ditto got ranked on the VR, particularly high too (B-)
Can someone tell me its niche and probably at which games it got to put work?
Adding to Halcyon's answer, it also usually carries a red card so once it comes in on a boosted Xerneas it can force it out if it uses something like dazzling gleam.

The downside is it keeps its old HP stat so it takes a lot more damage from attacks when it does come in.
 
Hi!
I found this team on the Internet. can someone explain to me how it works? thanks
Xerneas @ Power Herb
Ability: Fairy Aura
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Dazzling Gleam
- Geomancy
- Protect

Groudon @ Iron Ball / Life Orb
Ability: Drought
Level: 50
EVs: 156 HP / 252 Atk / 100 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Precipice Blades
- Rock Slide
- Swords Dance
- Protect

Incineroar @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 236 HP / 20 Atk / 4 Def / 236 SpD / 12 Spe
Careful Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Fake Out
- Knock Off
- Roar

Bronzong @ Figy Berry
Ability: Heatproof
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Gyro Ball
- Gravity
- Swagger / Hypnosis
- Trick Room

Tapu Fini @ Mago Berry / Red Card
Ability: Misty Surge
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Heal Pulse
- Swagger / Icy Wind
- Protect

Amoonguss @ Wiki Berry
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rage Powder
- Spore
- Clear Smog
- Grass Knot
 
Hi!
I found this team on the Internet. can someone explain to me how it works? thanks
Xerneas @ Power Herb
Ability: Fairy Aura
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Dazzling Gleam
- Geomancy
- Protect

Groudon @ Iron Ball / Life Orb
Ability: Drought
Level: 50
EVs: 156 HP / 252 Atk / 100 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Precipice Blades
- Rock Slide
- Swords Dance
- Protect

Incineroar @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 236 HP / 20 Atk / 4 Def / 236 SpD / 12 Spe
Careful Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Fake Out
- Knock Off
- Roar

Bronzong @ Figy Berry
Ability: Heatproof
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Gyro Ball
- Gravity
- Swagger / Hypnosis
- Trick Room

Tapu Fini @ Mago Berry / Red Card
Ability: Misty Surge
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 212 Def / 44 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Heal Pulse
- Swagger / Icy Wind
- Protect

Amoonguss @ Wiki Berry
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rage Powder
- Spore
- Clear Smog
- Grass Knot

So it's a team for the current VGC19 format. It seems to have 2 main modes to it, a trick room mode where you're trying to get Groudon in to spam big P Blades, potentially under Gravity, and a faster I guess "take out the steels a win with Xerneas" mode. In terms of items, Iron Ball Groudon seems kind of rogue but it would guarantee you underspeed opposing min speed Groudon/Ogre, as well as a lot of mons in general like Bronzong and Amoonguss, not quite underspeeding Ferrothorn or Stakataka. Goggles on Incineroar prevents rage powders and spores, the former mostly from Amoonguss, but in case you ever play them other users are Jumpluff, Volcarona and Parasect, and the latter from again mostly Amoonguss and some Smeargle (though many are opting for Lovely kiss to get around goggles and to sleep grass types). Redirecting rage powders is nice to prevent your opponent from clicking Rage Powder + Geomancy with their Amoonguss + Xerneas and being confident that any Roars will be redirected away. Red Card Fini is there seemingly as a last ditch effort to get rid of Xerneas after it has set up.

As for EVs, I'm not quite sure what they help do outside of the obvious. Groudon's might be to survive 2 of Ogre's origin pulses in the sun?
252+ SpA Kyogre Origin Pulse vs. 100 HP / 156 SpD Groudon in Sun: 78-92 (41.4 - 48.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Your incineroar lives a +2 Moonblast from Timid Xerneas (I would move those EVs from attack to speed, most Incineroar are running more speed than that and to have a faster Fake out is nice)
+2 252 SpA Fairy Aura Xerneas Moonblast vs. 236 HP / 236+ SpD Incineroar: 169-199 (84.5 - 99.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Fini also has a good chance of living that
+2 252 SpA Fairy Aura Xerneas Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 44+ SpD Tapu Fini: 153-180 (86.4 - 101.6%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO

Basically it's a sample team for a pretty standard archetype. It's meant for you to use, see what you like, see what you dislike, learn the format, play around with, look at what other people are using and try to see why.
 
Hi all - I'm a long time lurker (of this thread at least) but short time player of the VGC 2019 format, looking for some input.

I recreated Angel Mirandas 3rd placed team from the Philadelphia Regional.

Groudon @ Choice Band
Ability: Drought
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 140 SpD / 108 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Precipice Blades
- Stomping Tantrum
- Rock Slide
- Fire Punch

Xerneas @ Power Herb
Ability: Fairy Aura
EVs: 244 HP / 4 Def / 4 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Geomancy
- Moonblast
- Dazzling Gleam
- Protect

Kartana @ Assault Vest
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 12 HP / 60 Atk / 4 Def / 252 SpD / 180 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Smart Strike
- Sacred Sword

Incineroar @ Iapapa Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 20 Def / 236 SpD
Careful Nature
- Fake Out
- Flare Blitz
- Knock Off
- U-turn

Venusaur @ Focus Sash
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 44 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 204 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sludge Bomb
- Grass Knot
- Protect
- Sleep Powder

Heatran @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heat Wave
- Earth Power
- Roar
- Protect

The article for this team was published here on VGCStats.

What i'd like to know is a little more about some of the more specific IV spreads, and more importantly any tips for specific matchups. I've tried to just jump in and see what happens and i haven't had as much success as i thought i would. Knowing my mindset, I suspect my biggest weakness is bringing the wrong tools for the job.

Very much looking forward to any input anyone more experienced can provide - there aren't many other communities i would listen to with this information!
 
Hi all - I'm a long time lurker (of this thread at least) but short time player of the VGC 2019 format, looking for some input.

I recreated Angel Mirandas 3rd placed team from the Philadelphia Regional.

Groudon @ Choice Band
Ability: Drought
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 140 SpD / 108 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Precipice Blades
- Stomping Tantrum
- Rock Slide
- Fire Punch

Xerneas @ Power Herb
Ability: Fairy Aura
EVs: 244 HP / 4 Def / 4 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Geomancy
- Moonblast
- Dazzling Gleam
- Protect

Kartana @ Assault Vest
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 12 HP / 60 Atk / 4 Def / 252 SpD / 180 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Smart Strike
- Sacred Sword

Incineroar @ Iapapa Berry
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 20 Def / 236 SpD
Careful Nature
- Fake Out
- Flare Blitz
- Knock Off
- U-turn

Venusaur @ Focus Sash
Ability: Chlorophyll
EVs: 44 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 204 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sludge Bomb
- Grass Knot
- Protect
- Sleep Powder

Heatran @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heat Wave
- Earth Power
- Roar
- Protect

The article for this team was published here on VGCStats.

What i'd like to know is a little more about some of the more specific IV spreads, and more importantly any tips for specific matchups. I've tried to just jump in and see what happens and i haven't had as much success as i thought i would. Knowing my mindset, I suspect my biggest weakness is bringing the wrong tools for the job.

Very much looking forward to any input anyone more experienced can provide - there aren't many other communities i would listen to with this information!
I guess it relies a bit too much on Groudon's Rock Slide to check Ho-oh, who otherwise murders Kartana and Venusaur, doesnt care much about Heatran and somewhat tanks Xerneas?
 

Thanks for the info! I dug into this a little bit and the same is true for Heatran to an extent. There isn't a lot Ho-Oh can do to it outside of Earthquake. If it runs Earthquake it will lose some of the valuable utility it gets from Recover/Substitute/Protect/Tailwind etc.

Are there any other threats of note that it beats with Earthquake? the odds of running into a Ho-Oh specced to deal with Heatran specifically seems very low at best. Thoughts that come to mind:

- Misc Steel Types are smacked harder by Sacred Fire, save for Stakataka and Dialga i guess. It has no business staying in on either of those though.
- Incineroar is easily a bigger threat than any other fire Type so would assume the rest of the team comp has answers to it
- It risks taking a chunk of damage if it stays in on Koko
 
Thanks for the info! I dug into this a little bit and the same is true for Heatran to an extent. There isn't a lot Ho-Oh can do to it outside of Earthquake. If it runs Earthquake it will lose some of the valuable utility it gets from Recover/Substitute/Protect/Tailwind etc.

Are there any other threats of note that it beats with Earthquake? the odds of running into a Ho-Oh specced to deal with Heatran specifically seems very low at best. Thoughts that come to mind:

- Misc Steel Types are smacked harder by Sacred Fire, save for Stakataka and Dialga i guess. It has no business staying in on either of those though.
- Incineroar is easily a bigger threat than any other fire Type so would assume the rest of the team comp has answers to it
- It risks taking a chunk of damage if it stays in on Koko
use ho-oh's other teammates to deal with heatran
 
I understand that during competitive play Pokemon are automatically set to level 50 and stats are adjusted as such. Doesn't this more or less ruin the entire synopsis of Pokemon? To raise and train your Pokemon to reflect your own play style and to make them how you want them to be? It seems like during competition your basically being handed a "Pre-generated" Pokemon that just happens to have the same moves and name as yours. Stats seem to be a highly important piece to the overall creation of your individual Pokemon and it seems like Auto Leveling kinda throws that all out the the window ... I dont know, just seems odd that its setup this way.
 
Stats, as in the EVs and IVs you spent so much time optimizing, are kept and perfectly the same as always, though.

All that changes is that we don't have to beat the Elite Four 200 times to grind our Pokemon to level 100 anymore, unlike in the good old adv era.
 
Stats, as in the EVs and IVs you spent so much time optimizing, are kept and perfectly the same as always, though.

All that changes is that we don't have to beat the Elite Four 200 times to grind our Pokemon to level 100 anymore, unlike in the good old adv era.

What I'm referring to though is when you compete in sanctioned "Play! Pokemon Tournaments and Championships" your Pokemons level is set to 50 during competition, along with stat changes to reflect that, and then changed back afterwards. So when you're competing, you're not actually keeping those stats cause they change to reflect your, now level 50, Pokemon.
 
Screenshot_20181129-031611_Samsung Internet.jpg
 
Your level 50 Pokemon, with the same EVs and IVs as before. If you had 252 attack EVs, you keep them.
You still have to go through all the EV training, breeding and/or Hyper Training, which all affect stats, to get the most out of your Pokemon.

All that changes is that a level 60 'mon with a proper EV spread does just as much as a level 100 one that has the same spread.
That mechanic saves you from level grinding, but not from putting effort.putting into your mons or working on their stats.
 
Your level 50 Pokemon, with the same EVs and IVs as before. If you had 252 attack EVs, you keep them.
You still have to go through all the EV training, breeding and/or Hyper Training, which all affect stats, to get the most out of your Pokemon.

All that changes is that a level 60 'mon with a proper EV spread does just as much as a level 100 one that has the same spread.
That mechanic saves you from level grinding, but not from putting effort.putting into your mons or working on their stats.

So basically it's just your base stats from leveling that are affected, and not your EV stats that you grinded out?
 
My only Gen 7 Xerneas is Bold. I've tried to make it work but either I'm not skilled enough to pull it off or a bulky Xerneas just isn't viable.

When do our ratings get reset? Is it with every season or is there a way we can do it ourselves? With the change to Moon will it reset? I lost a lot of games while trying to learn the ins and outs of VGC (so different than Battle facilities!!!) and while I still generally suck I am doing a bit better
 
My only Gen 7 Xerneas is Bold. I've tried to make it work but either I'm not skilled enough to pull it off or a bulky Xerneas just isn't viable.

Check out the giveaways forum, you can find better legendaries there.

When do our ratings get reset? Is it with every season or is there a way we can do it ourselves? With the change to Moon will it reset? I lost a lot of games while trying to learn the ins and outs of VGC (so different than Battle facilities!!!) and while I still generally suck I am doing a bit better
What do you mean by ratings? The number of Championship Points (CP) you get only resets after the world championships each year (some time in august usually). Best finish limits vary by year and season, check online for those.
 
Thanks, I will definitely check out the giveaways. While doing my playthroughs I was going for IVs not nature - not thinking about Bottle Caps

Yes, I think I mean CP. At the trainer intro screen on Battle Spot under the trainer name the number beside Rating.
 
Thanks, I will definitely check out the giveaways. While doing my playthroughs I was going for IVs not nature - not thinking about Bottle Caps

Yes, I think I mean CP. At the trainer intro screen on Battle Spot under the trainer name the number beside Rating.

Ah that thing, that's not CP, that's just your ladder rating. I forget when those are refreshed but I know it's the same as the other battle spot ladders. Try checking if the battle spot forum has any info on those? I know it's fairly regular though.

CP is something you can only earn through going to real life tournaments or participating in the "international challenge" tournaments that are on battle spot sometimes.
The official site has lots of information about that: https://www.pokemon.com/us/play-pokemon/about/tournaments-rules-and-resources/
And here's some articles that walk you through going from playing on pokemon showdown (or the battle spot ladder, in your case), to playing in real life events: https://www.smogon.com/articles/from-showdown-to-battlespot https://www.smogon.com/articles/from-showdown-to-battlespot-2
 
Ok gotcha, yes it was reset when I went on last night. Of course out of 9 battles I only won 3.
So CP would have been earned in the November International Challenge? That was much more fun than Sun series was!
 
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