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

Pyritie

TAMAGO
is an Artist
are there viability rankings, metagame discussion threads, and a set database for VGC on any corner of this site like there are for OU? if not, is there another site that could provide similar resources? closest i know of are just pikalytics to see what sets are common on showdown (but even then the rationale for ev spreads isn't always intuitive) and trainertower for a speed tier list
There aren't any resources like that because the metagame moves way too quickly to justify keeping them up to date when so few people use the VGC forum. We're still looking into getting some basic analyses up with some sample EV spreads, however, since that's a common thing that I don't think any other site does yet.

Come join our discord, it's way way more active than the forum!
 
Terrakion has been allowed for about 3 weeks. Has anyone figured out good ways to threaten/check/counter it?
 

Pyritie

TAMAGO
is an Artist
Terrakion has been allowed for about 3 weeks. Has anyone figured out good ways to threaten/check/counter it?
terrakion by itself? plenty of ways. Terrakion + beat up? redirection, faster things that threaten terrakion, dual wingbeat talonflame onto whimsicott, etc
 
Hey so Im building a vgc team but need some help with the final touches. My team is composed of a grassy surge rillaboom, a single-strike style urshifu, arcanine with intimidate, neutralizing gas weezing, galar slowbro and togekiss but I feel like its not quite clicking. I feel I need some special attackers and I added togekiss as a way to deal with weather sweepers like venusaur and kingdra since I gave it trick and utility umbrella but still I think I will swap it out for a cloud nine Altaria once crown tundra drops. Anyway the core members are rillaboom, urshifu and arcanine while weezing is there mostly to avoid opponents from setting terrain/weather (rillaboom has fake out and weezing uses taunt the next turn making supports useless) but the biggest flaw of this team I feel is the lack of special damage, some fairy type coverage and not having a good answer to fairies (Urshifu has iron head but is 4x weak to fairy type). I feel like I need a fast special attacker. Thoughts?
 

Pyritie

TAMAGO
is an Artist
Hey so Im building a vgc team but need some help with the final touches. My team is composed of a grassy surge rillaboom, a single-strike style urshifu, arcanine with intimidate, neutralizing gas weezing, galar slowbro and togekiss but I feel like its not quite clicking. I feel I need some special attackers and I added togekiss as a way to deal with weather sweepers like venusaur and kingdra since I gave it trick and utility umbrella but still I think I will swap it out for a cloud nine Altaria once crown tundra drops. Anyway the core members are rillaboom, urshifu and arcanine while weezing is there mostly to avoid opponents from setting terrain/weather (rillaboom has fake out and weezing uses taunt the next turn making supports useless) but the biggest flaw of this team I feel is the lack of special damage, some fairy type coverage and not having a good answer to fairies (Urshifu has iron head but is 4x weak to fairy type). I feel like I need a fast special attacker. Thoughts?
Utility umbrella and cloud nine are bad ways to deal with weather. The best way is through typing or team compositions, or pressuring the opponent enough that they can't easily lead with their weather mons and have difficulty getting them in at the same time in the back. It's also helpful that your own max moves can disrupt their weather.

I also kinda feel like your team so far doesn't have any strategy, it's just a bunch of mons thrown together. The best way to build a team is to start around a core of 2 or 3 pokemon that work well together, figure out what they have trouble against, and add things that counter those. Teambuilding is difficult and if you're relatively new to VGC it's well worth picking up a few sample teams and playing around with them on ladder to get a feel for what different mons do, how the parts of the team fit together, and so on. Otherwise it can be overwhelming learning both that and teambuilding at the same time.
 
I'm building a team with Volcarona, as it's one of my favourite mons. It can be devastating if it gets set up, but it seems wildly inconsistent. So what I'm asking is, what would be some good teammates for it?

Edit: Rapid Strike Urshifu is not an option, I already evolved my Kubfu into Single Strike forme
 
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Pyritie

TAMAGO
is an Artist
I'm building a team with Volcarona, as it's one of my favourite mons. It can be devastating if it gets set up, but it seems wildly inconsistent. So what I'm asking is, what would be some good teammates for it?

Edit: Rapid Strike Urshifu is not an option, I already evolved my Kubfu into Single Strike forme
Start by asking yourself a few questions like "what does volcarona have problems with" and "what does volcarona need to be good". For the former, it's things like rock slide, other fire types, trick room, and so on, and for the latter, volcarona needs support from its teammates to buy it free turns so it can safely set up, so you're looking for things like fake out, follow me, etc.

Hitmontop has historically been a great volcarona partner for many reasons (fake out and wide guard support, intimidate, can hit things like ttar hard who like to prey on volc), you could possibly start there, or look on other sites like babiri.net for inspiration
 

Yuichi

umu!
is a Forum Moderatoris a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnus
I'm building a team with Volcarona, as it's one of my favourite mons. It can be devastating if it gets set up, but it seems wildly inconsistent. So what I'm asking is, what would be some good teammates for it?

Edit: Rapid Strike Urshifu is not an option, I already evolved my Kubfu into Single Strike forme
Stuff that enjoys Volcarona's coverage and things that are able to help Volcarona defensively by exerting offensive pressure against Volc's checks work pretty well. I've had decent success with Volcarona on a sand team (peak ~1800+ PS ladder) so maybe sand might be something that u can try to play around with when building with Volcarona. Washtom in particular makes a really good Volc teammate since it gets Volc plenty of opportunity to set up or click attacks w Eweb here. It also helps check all the fat waters while Volc functions as a really good switchin to rilla. The sand core + toge also likes Volc's ability to pressure and check fat steels like Ferro and Corv which otherwise just walls the whole team.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8vgc2020-1148575144
Team here:
Excadrill @ Focus Sash
Ability: Sand Rush
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide
- Protect

Tyranitar @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Sand Stream
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rock Slide
- Assurance
- Superpower
- Protect

Togekiss @ Scope Lens
Ability: Super Luck
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dazzling Gleam
- Air Slash
- Follow Me
- Protect

Amoonguss @ Occa Berry
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 20 Def / 236 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Rage Powder
- Spore
- Clear Smog
- Pollen Puff

Rotom-Wash @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Levitate
Level: 50
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Electroweb
- Nasty Plot
- Protect

Volcarona @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Flame Body
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Heat Wave
- Bug Buzz
- Quiver Dance
- Protect
 
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why is togekiss good?
STAB max airstream, a super strong spread move in super luck dazzling gleam (seriously, crit machine with scope lens) that hits a lot of the meta for super effective damage, great stats and a fantastic typing, and a support movepool consisting of tailwind, follow me, and helping hand. It's incredibly splashable, often a team's best dynamax option, and great at offense and defensive support
 
STAB max airstream, a super strong spread move in super luck dazzling gleam (seriously, crit machine with scope lens) that hits a lot of the meta for super effective damage, great stats and a fantastic typing, and a support movepool consisting of tailwind, follow me, and helping hand. It's incredibly splashable, often a team's best dynamax option, and great at offense and defensive support
Just a heads up, it doesn't get Tailwind in this generation.
 

Pyritie

TAMAGO
is an Artist
Did VGC 2013 ever happen? I couldn't find it on Smogon strategy dex. If it happened, what were the rules?
it would've been the last season in gen 5, I know it exists but I don't know what the format was. I'm guessing natdex b2w2? I think 2016 was the first time they did the two-ubers-allowed thing
 
Trying to build a bulky arcanine. Which set of Evs is better?
1. 200 hp, 100 defense, 108 special attack, 100 special defense
2. 100 hp, 200 defense, 108 special attack, 200 special defense
3. Other
 
Trying to build a bulky arcanine. Which set of Evs is better?
1. 200 hp, 100 defense, 108 special attack, 100 special defense
2. 100 hp, 200 defense, 108 special attack, 200 special defense
3. Other
There is no right answer to that; it all depends on what specific hits you need your Arcanine to survive. What threats are you putting it on your team to handle? Use the damage calculator to work out what you need to survive.
 
Trying to build a bulky arcanine. Which set of Evs is better?
1. 200 hp, 100 defense, 108 special attack, 100 special defense
2. 100 hp, 200 defense, 108 special attack, 200 special defense
3. Other
Probably the first one since the second one is illegal.

Assuming this is for series 6, it's hard to know for a brand new meta. What set and item do you have? What attacks do you want to live? What damage numbers do you want to hit?
 
The current Series 6 ruleset can be played under Battle Stadium Doubles.

VGC 2020 is still considered Series 5 on PS. It will be updated to Crown Tundra/Series 7 immediately after the DLC drops and we have full confirmation of the rules.
What's the relationship between VGC and BSD? Until a few weeks ago, I thought BSD was a completely separate thing, and its rules changed only when a new generation gets released. So VGC Series 6 and BSD are now the same thing? Why?
 
What's the relationship between VGC and BSD? Until a few weeks ago, I thought BSD was a completely separate thing, and its rules changed only when a new generation gets released. So VGC Series 6 and BSD are now the same thing? Why?
Series 6 is played using the format "Battle Stadium Doubles". Series 5 is played using the format "VGC 2020". This is for a few reasons:
- There are no officially sanctioned Series 6 VGC events. Players Cup II could be, but the International Challenge leading up to it is definitely Series 5.
- Once Crown Tundra DLC is released, the format "VGC 2020" can be updated immediately.
- Series 5 will likely be the default "VGC 2020" once we transition to VGC 2021. Player's Cup, this year's equivalent to Worlds, was played in Series 5.
Based on the /rfaq in the VGC room. I hope it helps.
 
Series 6 is played using the format "Battle Stadium Doubles". Series 5 is played using the format "VGC 2020". This is for a few reasons:
- There are no officially sanctioned Series 6 VGC events. Players Cup II could be, but the International Challenge leading up to it is definitely Series 5.
- Once Crown Tundra DLC is released, the format "VGC 2020" can be updated immediately.
- Series 5 will likely be the default "VGC 2020" once we transition to VGC 2021. Player's Cup, this year's equivalent to Worlds, was played in Series 5.
Based on the /rfaq in the VGC room. I hope it helps.
So Series 6 is not really the same thing as BSD, and Showdown! just made a ladder called "Battle Stadium Doubles" with Series 6 rules? If the ladder has Series 6 rules, why is it not called "VGC Series 6"?
 

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