What team style do you think is going to be dominant?

[manav95]

The metagame is looking to be even more offensive. Stallbreakers like Ononokusu exist and stall is threatened. Nevertheless stall could still be viable in the metagame in some other form. For right now, What team style do you think is going to be dominant?
Heavy Offense- Traditionally this involves setting up screens and using dangerous attackers as the rest of your Pokemon. Switching and choiced Pokemon are limited in order to maintain the tempo. The players take risks and try to batter and threaten the opponent constantly. In BW, all the new attackers with higher base stats could result in this style being dominant.
Bulky Offense- This involves using bulky sweepers to take hits and kill the enemy in return. Usually Pokemon like Zapdos and Suicune are used because of their bulk and simultaneous offensive nature. In BW, this one is not as promising with all the Speed Boost Blaziken and Shandera running around but who knows.
Balanced- This is a blanket term for a team that is in between offense and stall. Many have a couple sweepers and tanks to support them. Others focus on setting up a threat like SD Lucario or DDNite by eliminating the counters and beating down the opposing team.
Semistall- This is stall with some offensive threats to handle problem Pokemon. Usually there are spikers to lay entry hazards and phazers to rack up damage. Kind of similar to balanced.
Stall- This is basically sitting around and tanking hits all day. Toxic lets you weaken the enemy Pokemon, entry hazards are still useful, and phazers are annoying.

 

[Tortferngatr]

I instinctively said Other, but Balance might be the way to go if it turns out that Pokemon-reveal is unavoidable. A team that can change how it plays out at will to counter different strategies while being able to execute its own is superior to a team that uses a single, unchanging strategy and cannot change it to deal with an adaptive team.

 

[manav95]

OK Would that be Balanced Tortfengatr?

 

[Mills]

I predict an emphasis on Sandstorm-teams.

Sandstream is easily accessible, and a 50% SpD bonus to Rock-types is certainly useful - but that's old news. I believe the additions of Sandstrength and Sandthrow (coupled with powerful Pokemon to utilize said abilities) will draw many to, even if temporarily, experiment with Sandstorm-based teams.

 

[Starmetroid]

I plan to focus on trapping, using Shanderaa (with Choice Scarf) to trap anything else weak to Fire Blast or Shadow Ball to allow my other pokemon to flourish. Shanderaa should be able to take out any Steel or Grass types and then Jaroda can come in and fire off Leaf Storms with impunity.

 

[Arc Tech]

While the new pokemon may look super offensive, the pre-evolution stone may just be enough to give stall a good chance, assuming its boosts are high enough. I'm going to say it's too early to call right now.

 

[heroic poke]

Although I voted Balance, it was on the mindset that also includes the concept of Bulky Offense. I think Bulky Offense will be relevant, if not dominant, in the new metagame, because the ability to knock out one pokemon while surviving long enough to at least cripple another will become very important in dictating the pace of battles.

Being an MMA fan, the best way I can express this is by relating Bulky Offense to someone like Brock Lesnar, who has natural bulk, able to withstand hits (we're talking about 265-pound bruisers in the Heavyweight division), while still being quick enough to shoot takedowns and powerful enough to submit or stop opponents with vicious ground and pound.

Now in the pokemon world? As stated in the OP, Zapdos could be one of those. Good natural speed and offensive stats allow it to sweep, but above-average defenses allow it to survive two hits, or one solid hit from any of the new base 140's and strike back with a powerful Thunderbolt/Heat Wave/HP Ice for a possible cripple or KO.

Another good example would be Shell Break-Skill Link Cloyster, whose natural bulk (in Defense), even with minimal EV investment, will allow it to survive a hit before Shell Break's effect kicks in, or better yet, if you are able to Shell Break after forcing a switch, Cloyster will begin the next round with greatly-increased Attack for a 125BP Icicle Spear and enough speed to outrun most un-choiced pokemon and still have enough in the tank to take one priority hit barring Mach Punch and Vacuum Wave.

 

[Tortferngatr]

OK Would that be Balanced Tortfengatr?

Yeah, but I accidentally posted other.

 

[Darth Meanie]

I do question the validity of a poll where the OP begins with a statement of what he believes will be most dominant and offers opinions on each definition of play type.

That said, I'm leaning balanced, although I believe that 5th Gen will allow for a variety of play types. Well built balanced teams can generally handle more scenarios than more slanted teams, especially considering the new reveal rules. Stall, heavy offense, and weather will still be viable and effective, but at high level balanced teams will be the ones reaching the tops of the leaderboards.

 

[shucklenator]

id like to see semi-stall or stall become popular this gen, at least enough to become a frequently used style of team. though it looks as though it wont. im leaning balanced as well.

 

[Mariachi]

I think is gonna be a superfast metagame, with all those overpowered sweepers. Stall hasn't received so much love in this gen, so i vote for Heavy Offense

 

[Not Scicky]

Seriously? Heavy offense? Come on, if someone manages to kill your Doryuuzu and Shanderaa what are you going to be falling back on to take care of Burunkeru and Nuttre? You don't have shit, and since you get to see your opponents team beforehand, it's not hard to switch out Tyranitar when your opponent switches in Shanderaa.

Stall will be the dominating force this gen, backed by a few solid wall-breakers that keep it from getting out of hand by absolutely crushing certain things, but getting crushed in return. Stall will also be alot faster than in previous gens with things like Rugged Helmet and boiling water.

 

[McNUTTY]

No style will be dominating, they all got some love.

 

[Lunanight]

shanderaa and ononokusu are so far, the most powerful wall breakers with their massive SpAtk and Atk stats.

ononokusu + dragon dance = an IMPROVED salamence (not 4x weak to Ice, takes less damage from SR, had higher Atk)

shanderaa + choice specs + focus blast = bye bye blissey.

point is, the metagame would be like when salamence was OU. it's like salamence never left OU.

shanderaa > gengar
ononokusu > salamence

 

[Morm]

How can people say heavy offense? BULKY. LOOK AT THE DAMN HP STATS FLOATING AROUND FOR FUCKS SAKE.

It's bulky offense all the way, unless you think heavy means the pokemon weighs a ton???

 

[Super Mario Bro]

Balanced and Semi-Stall will probably be the most dominating forces this gen. Hyper offense was never ever reliable as one bad match-up in the lead position could result in a lost game. We will probably see more dedicated walls, even on offensive teams. Relying on one Scarf Revenge Killer to cover everything won't cut it anymore in this gen.

 

[Sheaz]

I really think weather will see a massive spike in usage once Ninetales' and Politoed's new abilities are available.

 

[TacoStorm]

I'm sure it won't be horrible but I expect to see full dragon teams of mence, chomp, nite, onono, etc.

If they can use the uber dragons they will.

People go nuts for dragons...

 

[Wafflez]

With every1 and there Heavy Offense my trick room shall reign supreme =3

 

[Sparko]

unlike the majority I don't think heavy offense will dominate... yes most people will use it, and 99% of those ppl will use it horribly wrong and spam *insert dragon names/attacks here* only to be walled by clever balance/bulky offence players...

in my opinion the latter styles will dominate, in this metagame it seems clear that something that can withstand a hit and retaliate, then cripple another pokemon is the ideal... so no, heavy offense won't thrive, but neither will full stall, something between the two will thrive (hence me voting balance, oh how cliche`...) moreover, I feel stall is going to start looking like bulky offense teams imo, hence it can't even be called "stall" as such, merely "stall based balance" and hopefully won't be as boring as ordinary full stall lol

 

[Seriin]

Heavy Offense will be used by many at the beginning, as we have several new heavy hitters at our disposal and they are the easiest to use. Plus everyone is eager to see just what 147 Att, or 140 SpA can do. The playstyle just doesn't have many tricks to it, go in and boom.

We will also see a lot of Gen4 popularity still present. Many of the good guys from before are still going to be just as good, or may even end up running the same sets. Scizor, Gengar and Flygon for example didn't gain much of note so they'll play in similar ways as before- at least at the start.

When the new dream world abilities come into play (if not at the start), I expect to see a lot of Rain teams. However, I lump rain in with heavy offense, as that is the way it works best. Politoed and Kingdra will be on many teams during this time. Many of the other DW-hyped Pokemon will see a rise as well. Blaziken has been improved by his new ability, but I'm not sure just how effective it will end up being. He is one of my favourites so I'm glad to see he's gotten better, but it still does sound a bit easy to counter.

Eventually it will fluctuate, as more and more people discover how to use some of the more tricky Pokemon and Abilities, heavy offense will die off a bit we'll see more balanced teams. Counters will arise to quell the initial influx of heavy hitters and new and more diverse sets will arise.

In the end however, I don't think BW changed enough that it isn't just going to be DPP+

 

[Surskit]

Weather?

 

[Shimrit As]

Sorry but in the first place the choices given in the OP have been pretty poorly dichotimized - BO and balanced overlap and most Sun/Rain teams will naturally be HO. Anyway I would probably bank on HO going crazily popular initially because everybody will be trying to get their hands on Ononokuso, Shanderaa and other stuff all at once. I would expect Ninetails and Politoed to fall out of fashion after a while and BO to emerge (mirroring Gen IV's general trend). Something interesting is the emergence of many new typing combinations - Ice/Electric, Water/Ghost, Grass/Steel to name but a few; which mean offensive Pokemon might struggle a bit more than previously to attain effective type coverage.

 

[Denchura]

trick room to counter offensive for me

 

[Curse]

I just know i'll be mostly playing TR, but i was realistic and voted for Bulky Offense.