Baton Pass(ers) in LC

Renwit355 · Jan 19, 2014

I can't believe I am going to be the one to make this thread!

Probably a work in progress. Forgot about Move Combination Legitimacy.

OK, let see the eligible Baton Passers (no Natu because it is a XD move and that Natu is over LV 5):
Organized by Speed, then HP, then Defense/Special Defense (which ever one is highest):

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What Baton Pass can do:

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Viable Moves )I listed only Moves that are known by Baton Passers and list the names of pokemon for Moves known by two or less pokemon (Except for Wish)):
Aqua Ring:Buizel
Assist:Skitty&Sentret
Dual Screens (Reflect+Light Screen)
Focus Energy
Power Trick:Gligar&Meditite
Psych Up(+Swagger)
Substitute:Any Pokemon
Wish:Eevee, Skitty, and Togepi
Stat Boosting Moves

Acid Armor:Shelmet
Acupressure:Meditite
Agility
Amnesia:Drifloon&Sentret
Barrier:Mime Jr.&Munna
Bulk Up
Calm Mind
Charge Beam
Cosmic Power:Skitty&Buneary
Curse
Fell Stringer:Surskit
Flame Charge:Torchic
Hone Claws
Iron Defense:Sewaddle
Nasty Plot:Aipom&Mime Jr.
Power-Up Punch
Rock Polish:Gligar
Stockpile:Dlifloon
Sword Dance
Work Up

Less Viable moves

Move Name:Why not Viable|Pokemon who know it
Ancient Power:Unreliable|Togepi
Defense Curl:Outclassed by other Moves|Aipom(3rd gen),Buneary,Munna,Sentret,Skitty(3rd gen),Togepi(3rd gen)
Harden:Outclassed by other Moves|Gligar
Meditate:Outclassed by other Moves|Meditite,Mienfoo,Mime Jr.
Metal Claw:Unreliable|Gligar
Mind Reader:Hone Claw does a better Job|Meditite,Sewaddle,Shelmet,Surskit
Ominous Wind:Unreliable|Drifloon,Ledyba
Silver Wind:Unreliable|Drifloon,Ledyba,Sewaddle
Steel Wing:Unreliable|Gligar
Tailwind:Generally Outclassed by other Moves|Drifloon,Gligar,Ledyba

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Pokemon Analysis and their moves:

Aipom

Moves:
Agility
Hone Claws
Nasty Plot
Substitute
Work Up

Buizel

Agility
Aqua Ring
Bulk Up
Substitute

Buneary

Agility
Defense Curl
Charge Beam
Cosmic Power
Substitute
Work Up
Deerling

Agility
Substitute
Work Up

Drifloon

Amnesia
Calm Mind
Charge Beam
Focus Energy
Psych Up
Stockpile
Substitute
Tailwind

Eevee

Curse
Substitute
Wish
Work Up

Gligar

Agility
Harden
Hone Claws
Metal Claw
Power Trick
Rock Polish
Substitute
Swords Dance
Tailwind

Ledyba

Agility
Dual Screens
Power-Up Punch
Substitute
Swords Dance

Meditite

Acupressure
Bulk Up
Calm Mind
Dual Screens
Meditate
Mind Reader
Power Trick
Power-Up Punch
Psych Up
Substitute
Work Up

Mienfoo

Bulk up
Calm Mind
Meditate
Power-Up Punch
Psych Up
Substitute
Swords Dance
Work Up

Mime Jr.

Calm Mind
Charge Beam
Dual Screens
Meditate
Nasty Plot
Psych Up
Substitute

Munna

Barrier
Calm Mind
Charge Beam
Curse
Defense Curl
Dual Screens
Psych Up
Substitute

Patrat

Substitute
Swords Dance
Work Up

Sentret

Amnesia
Assist
Charge Beam
Defense Curl
Focus Energy
Hone Claws
Power-Up Punch
Substitute
Work Up

Sewaddle

Agility
Calm Mind
Iron Defense
Mind Reader
Substitute

Shelmet

Acid Armor
Mind Reader
Substitute

Skitty

Assist
Calm Mind
Charge Beam
Cosmic Power
Substitute
Wish
Work Up

Spinarak

Agility
Hone Claws
Substitute

Surskit

Agility
Fell Stinger
Mind Reader
Substitute

Togepi

Ancient Power
Dual Screens
Nasty Plot
Psych Up
Substitute
Wish
Work Up

Torchic

Agility
Curse
Flame Charge
Hone Claws
Substitute
Swords Dance

Venonat

Agility
Substitute

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Move Information and Pokemon who know them: they are empty

Acid Armor

Effect:
Raises Defense by 2 Stages. Can be Stolen by the move "Snatch".

Analysis:
One of Three Moves that Reliably Boost Physical Defense by 2 Stages, effectively cutting in Half the power of Physical Attacks (give or take a few HP). The Best way to Toughen a Sweeper with low Physical Defense (other than Reflect).

Pokemon:
Shelmet

Acupressure

Effect:
Will raise a random stat by two Stages. Will not raise a Stat at +6. Will Fail if All Stats are at +6.

Analysis:
The Only Move that can legally boost Evasiveness, It has it's niche (although it's very luck based and People may hate you for it). to Clarify, Acupressure can Boost Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, Speed, Accuracy, and Evasiveness. Hone Claws is a more Reliable way to boost Accuracy. Ideally, you first gain Defensive Boost so you can Boost even more times, and maybe an Attack Boost to power up Drain Punch (Since Meditite is the only Pokemon to know this move and Baton Pass), but you don't really have any control over which stats get Boosted. It doesn't seem to be affected by "Snatch", is this true guys? Could be Fun, but not the best way to Utilize Baton Pass.

Pokemon:
Meditite

Agility

Effect:
Raises Speed by 2 Stages. Can be Stolen by the move "Snatch".

Analysis:
One of Two Moves (that is naturally known by Baton Passers) that Reliably Boosts Speed by 2 Stages. While Speed Boost Torchic can Achieve this Speed Level (Passively) in 2 turns, You could use Agility to Outspeed Opposing +1 Torchic and possibly KO (who's laughing now?). Speed Boost Torchic could use it to reach at least +4 Speed in 2 turns (if your Sweeper only/really needs +4 Speed to Sweep). Non-Torchic Pokemon can use Agility to help the Passing Chain (if you don't want to use torchic for some reason...).

Pokemon:
Aipom
Buizel
Buneary
Deerling
Gligar
Sewaddle
Surskit
Torchic
Venonat

Amnesia

Effect:
Raises Special Defense by 2 Stages. Can be Stolen by the move "Snatch".

Analysis:
The Only Move that Reliably Boosts Special Defense by 2 Stages, effectively cutting in Half the power of Special Attacks (give or take a few HP). The Best way to Toughen a Sweeper with low Special Defense (other than Light Screen. PS: Acid Armor's Analysis is the Copy-Pasted One).

Pokemon:
Drifloon
Sentret

Aqua Ring

Effect:
Restore 1/16th of the Target's HP. Can be Baton Passed. Can be Stolen by "Snatch"

Analysis:
One of two (the other being Leech Seed) Moves that passively Heal the Affected pokemon. Sadly, the low Percentage of HP recovered mean almost All LC Pokemon (Except Wailmer and Munchlax... Did Munchlax get Banned?) will recover 1 HP per turn, which could negate Life Orb Recoil (but only if you have 19 or less HP). Leech Seed will Likely Recover more HP AND Hurt the Opponent at the same time (although Grass types, Rapid Spin, Liquid Ooze, and the Opponent Switching out Prevents Leech Seed from doing much). If you want to use it, go ahead, but it may not be worth it.

Pokemon:
Buizel

Assist

Effect:
Randomly Selects one of the Moves known by its teammates. Along with the Moves in this Page http://www.smogon.com/bw/moves/assist , it can't call "Belch", "Geomancy", "King's Shield", "Mat Block", "Shadow Force", "Roar", "Spiky Shield", "Sticky Web", nor "Whirlwind".

Analysis:
This move could enable a pokemon to use a (ideally stat-boosting) move that it could not use otherwise, for example, Skitty using "Hone Claws" or "Nasty Plot". However, this move could also allow said Pokemon to Baton Pass, even if they don't know the Move, Possibly creating some interesting Set ups. Unfortunately, Assist Randomly chooses its Move, meaning you might not (and quite likely will not) use the move you want, made even more Riskier if Assist is the only way said Pokemon can use Baton Pass. If you are using a dedicated Baton Pass Team, there should be a good chance of calling a boosting move, although it may not be the exact one you want. If you're lucky, you could call Shell Smash, and then Pass it! Assist could also be used to call any boosting Moves from a Teammates that Fainted or is to weak to enter the Field, maybe giving a second chance to boost that one stat. Espurr seems to be the most Physically Bulkiest Assist User (for your information). This Move is quite a Gamble, but may be worth it, maybe.

Pokemon | Typing | Abilities | Base Stats (* Means this Pokemon naturally knows "Baton Pass". ordered by Speed) :
Meowth | Normal | Pickup/Technician/Unnerve | 40/45/35/40/40/90
Glameow | Normal | Limber/Own Tempo/Keen Eye | 49/55/42/42/37/85
Espurr | Psychic | Keen Eye/Inflitrator/Own tempo | 62/48/54/63/60/68
Purrlion | Dark | Limber/Unburden/Prankster | 41/50/37/50/37/66
Chimchar | Fire | Blaze/Iron Fist | 44/58/44/58/44/61
Skitty* | Normal | Cute Charm/Normalize/Wonder Skin | 50/45/45/35/35/50
Drowzee | Psychic | Insomnia/Forewarn/Inner Focus | 60/48/45/43/90/42
Sentret* | Normal | Run Away/Keen Eye/Frisk | 35/46/34/35/45/20

Barrier

Effect:
Raises Physical Defense by 2 Stages. Can be Stolen by the move "Snatch".

Analysis:
One of Three Moves that Reliably Boosts Physical Defense by 2 Stages, effectively cutting in Half the power of Physical Attacks (give or take a few HP). The Best way to Toughen a Sweeper with low Physical Defense (other than Reflect).

Pokemon:
Mime Jr.
Munna

Bulk Up

Effect:
Raises Attack and Physical Defense by 1 Stage. Can be Stolen by the move "Snatch".

Analysis:
Being the only move (known by Baton Passers) to Boost Attack and Physical Defense, It is great for making a Pokemon Physical Stronger and Bulkier. Ideal for turning Physical Sweepers into Physical Tanks (or should I say Monsters?)!

Pokemon:
Buizel
Meditite
Mienfoo

Calm Mind

Effect:
Raise Special Attack and Special Defense by 1 Stage. Can be Stolen by the move "Snatch".

Analysis:
Being the only move (known by Baton Passers) to Boost Special Attack and Special Defense, It is great for making a Pokemon Specially Stronger and Bulkier. Ideal for turning Special Sweepers into Special Juggernauts!

Pokemon:
Drifloon
Meditite
Mienfoo
Munna
Sewaddle
Skitty

Charge Beam

Effect:
Damage the Target with a 50 BP Electric-Type Attack which has a 70% chance of raising Special Attack by 1 Stage.

Analysis:
The Most Reliable (In LC) Attack Move with a (Pretty High) chance of raising Special Attack by 1 Stage. Ideal for when you want to attack AND Raise your Special Attack. Also Bypasses Taunt. A bit weak and has a 10% chance of missing. Honestly, other moves boost Special Attack (and maybe more!) more reliably. Only use this move when you want to Attack and Boost, are worried about Taunt, or the Pokemon has no other way of Boosting Special Attack (Even then, you could just let other Teammates Boost the Special Attack).

Pokemon:
Buneary
Drifloon
Mime Jr.
Munna
Sentret
Skitty

Cosmic Power

Effect:
Raises Physical Defense and Special Defense by 1 Stage. Can be Stolen by the move "Snatch".

Analysis:
Being One of Two Move that Boost Both Sides of a Pokemon Defense, It is an ideal Move for make a Sweeper Generally Bulky.

Pokemon:
Buneary
Skitty

Curse

Effect:

Analysis:

Pokemon:
Eevee
Munna
Torchic

Dual Screens

Effect:

Analysis:

Pokemon:

Fell Stinger

Effect:

Analysis:

Pokemon:
Surskit

Flame Charge

Effect:

Analysis:

Pokemon:
Torchic

Focus Energy

Effect:

Analysis:

Pokemon:
Drifloon
Sentret
Torchic

Hone Claws

Effect:

Analysis:

Pokemon:
Aipom
Gligar
Sentret
Spinarak
Torchic

Iron Defense

Effect:

Analysis:

Pokemon:
Sewaddle

Nasty Plot

Effect:

Analysis:

Pokemon:
Aipom
Mime Jr.
Togepi

Power Trick

Effect:

Analysis:

Pokemon:
Gligar
Meditite

Power-Up Punch

Effect:

Analysis:

Pokemon:
Aipom
Buizel
Ledyba
Meditite
Mienfoo
Sentret

Psych Up (All Pokemon these Pokemon know Swagger)

Effect:

Analysis:

Pokemon:
Drifloon
Meditite
Mienfoo
Mime Jr.
Munna
Skitty
Surskit
Togepi

Rock Polish

Effect:

Analysis:

Pokemon:
Gligar

Stockpile

Effect:

Analysis:

Pokemon:
Drifloon

Substitute

Effect:

Analysis:

Pokemon and Substitute HP Range (Ordered by Substitute HP, then Physical./Special Defense (Whichever is highest)):
Drifloon: 6~7
Munna: 6~6
Gligar: 5~6
Shelmet: 5~6
Sewaddle: 5~6
Eevee: 5~6
Venonat: 5~6
Deerling: 5~6
Buneary: 5~6
Aipom: 5~6
Mienfoo: 5~6
Torchic: 5~6
Skitty: 5~6
Patrat: 5~6
Buizel: 5~6
Ledyba: 5~5
Togepi: 5~5
Surskit: 5~5
Spinarak: 5~5
Sentret: 5~5
Mime Jr.: 4~5
Meditite: 4~5

Swords Dance

Effect:

Analysis:

Pokemon:
Gligar
Ledyba
Mienfoo
Patrat
Torchic

Wish

Effect:
At the end of the next turn, the active Pokemon will be Recover half of the User's Max HP. Can be Stolen by the move "Snatch".

Analysis:
The only way to Heal Teammates that don't have their own Recovery while still Passing the Stat Boosts. Use Wish, then Baton Pass to heal a Teammate (provided they Survive til then).

Pokemon and Wish recovery Range:
Eevee | 11~12
Skitty | 10~12
Togepi | 10~11

Work Up

Effect:

Analysis:

Pokemon:
Buneary
Eevee
Meditite
Mienfoo
Patrat
Sentret
Skitty
Togepi

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Things that Ruin Baton Passing:

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Current Questions:
~~Are the Defense Boosts of Stockpile Passable?~~ Stockpile can be Passed.
Are there any other Moves not listed that could be helpful to a Baton Pass Chain? Torment, Leech Seed, Hazards? any moves really.

WinterWave · Jan 19, 2014

ok yes i still play lc

alright, so most of your stat boosting moves are kinda subpar, things like fell stinger on surskit is not very viable, etc.

Anyway, one super awesome baton passer is torchic. other little cup people rave about this thing lots and it's actually pretty awesome. torchic has speed boost and swords dance, which are awesome, but one underrated thing that torchic passes is the mighty focus energy. it's really fun to watch your enemies get swept by an inkay that just keeps critting your mons. inkay and horsea are awesome focus energy receivers that can use guaranteed crit moves with night slash + psycho cut for inkay and scope lens for horsea. horsea also has sniper which makes it tons more useful as it makes your crits powered up more!!

also:

current questions said:
Are the Defense Boosts of Stockpile Passable?

the only passer of stockpile in lc is drifloon, and with only one passer its not very viable...

current questions said:
Are there any other Moves not listed that could be helpful to a Baton Pass Chain?

look at focus energy n_n

so tl;dr: focus energy is awesome

chimp · Jan 19, 2014

There are 4 good passers this gen, Torchic, Gligar, Shelmet, and Mienfoo.

Torchic is probably the best, however it is a bit predictible. Speed Boost + Swords Dance to any Physical attacker (Its usually Meditite) will wreck, and it can get those boosts in just a single turn. Like I said, it is predictible, so your enemy will usually prepare for the switch, either with Whirlwind (Munchlax stomps all over Torchic), Clear Smog, or a move to KO the switch in.

Gligar can pass both Swords Dance and Rock Polish, which is nice. Plus, its really bulky, so its able to reliably set up. Should your Baton Pass strategy fail, you can always trust Gligar that gligar won't be dead weight. I think a set of Swords Dance/Acrobatics/Earthquake/Baton Pass @ Berry Juice would be best. Unlike Torchic, this isn't the standard so it can come as a surprise.

Mienfoo is another great, unexpected baton passer. With regenerator it can pass the baton throughout the game without much effort. Swords Dance, Bulk Up, and Calm Mind means it fits well with most receivers that aren't Cubone.
(Kudos to Goddess Briyella for sweeping me with this lol)

Finally, Shelmet. I really like shelmet (its so cute). Shelmet's claim to fame is that it can pass Acid Armor, giving frail pokemon a chance to sweep or set up. Recover means it can do so throughout the battle.

One last thing:
Weakness Policy Drifloon is super fun, but usually only works once (but when it does its usually gg). Plus Knock Off's omnipresence spells doom for poor balloony.
(Special thanks to Darkamber8828 for the idea)

Wobbyble · Jan 19, 2014

I wouldn't use more than one Baton Passer. Lileep and Natu are the only receivers that can't get Roared or Whirlwinded out. Haze wrecks every Baton Passer.
In short, if your team relies on chaining Baton Passes, and you run into a good phazer or Hazer, you automatically lose. While Baton Passing is fun, chaining them is ultimately not viable.

And unless you're trolling, please stop using Focus Energy Torchic. It's so much more efficient to just Baton Pass Sword Dances... Makes me cringe every time I see one.

Darkamber8828 · Jan 19, 2014

I don't think Shelmet is viable because it's just outclassed by Bulk Up Mienfoo and Curse Torchic. Curse Torchic is really, really scary. It's really easy to get to +1 Atk / +1 Def / +2 Spe, or even +2/+2/+2, which makes it incredibly easy to just whale on everything while taking piddly-weak priority hits. Mienfoo is a ridiculously good Baton Passer because Regenerator allows it to pass multiple times, while other Baton Passers usually only get one shot.

Also, I really like Drifloon as a Baton Passer. Weakness Policy is a bit unreliable, but it works most of the time and wrecks everything when it does. Calm Mind passing is also pretty awesome, but the problem is that there aren't really any good receivers. Tangela used to be amazing, tanking everything with Eviolite and Giga Drain and squishing everything, but now it's gone. :c

Buizel is another really good Baton Passer. It gets 19 Speed, and almost unresisted coverage in two moves, as well as the coveted Bulk Up, it's pretty good at sweeping and can Baton Pass out of anything bothersome (aka Ferroseed) to something else. Shame it can't run Aqua Jet and Return on the same set though.

Shoutout to Mime. Jr for blocking Roar with Soundproof? Nobody really runs Roar, Whirlwind, or Haze though. Clear Smog Foongus / Koffing and Dragon Tail Tyrunt are the main threats to watch out for, and they all can be dealt with by Substitute, or Baton Passing to Fairy / Steel types. Or Inkay / Lileep.

atomicllamas · Jan 19, 2014

I am of the opinion that Baton Pass is best used on teams that aren't dedicated to passing boosts, but rather using it to gain momentum. Sub-Passing is one of the best ways to do this, as it allows you to force something out with offensive pressure (Meditite, Gligar, Mienfoo, etc.), set up a sub, and pass it to a teammate with an advantage. Mienfoo excels cause it can use BP as a "recovery" while setting up a teammate, where as the other two excel because they force switches with ease.

I think making a whole "Baton Pass team" while sometimes effective is generally not the greatest idea, as it tends to be very match up dependent.

kingmidas · Jan 19, 2014

atomicllamas said:
I am of the opinion that Baton Pass is best used on teams that aren't dedicated to passing boosts, but rather using it to gain momentum. Sub-Passing is one of the best ways to do this, as it allows you to force something out with offensive pressure (Meditite, Gligar, Mienfoo, etc.), set up a sub, and pass it to a teammate with an advantage. Mienfoo excels cause it can use BP as a "recovery" while setting up a teammate, where as the other two excel because they force switches with ease.

I think making a whole "Baton Pass team" while sometimes effective is generally not the greatest idea, as it tends to be very match up dependent.

you're forgetting about torchpass, which barely requires matchups unless it is completely countered

atomicllamas · Jan 19, 2014

kingmidas said:
you're forgetting about torchpass, which barely requires matchups unless it is completely countered

Nah, even Torchpass isn't a "Baton Pass" team in the traditional sense, it is usually just Torchic +3 things that benefit from receiving the speed (usually these things don't also try to pass, though I do usually run like BP Mienfoo or Gligar with it so I can keep the boosts). It is definitely an extremely potent team style in LC right now, and definitely something you should consider when you are building an LC team (and Torchic is a really good sub passer too @_@).

kingmidas · Jan 19, 2014

atomicllamas said:
Nah, even Torchpass isn't a "Baton Pass" team in the traditional sense, it is usually just Torchic +3 things that benefit from receiving the speed (usually these things don't also try to pass, though I do usually run like BP Mienfoo or Gligar with it so I can keep the boosts). It is definitely an extremely potent team style in LC right now, and definitely something you should consider when you are building an LC team (and Torchic is a really good sub passer too @_@).

yeah true it isn't a full bp team in the sense, but sub gligar with bp and bp tite are options to make an actual chain.

Wobbyble · Jan 19, 2014

Darkamber8828 said:
Shoutout to Mime. Jr for blocking Roar with Soundproof? Nobody really runs Roar, Whirlwind, or Haze though. Clear Smog Foongus / Koffing and Dragon Tail Tyrunt are the main threats to watch out for, and they all can be dealt with by Substitute, or Baton Passing to Fairy / Steel types. Or Inkay / Lileep.

I run HazeKrow on all my serious teams. Fuck Torchic, Shell Smash, Swirlix, and Chain Passing man. HazeKrow by itself ensures you never get swept by a set up sweeper. It's pretty great.

Darkamber8828 · Jan 19, 2014

That's actually really interesting. Is that a full supportive Eviolite / SubRoost set, or did you just stick Haze over HP Ice on the LO set?

Goddess Briyella · Jan 20, 2014

Torchic

Torchic @ Eviolite
Ability: Speed Boost
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Def / 36 SAtk / 196 SDef / 76 Spd
Bold Nature
- Baton Pass
- Protect
- Fire Blast / Substitute
- Swords Dance / Focus Energy / Curse

Torchic is the most ideal lead for any kind of Baton Pass strategy in XY Little Cup, whether it's meant to pass boosts to just one teammate or if it's meant to be the first link of a Baton Pass chain. Protect allows Torchic to receive +1 Speed safely, without taking any damage. Fire Blast is the almost obligatory STAB attack on the set if you want to be able to actually hurt something, and to keep you from being completely shut down by Taunt if a foe uses it to stop you from passing boosts. Substitute is an alternative option that is incredible if you're able to pass it along with boosts; a lot of people like to think there isn't enough room on the set for Substitute but it can be used to block annoying status moves, and comes particularly in handy while facing opposing leads that like to use Stealth Rock or Sticky Web on the first turn, as they will allow you to set up a Substitute unharmed. Swords Dance is generally the most immediately effective option for boosting stats other than Speed, if you're thinking about offense. Focus Energy may seem niche or gimmicky, and has less immediate profit, but if used in a chain, a recipient later on may appreciate the added critical hit rate, especially if they have a move that already has a good chance for a critical hit, which actually ends up with a 100% crit rate (Focus Energy + high crit move) when the combination is successfully linked together. Curse may also seem like an odd option here, but it's actually equivalent to a Bulk Up boost, since Speed Boost will nullify Curse's Speed drop. Speed can still be gained without losing it by way of Protect, and can be used to also pass Defense boosts to teammates in addition to Attack and Speed. Notable is that Torchic survives an Earthquake from offensive Gligar with this spread.

Mienfoo

Mienfoo @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 76 Atk / 116 Def / 36 SDef / 236 Spd
Impish Nature
- Baton Pass
- Substitute
- Bulk Up / Swords Dance
- Drain Punch / Taunt

Mienfoo is well suited for passing physically based boosts as well as Substitutes, and can maintain its own longevity throughout battles quite well by way of STAB Drain Punch and Regenerator. After gaining +1 Defense, Mienfoo's Substitutes are no longer easy to break in one hit with neutral attacks, and this can actually be capitalized on in advance if Torchic uses Curse as its boosting move. This set is designed to serve as a physical tank of sorts, and if used in a Baton Pass chain, is an ideal partner for Torchic to pass its boosts to if the active enemy at the time of the pass is a physical attacker (preferably one that does not have a super effective attack). Swords Dance can be used without Torchic to catch opponents off guard and overwhelm them by passing boosts to an even more powerful physically inclined Pokemon, such as Murkrow; if you're using Torchic on the same team, Mienfoo is much better off using Bulk Up for the physically defensive security it can add to itself as well as its Baton Pass recipient, or a Baton Pass chain if that's the kind of team it's working with. Taunt is an option over Drain Punch if you absolutely want the security of preventing foes from attempting to phaze your boosts; it will leave you without any attacking options, but it will surely keep your boosts intact. Calm Mind is also an option available to Mienfoo, but it is generally much better to use Mienfoo for passing Bulk Up, since it is the best Bulk Up passer in the tier, after all, and special boosts can be stacked using Pokemon better designed for dealing with special attacks, such as Mime Jr.

Mime Jr.

Mime Jr. @ Eviolite
Ability: Filter
Level: 5
EVs: 156 Def / 116 SAtk / 196 SDef / 40 Spd
Bold Nature
- Baton Pass
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Psychic / Barrier / Taunt / Encore

Mime Jr. is well suited for passing specially based boosts as well as Substitutes, and does it quite well with its high special bulk and with its Filter ability reducing the damage taken from super effective hits. Something significant about Mime Jr. this generation is that its retyping to Psychic/Fairy grants it not only a 4x resistance to Fighting, but also a neutrality to Dark and Bug, two types it was annoyingly weak to in the past. Breaking Mime Jr's Substitute in one hit with a special attack is difficult after it gets only one Calm Mind boost under its belt, and this often allows Mime Jr. to pass it to a teammate in addition to its Calm Mind boosts. This set is designed to serve as a special tank that can also deal with physical attacks somewhat well, and if used in a Baton Pass chain, is an ideal partner for Torchic to pass its boosts to if the active enemy at the time of the pass is a special attacker (preferably one that does not have a super effective attack). Psychic is the strongest attack available to Mime Jr. (besides Future Sight, which is now 120 Base Power), and it actually hits very hard after a boost or two. Barrier can be used to add +2 Defense to a Baton Pass chain and can be very useful if you predict your opponent to switch to a physically inclined enemy to try and hit Mime Jr's weaker defensive stat; Mime Jr. actually survives two Brave Bird hits from Life Orb MixKrow at +2 Defense. Taunt can be used to ward off status moves that the opposition might employ to screw up your boosts, while Encore is an option that punishes foes for trying to lay hazards or set up their own stat boosts alongside your chain. Notable is that Filter with this spread lets Mime Jr. comfortably survive two Bullet Punches from Meditite, despite being weak to it.

Gligar

Gligar @ Berry Juice
Ability: Hyper Cutter
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Spd / 236 Atk
Jolly Nature
- Baton Pass
- Substitute / Swords Dance
- Earthquake / Swords Dance / Taunt
- Acrobatics

Gligar is an amazing Baton Pass user as both a lead and a receiver, thanks to its fantastic bulk, few weaknesses, and the huge amount of relevant resistances provided to it by its unique typing. Its high Speed, courtesy of Jolly nature and 236 Speed EVs, allows it opportunities to function as a Baton Pass lead, getting up a Substitute or a Swords Dance boost without much trouble. The fact that Gligar applies a lot of offensive pressure in many cases also greatly assists it with setting up, as fleeing foes desperately seek a more comfortable matchup. It is also usually rarely expected that Gligar would serve as the initiator of a Baton Pass strategy, so it will catch opponents off guard a lot of the time. It often can wreak havoc on its own without even having to pass boosts, as Swords Dance puts Gligar's Attack power through the ceiling, and its STAB Earthquake + Acrobatics combination is walled only by Archen and Bronzor (also Tynamo if you want to be technical but it literally cannot touch Gligar anyway). Gligar also makes a very ideal recipient of boosts passed from Torchic, particularly if Torchic is being threatened by an impending Ground-type attack. It's commendable that Torchic also covers Gligar's 4x Ice weakness, and thus the two can switch back and forth with Baton Pass if necessary while preserving their accumulated boosts, but it should also be noted that Gligar and Torchic compound a weakness to Water. A bulkier spread can be used if Gligar is planned specifically to be only a receiver or part of a chain, but Berry Juice will still remain the optimal item for powering up Acrobatics after having taken so much damage. Whether Gligar is initiating, passing, or making use of the boosts it gains, it is an offensive nightmare for most teams, and it will mow them down without mercy if they lack preparation.

Meditite

Meditite @ Eviolite
Ability: Pure Power
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Atk / 76 Def / 196 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Baton Pass
- Drain Punch
- Zen Headbutt
- Ice Punch / Thunder Punch / Fire Punch

Meditite functions best in a Baton Pass chain as a receiver of boosts that only passes them on when it absolutely has to. After being given boosts to its Speed and Attack, Meditite can really brew destruction on the battlefield, largely because of the offensive potential it already has courtesy of its Pure Power ability, which literally doubles its Attack stat (making it initially a whopping 28 before any boosts are even factored in). Unless you're putting in the work to also pass Meditite some welcome defensive buffs, the most challenging part of having Meditite receive boosts from Baton Pass is getting it in safely; weaknesses to Ghost, Flying, and Fairy are not exactly flattering for it, and Gale Wings Fletchling poses an annoyingly sufficient threat to it in particular. After it gets in, however, Meditite can knock holes in the opposition with its STAB attacks, and Drain Punch even provides recovery after having lost health. The final moveslot decides what Meditite check you will be able to beat. Ice Punch is necessary for taking down Gligar, Thunder Punch is needed to lay waste to Slowpoke, and Fire Punch is required to beat Honedge. If Meditite finds itself in a situation where it does not have the correct answer to one of these three checks, it has the last resort option of using Baton Pass to get itself out of a tough position without sacrificing the boosts that its team worked so hard to build up. Boost preservation is a sacred thing in Baton Pass chains and this Pokemon is determined to keep things going even if it gets walled.

Munna

Munna @ Berry Juice
Ability: Synchronize
Level: 5
EVs: 68 HP / 80 Def / 168 Spd / 80 SDef / 64 SAtk
Timid Nature
IVs: 30 Def / 30 SAtk / 30 SDef / 30 Spd
- Baton Pass
- Calm Mind
- Stored Power
- Hidden Power [Fighting] / Signal Beam / Dazzling Gleam

Munna functions best late in a Baton Pass chain after many boosts have been accumulated. It may seem like a docile Pokemon that isn't capable of very much, but a closer look at its purpose will reveal the true strength it possesses. Stored Power has an appallingly weak 20 Base Power under normal conditions, but its power increases by 20 for each positive stat stage the user has, and does not decrease in power due to negative stat changes. An interesting fact about this is that Munna does not have to rack up these boosts on its own in order to trigger this power increase, which means that it can channel the merits of every boost in the entire Baton Pass chain to blast away with a freakishly strong STAB attack that easily OHKOs pretty much anything that doesn't resist or is immune to it; for example, assuming there's +2 in every stat, Munna will be destroying enemies with a 220 Base Power STAB attack at +2 (the Special Attack boost is factored into the stat like usual as well, which further increases the damage output). HP Fighting is the optimal coverage move for super effectively hitting the Dark-types that are immune to Stored Power, as well as the Steel-types that resist it; this leaves Munna walled by other Psychic-types, however. Alternatively, Signal Beam can be used to hit Dark-types super effectively as well as Psychic-types, though this leaves Munna walled by Steel-types; it's generally better to be walled by Psychics though, since Munna resists their STAB as it is, but it ultimately depends on your preference and your team. Vullaby can give Munna problems, as it is immune to Stored Power and only takes neutral damage from HP Fighting and Signal Beam, so Dazzling Gleam can be ideal specifically for this issue, as it is a significant one.

Inkay

Inkay @ Berry Juice
Ability: Contrary / Suction Cups
Level: 5
EVs: 164 Atk / 140 SAtk / 76 Spd / 68 SDef / 12 Def / 12 HP
Bashful Nature
- Psycho Cut
- Night Slash
- Superpower / Rock Slide / Taunt
- Flamethrower

Inkay is probably the most unique Baton Pass anchor (end of the chain) in XY Little Cup. The set here uses a flat nature that doesn't increase or decrease any stat, and EVs that set all the stats at even numbers, so that Inkay can make the most of all the boosts it receives, and it will likely not want any of its stats to be hindered in order to achieve full efficiency. If Focus Energy is passed to Inkay, it will score critical hits 100% of the time with its STAB Psycho Cut and Night Slash (as well as crits 50% of the time on its other moves), which is beyond scary. Inkay's access to the Suction Cups ability is what makes it such an awesome Baton Pass recipient, as it can never be forcibly switched out from battle while having its collected boosts nullified in the process. However, an interesting fact about the Contrary ability is that it does not reverse the stat changes that its carrier receives via Baton Pass... it only reverses the stat changes that affect Inkay while it is the active Pokemon, meaning you can pass all boosts to Inkay, keep them, and then get an additional +1 Attack and Defense every time Superpower is used; the only downside to running Contrary is that you won't have Suction Cups to protect you from being phazed. In the case of using Suction Cups, you might find that it's a bad idea to have Superpower taking away your hard earned boosts with no way to get them back again, and so Flamethrower is an additional option to hit the Steel-types that wall the STAB attacks. Inkay has trouble with Fairy-types and also has a painstaking 4x weakness to Bug, but aside from these things, it's an absolute demon to face in battle at the end of a Baton Pass chain.

Lileep

Lileep @ Eviolite
Ability: Suction Cups
Level: 5
EVs: 144 Def / 112 SAtk / 64 SDef / 172 Spd
Timid Nature
- Giga Drain
- Ancient Power
- Earth Power
- Stockpile / Hidden Power [Flying]

Lileep does not care about anything once it enters battle as the final link of a Baton Pass chain. Its impressive overall bulk is exaggerated to frustrating heights after being passed defensive boosts, and its STAB Giga Drain makes it into a painful, life-draining, killing machine. Ancient Power is its other obligatory STAB attack, and it slams many Grass-resistant enemies for super effective damage. For the Steel-types that wall Lileep's STAB moves, there's Earth Power. Stockpile can be used to give Lileep an even greater defensive advantage and also further urge the opponent to ragequit, but alternatively, HP Flying can be used to hit Fighting-types a little harder than Giga Drain. In addition to Suction Cups preventing Lileep from being forced to switch and lose its stat buffs, the new Generation VI mechanics also make Lileep immune to powder based moves, including Spore, Stun Spore, and Sleep Powder, making it even harder to get around. Lileep does have a good few notable weak points as far as type advantages against it, and these might have mattered if Giga Drain didn't restore so much health while dealing so much damage at the same time. Toxic Stall might seem like an ideal way of dealing with Lileep, but after it gets its boosts, the opponent likely will not have the available turns left to be able to successfully stall it out when there's Giga Drain recovery. The only Pokemon Lileep might have a little trouble with is Bronzor, which walls Lileep entirely; other than that, it will suck you dry if it manages to complete the chain.

Baton Pass Weaknesses

Topsy-Turvy - There is no greater insult to Baton Pass chains than this one move. It literally converts every single accumulated boost into a stat drop that reflects the opposite of its original change. Inkay is the only Pokemon in XY Little Cup with access to Topsy-Turvy, and so it won't be seen super often, but nonetheless, this is a huge "Fuck you" to Baton Pass. This move is blocked by Taunt and Substitute.

Haze - This move eliminates all stat changes of all Pokemon in battle. Anything that uses this can completely ruin everything Baton Pass hopes to accomplish. Thankfully, not many Pokemon use this move commonly, but it is currently seeing some use on Murkrow. This move is blocked by Taunt, but not by Substitute.

Unaware - This ability ignores all of the stat changes of anything as far as moves between the boosted mon and the Unaware mon (something with Mold Breaker could get by this but unfortunately there are no compatible Baton Pass users). While this does not remove the stat bonuses, it makes them obsolete as long as the Unaware carrier is active in battle. It should be noted, however, that Unaware does not ignore the Base Power increase that boosts give to the move Stored Power, and so it will retain its accumulated strength. This ability cannot be suppressed or bypassed by anything an XY Little Cup Baton Pass mon can pull off, outside of Gastro Acid Shelmet, Worry Seed Sewaddle, and Worry Seed Deerling. Thankfully, most Pokemon that get this ability have sub-par defensive stats and are relatively easy to kill, such as Wooper and Woobat.

Clear Smog - This stat-resetting move is more common than Haze and also actually deals damage. It can be problematic for Baton Pass teams early on in battles, but is generally not an issue later on after boosts accumulate, as it will become difficult for Clear Smog to break through Substitutes. This move is not blocked by Taunt, but its stat-resetting effect will not trigger against a Substitute or a Steel-type Pokemon.

Taunt/Encore - Taunt prevents Baton Pass Pokemon from stacking boosts or passing them, severely limiting their options and most of the time forcing a switch that causes their stat boosts to disappear. Encore locks its target into the move it used last for three turns, and almost always puts a Baton Pass Pokemon into a horrible position. These moves can be prevented by a Pokemon within the chain using a Taunt of their own as long as they are able to deploy the move first. These moves are not blocked by Substitute.

Phazing - The moves Roar, Whirlwind, Circle Throw, and Dragon Tail force their target to switch out and lose their stat changes in the process. The item Red Card will also force a switch against the foe if the holder is attacked and not knocked out by the hit. Roar and Whirlwind are blocked by Taunt. Circle Throw and Dragon Tail are not blocked by Taunt but their forced switching effect does not trigger against Substitutes; additionally, Circle Throw does nothing against Ghost-types and Dragon Tail does nothing against Fairy-types. The ability Suction Cups, as in the case of Inkay and Lileep, voids the forced switching effects of everything mentioned in this segment, but Circle Throw and Dragon Tail will still deal damage normally.

Perish Song - This move is uncommon, but it gives all Pokemon that hear it 3 turns to leave the battlefield or they will faint. The effect of this move becomes part of the Baton Pass chain and will not end unless the affected mon switches out manually and loses their stat changes. This move is blocked by Taunt, as well as the Soundproof ability, but only if the Soundproof Pokemon is present at the time Perish Song is used; being exposed to Perish Song and then passing to a Soundproof Pokemon with Baton Pass will not void the effect of this move. This move is not blocked by Substitute.

Curse (Ghost-type) - While not a very commonly seen move, Curse from a Ghost-type will deplete 1/4 of the target's health every turn. The effect of this move becomes part of the Baton Pass chain and will not end without the stat changes being erased by means of either fainting or making a manual switch. This move is blocked by Taunt.

Leech Seed - This doesn't necessarily screw up Baton Pass, but it is highly annoying. The health sapping effect of this move becomes part of the Baton Pass chain and can only be ended with Rapid Spin. Even though Grass-types themselves are immune to Leech Seed, passing to a Grass-type teammate with Baton Pass will not remove it from the chain and it will continue to sap the Grass-type in this scenario as if it weren't immune. This move is blocked by Taunt and Substitute.

Trick/Switcheroo + Choice Item - This can really throw a wrench in Baton Pass chains if the user of it manages to move before you can, because you will be locked into whatever move you selected that turn, and forced to either switch or die shortly after. It's not so horrible if they swap items with you after you move, because at least then, you can select Baton Pass next turn and pass to something else while retaining your boosts. These moves have different names but do the exact same thing; both are also blocked by Taunt and Substitute.

I have added below some recommended changes to the OP.

Renwit355 said:
Notable Moves )I listed only Moves that are known by Baton Passers and list the names of pokemon for Moves known by two or less pokemon (Except for Wish)):
Aqua Ring:Buizel
Assist:Skitty&Sentret
Dual Screens (Reflect+Light Screen)
Focus Energy
Mind Reader
Power Trick:Gligar&Meditite
Psych Up(+Swagger)
Substitute:Any Pokemon
Wish:Eevee, Skitty, and Togepi
Stat Boosting Moves

Acid Armor:Shelmet
Acupressure:Meditite
Agility
Amnesia:Drifloon&Sentret
Ancient Power:Togepi
Barrier:Mime Jr.&Munna
Bulk Up
Calm Mind
Charge Beam
Cosmic Power:Skitty&Buneary
Curse
Defense Curl
Fell Stringer:Surskit
Flame Charge:Torchic
Harden:Gligar
Hone Claws
Iron Defense:Sewaddle
Metal Claw:Gligar
Nasty Plot:Aipom&Mime Jr.
Ominous Wind
Power-Up Punch
Rock Polish:Gligar
Silver Wind
Steel Wing:Gligar
Stockpile:Dlifloon
Sword Dance
Tailwind?
Work Up

While it's great that you mentioned all of the moves that can potentially be passed, a good many of them should be either noted as nonviable and/or impractical, or just omitted from the list altogether. I'll start from the top.

Aqua Ring passing via Baton Pass is awesome, but I'm not sure if Buizel has anything close to the defensive stats necessary to just use up turns for something like this without risking death.

Assist does not belong in this list at all; it calls a random move from the moveset of one of your allies and has nothing to do with passing boosts.

Dual Screens are great, but they aren't permanent, and they can help teammates take hits better without Baton Pass. Bulk Up is better than Reflect and Calm Mind is better than Light Screen here, as the offensive stats are increased as well as the ability to take hits, and the effects of them do not wear off on their own.

Mind Reader passes with Baton Pass but has no competitive value in Little Cup, as OHKO moves are banned and inaccurate moves like Zap Cannon are always forgone in favor of Thunderbolt; the mons that make use of Dynamicpunch in Little Cup have No Guard to assure that they don't miss.

Power Trick has little competitive value and there is really nothing gained by having Gligar or Meditite switch their Attack and Defense stats; Gligar can increase its power far more efficiently with Swords Dance, and Meditite likes its Attack stat the way it is.

Psych Up is an interesting move that lets you copy your opponent's stat changes, but when you're against a boosting sweeper, attempting to copy their boosts has a lot of risk involved when you have to take a turn to use Psych Up and then another turn to pass the boosts, and then you realize you just gave a setup sweeper two free turns without even damaging it.

Acupressure is fun but it's generally not competitive at all, because competitive players usually want to choose which stat they're boosting and not have one increase at random; this is a bad idea to be included with a Baton Pass chain because of the high chance of not getting what you need weighed against the fact that you took a turn to roll the dice for it.

Agility is made almost entirely unnecessary since Speed Boost Torchic exists.

Ancient Power is not reliable enough to count on the boosts to be able to add them to a chain. Togepi gets Serene Grace, which makes the chance of the Ancient Power boost 20%, but it is still pretty unreliable. It probably feels awesome to get the boost in this scenario, but you will often not get it when you need it. Silver Wind and Ominous Wind also fall into a similar category.

Defense Curl and Harden are doubly outclassed by Iron Defense and Acid Armor and are generally not worth using. Defense Curl can allow Rollout to do more, but a Baton Pass user does not want to lock him/herself into a move for 5 turns when the opportunity to capitalize on something else will surely be missed.

Metal Claw and Steel Wing also only have a small chance of providing boosts, and are thus not very reliable or deserving of moveslots on teams that aim to pass boosts with Baton Pass.

Tailwind can function outside of Baton Pass, but that's beside the point. Tailwind offers doubled Speed for the user's whole team for four turns, and then it goes away. 2 Speed Boosts from Torchic offers the same thing and never goes away as long as the Baton Pass chain is kept intact.

Work Up is awesome for what it does, and even though it raises both offensive stats, this move struggles to find a moveslot on even mixed sweepers with the most colorful of movepools. Bulk Up and Calm Mind are generally better than Work Up in every way, especially since most mons in LC are either physically or specially based, and it will be even harder to justify this move on a Baton Pass team when so many others are available.

Renwit355 said:
Current Questions:
Are the Defense Boosts of Stockpile Passable?
Are there any other Moves not listed that could be helpful to a Baton Pass Chain? Taunt, Torment, Recovery, Snatch, Knock Off?

The Defense and Special Defense boosts of Stockpile can be passed with Baton Pass, but the only Pokemon in XY Little Cup with access to both Baton Pass and Stockpile is Drifloon.

Taunt is definitely helpful to carry on a Baton Pass chain. Recovery is always nice, but due to the crammed movesets of Baton Pass teams, it's generally only good on moves that also deal damage, such as Giga Drain or Drain Punch. The other moves you mentioned are pretty situational and not very useful; Knock Off is incredible but since the objective for Baton Pass is to get boosts up and maintain momentum, it will find a hard time seeing use in a moveset for this kind of strategy, not to mention a free turn to use it in battle.

Star · Jan 20, 2014

Goddess Briyella said:
Torchic

Torchic @ Eviolite
Ability: Speed Boost
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Def / 36 SAtk / 196 SDef / 76 Spd
Bold Nature
- Baton Pass
- Protect
- Fire Blast / Substitute
- Swords Dance / Focus Energy / Curse

Torchic is the most ideal lead for any kind of Baton Pass strategy in XY Little Cup, whether it's meant to pass boosts to just one teammate or if it's meant to be the first link of a Baton Pass chain. Protect allows Torchic to receive +1 Speed safely, without taking any damage. Fire Blast is the almost obligatory STAB attack on the set if you want to be able to actually hurt something, and to keep you from being completely shut down by Taunt if a foe uses it to stop you from passing boosts. Substitute is an alternative option that is incredible if you're able to pass it along with boosts; a lot of people like to think there isn't enough room on the set for Substitute but it can be used to block annoying status moves, and comes particularly in handy while facing opposing leads that like to use Stealth Rock or Sticky Web on the first turn, as they will allow you to set up a Substitute unharmed. Swords Dance is generally the most immediately effective option for boosting stats other than Speed, if you're thinking about offense. Focus Energy may seem niche or gimmicky, and has less immediate profit, but if used in a chain, a recipient later on may appreciate the added critical hit rate, especially if they have a move that already has a good chance for a critical hit, which actually ends up with a 100% crit rate (Focus Energy + high crit move) when the combination is successfully linked together. Curse may also seem like an odd option here, but it's actually equivalent to a Bulk Up boost, since Speed Boost will nullify Curse's Speed drop. Speed can still be gained without losing it by way of Protect, and can be used to also pass Defense boosts to teammates in addition to Attack and Speed. Notable is that Torchic survives an Earthquake from offensive Gligar with this spread.

Mienfoo

Mienfoo @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 76 Atk / 116 Def / 36 SDef / 236 Spd
Impish Nature
- Baton Pass
- Substitute
- Bulk Up / Swords Dance
- Drain Punch / Taunt

Mienfoo is well suited for passing physically based boosts as well as Substitutes, and can maintain its own longevity throughout battles quite well by way of STAB Drain Punch and Regenerator. After gaining +1 Defense, Mienfoo's Substitutes are no longer easy to break in one hit with neutral attacks, and this can actually be capitalized on in advance if Torchic uses Curse as its boosting move. This set is designed to serve as a physical tank of sorts, and if used in a Baton Pass chain, is an ideal partner for Torchic to pass its boosts to if the active enemy at the time of the pass is a physical attacker (preferably one that does not have a super effective attack). Swords Dance can be used without Torchic to catch opponents off guard and overwhelm them by passing boosts to an even more powerful physically inclined Pokemon, such as Murkrow; if you're using Torchic on the same team, Mienfoo is much better off using Bulk Up for the physically defensive security it can add to itself as well as its Baton Pass recipient, or a Baton Pass chain if that's the kind of team it's working with. Taunt is an option over Drain Punch if you absolutely want the security of preventing foes from attempting to phaze your boosts; it will leave you without any attacking options, but it will surely keep your boosts intact. Calm Mind is also an option available to Mienfoo, but it is generally much better to use Mienfoo for passing Bulk Up, since it is the best Bulk Up passer in the tier, after all, and special boosts can be stacked using Pokemon better designed for dealing with special attacks, such as Mime Jr.

Mime Jr.

Mime Jr. @ Eviolite
Ability: Filter
Level: 5
EVs: 156 Def / 116 SAtk / 196 SDef / 40 Spd
Bold Nature
- Baton Pass
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Psychic / Barrier / Taunt / Encore

Mime Jr. is well suited for passing specially based boosts as well as Substitutes, and does it quite well with its high special bulk and with its Filter ability reducing the damage taken from super effective hits. Something significant about Mime Jr. this generation is that its retyping to Psychic/Fairy grants it not only a 4x resistance to Fighting, but also a neutrality to Dark and Bug, two types it was annoyingly weak to in the past. Breaking Mime Jr's Substitute in one hit with a special attack is difficult after it gets only one Calm Mind boost under its belt, and this often allows Mime Jr. to pass it to a teammate in addition to its Calm Mind boosts. This set is designed to serve as a special tank that can also deal with physical attacks somewhat well, and if used in a Baton Pass chain, is an ideal partner for Torchic to pass its boosts to if the active enemy at the time of the pass is a special attacker (preferably one that does not have a super effective attack). Psychic is the strongest attack available to Mime Jr. (besides Future Sight, which is now 120 Base Power), and it actually hits very hard after a boost or two. Barrier can be used to add +2 Defense to a Baton Pass chain and can be very useful if you predict your opponent to switch to a physically inclined enemy to try and hit Mime Jr's weaker defensive stat; Mime Jr. actually survives two Brave Bird hits from Life Orb MixKrow at +2 Defense. Taunt can be used to ward off status moves that the opposition might employ to screw up your boosts, while Encore is an option that punishes foes for trying to lay hazards or set up their own stat boosts alongside your chain. Notable is that Filter with this spread lets Mime Jr. comfortably survive two Bullet Punches from Meditite, despite being weak to it.

Gligar

Gligar @ Berry Juice
Ability: Hyper Cutter
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Spd / 236 Atk
Jolly Nature
- Baton Pass
- Substitute / Swords Dance
- Earthquake / Swords Dance / Taunt
- Acrobatics

Gligar is an amazing Baton Pass user as both a lead and a receiver, thanks to its fantastic bulk, few weaknesses, and the huge amount of relevant resistances provided to it by its unique typing. Its high Speed, courtesy of Jolly nature and 236 Speed EVs, allows it opportunities to function as a Baton Pass lead, getting up a Substitute or a Swords Dance boost without much trouble. The fact that Gligar applies a lot of offensive pressure in many cases also greatly assists it with setting up, as fleeing foes desperately seek a more comfortable matchup. It is also usually rarely expected that Gligar would serve as the initiator of a Baton Pass strategy, so it will catch opponents off guard a lot of the time. It often can wreak havoc on its own without even having to pass boosts, as Swords Dance puts Gligar's Attack power through the ceiling, and its STAB Earthquake + Acrobatics combination is walled only by Archen and Bronzor (also Tynamo if you want to be technical but it literally cannot touch Gligar anyway). Gligar also makes a very ideal recipient of boosts passed from Torchic, particularly if Torchic is being threatened by an impending Ground-type attack. It's commendable that Torchic also covers Gligar's 4x Ice weakness, and thus the two can switch back and forth with Baton Pass if necessary while preserving their accumulated boosts, but it should also be noted that Gligar and Torchic compound a weakness to Water. A bulkier spread can be used if Gligar is planned specifically to be only a receiver or part of a chain, but Berry Juice will still remain the optimal item for powering up Acrobatics after having taken so much damage. Whether Gligar is initiating, passing, or making use of the boosts it gains, it is an offensive nightmare for most teams, and it will mow them down without mercy if they lack preparation.

Meditite

Meditite @ Eviolite
Ability: Pure Power
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Atk / 76 Def / 196 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Baton Pass
- Drain Punch
- Zen Headbutt
- Ice Punch / Thunder Punch / Fire Punch

Meditite functions best in a Baton Pass chain as a receiver of boosts that only passes them on when it absolutely has to. After being given boosts to its Speed and Attack, Meditite can really brew destruction on the battlefield, largely because of the offensive potential it already has courtesy of its Pure Power ability, which literally doubles its Attack stat (making it initially a whopping 28 before any boosts are even factored in). Unless you're putting in the work to also pass Meditite some welcome defensive buffs, the most challenging part of having Meditite receive boosts from Baton Pass is getting it in safely; weaknesses to Ghost, Flying, and Fairy are not exactly flattering for it, and Gale Wings Fletchling poses an annoyingly sufficient threat to it in particular. After it gets in, however, Meditite can knock holes in the opposition with its STAB attacks, and Drain Punch even provides recovery after having lost health. The final moveslot decides what Meditite check you will be able to beat. Ice Punch is necessary for taking down Gligar, Thunder Punch is needed to lay waste to Slowpoke, and Fire Punch is required to beat Honedge. If Meditite finds itself in a situation where it does not have the correct answer to one of these three checks, it has the last resort option of using Baton Pass to get itself out of a tough position without sacrificing the boosts that its team worked so hard to build up. Boost preservation is a sacred thing in Baton Pass chains and this Pokemon is determined to keep things going even if it gets walled.

Munna

Munna @ Berry Juice
Ability: Synchronize
Level: 5
EVs: 68 HP / 80 Def / 168 Spd / 80 SDef / 64 SAtk
Timid Nature
IVs: 30 Def / 30 SAtk / 30 SDef / 30 Spd
- Baton Pass
- Calm Mind
- Stored Power
- Hidden Power [Fighting] / Signal Beam / Dazzling Gleam

Munna functions best late in a Baton Pass chain after many boosts have been accumulated. It may seem like a docile Pokemon that isn't capable of very much, but a closer look at its purpose will reveal the true strength it possesses. Stored Power has an appallingly weak 20 Base Power under normal conditions, but its power increases by 20 for each positive stat stage the user has, and does not decrease in power due to negative stat changes. An interesting fact about this is that Munna does not have to rack up these boosts on its own in order to trigger this power increase, which means that it can channel the merits of every boost in the entire Baton Pass chain to blast away with a freakishly strong STAB attack that easily OHKOs pretty much anything that doesn't resist or is immune to it; for example, assuming there's +2 in every stat, Munna will be destroying enemies with a 220 Base Power STAB attack at +2 (the Special Attack boost is factored into the stat like usual as well, which further increases the damage output). HP Fighting is the optimal coverage move for super effectively hitting the Dark-types that are immune to Stored Power, as well as the Steel-types that resist it; this leaves Munna walled by other Psychic-types, however. Alternatively, Signal Beam can be used to hit Dark-types super effectively as well as Psychic-types, though this leaves Munna walled by Steel-types; it's generally better to be walled by Psychics though, since Munna resists their STAB as it is, but it ultimately depends on your preference and your team. Vullaby can give Munna problems, as it is immune to Stored Power and only takes neutral damage from HP Fighting and Signal Beam, so Dazzling Gleam can be ideal specifically for this issue, as it is a significant one.

Inkay

Inkay @ Berry Juice
Ability: Contrary / Suction Cups
Level: 5
EVs: 164 Atk / 140 SAtk / 76 Spd / 68 SDef / 12 Def / 12 HP
Bashful Nature
- Psycho Cut
- Night Slash
- Superpower / Rock Slide / Taunt
- Flamethrower

Inkay is probably the most unique Baton Pass anchor (end of the chain) in XY Little Cup. The set here uses a flat nature that doesn't increase or decrease any stat, and EVs that set all the stats at even numbers, so that Inkay can make the most of all the boosts it receives, and it will likely not want any of its stats to be hindered in order to achieve full efficiency. If Focus Energy is passed to Inkay, it will score critical hits 100% of the time with its STAB Psycho Cut and Night Slash (as well as crits 50% of the time on its other moves), which is beyond scary. Inkay's access to the Suction Cups ability is what makes it such an awesome Baton Pass recipient, as it can never be forcibly switched out from battle while having its collected boosts nullified in the process. However, an interesting fact about the Contrary ability is that it does not reverse the stat changes that its carrier receives via Baton Pass... it only reverses the stat changes that affect Inkay while it is the active Pokemon, meaning you can pass all boosts to Inkay, keep them, and then get an additional +1 Attack and Defense every time Superpower is used; the only downside to running Contrary is that you won't have Suction Cups to protect you from being phazed. In the case of using Suction Cups, you might find that it's a bad idea to have Superpower taking away your hard earned boosts with no way to get them back again, and so Flamethrower is an additional option to hit the Steel-types that wall the STAB attacks. Inkay has trouble with Fairy-types and also has a painstaking 4x weakness to Bug, but aside from these things, it's an absolute demon to face in battle at the end of a Baton Pass chain.

Lileep

Lileep @ Eviolite
Ability: Suction Cups
Level: 5
EVs: 144 Def / 112 SAtk / 64 SDef / 172 Spd
Timid Nature
- Giga Drain
- Ancient Power
- Earth Power
- Stockpile / Hidden Power [Flying]

Lileep does not care about anything once it enters battle as the final link of a Baton Pass chain. Its impressive overall bulk is exaggerated to frustrating heights after being passed defensive boosts, and its STAB Giga Drain makes it into a painful, life-draining, killing machine. Ancient Power is its other obligatory STAB attack, and it slams many Grass-resistant enemies for super effective damage. For the Steel-types that wall Lileep's STAB moves, there's Earth Power. Stockpile can be used to give Lileep an even greater defensive advantage and also further urge the opponent to ragequit, but alternatively, HP Flying can be used to hit Fighting-types a little harder than Giga Drain. In addition to Suction Cups preventing Lileep from being forced to switch and lose its stat buffs, the new Generation VI mechanics also make Lileep immune to powder based moves, including Spore, Stun Spore, and Sleep Powder, making it even harder to get around. Lileep does have a good few notable weak points as far as type advantages against it, and these might have mattered if Giga Drain didn't restore so much health while dealing so much damage at the same time. Toxic Stall might seem like an ideal way of dealing with Lileep, but after it gets its boosts, the opponent likely will not have the available turns left to be able to successfully stall it out when there's Giga Drain recovery. The only Pokemon Lileep might have a little trouble with is Bronzor, which walls Lileep entirely; other than that, it will suck you dry if it manages to complete the chain.

Baton Pass Weaknesses

Topsy-Turvy - There is no greater insult to Baton Pass chains than this one move. It literally converts every single accumulated boost into a stat drop that reflects the opposite of its original change. Inkay is the only Pokemon in XY Little Cup with access to Topsy-Turvy, and so it won't be seen super often, but nonetheless, this is a huge "Fuck you" to Baton Pass. This move is blocked by Taunt and Substitute.

Haze - This move eliminates all stat changes of all Pokemon in battle. Anything that uses this can completely ruin everything Baton Pass hopes to accomplish. Thankfully, not many Pokemon use this move commonly, but it is currently seeing some use on Murkrow. This move is blocked by Taunt, but not by Substitute.

Unaware - This ability ignores all of the stat changes of anything as far as moves between the boosted mon and the Unaware mon (something with Mold Breaker could get by this but unfortunately there are no compatible Baton Pass users). While this does not remove the stat bonuses, it makes them obsolete as long as the Unaware carrier is active in battle. It should be noted, however, that Unaware does not ignore the Base Power increase that boosts give to the move Stored Power, and so it will retain its accumulated strength. This ability cannot be suppressed or bypassed by anything an XY Little Cup Baton Pass mon can pull off, outside of Gastro Acid Shelmet, Worry Seed Sewaddle, and Worry Seed Deerling. Thankfully, most Pokemon that get this ability have sub-par defensive stats and are relatively easy to kill, such as Wooper and Woobat.

Clear Smog - This stat-resetting move is more common than Haze and also actually deals damage. It can be problematic for Baton Pass teams early on in battles, but is generally not an issue later on after boosts accumulate, as it will become difficult for Clear Smog to break through Substitutes. This move is not blocked by Taunt, but its stat-resetting effect will not trigger against a Substitute or a Steel-type Pokemon.

Taunt/Encore - Taunt prevents Baton Pass Pokemon from stacking boosts or passing them, severely limiting their options and most of the time forcing a switch that causes their stat boosts to disappear. Encore locks its target into the move it used last for three turns, and almost always puts a Baton Pass Pokemon into a horrible position. These moves can be prevented by a Pokemon within the chain using a Taunt of their own as long as they are able to deploy the move first. These moves are not blocked by Substitute.

Phazing - The moves Roar, Whirlwind, Circle Throw, and Dragon Tail force their target to switch out and lose their stat changes in the process. The item Red Card will also force a switch against the foe if the holder is attacked and not knocked out by the hit. Roar and Whirlwind are blocked by Taunt. Circle Throw and Dragon Tail are not blocked by Taunt but their forced switching effect does not trigger against Substitutes; additionally, Circle Throw does nothing against Ghost-types and Dragon Tail does nothing against Fairy-types. The ability Suction Cups, as in the case of Inkay and Lileep, voids the forced switching effects of everything mentioned in this segment, but Circle Throw and Dragon Tail will still deal damage normally.

Perish Song - This move is uncommon, but it gives all Pokemon that hear it 3 turns to leave the battlefield or they will faint. The effect of this move becomes part of the Baton Pass chain and will not end unless the affected mon switches out manually and loses their stat changes. This move is blocked by Taunt, as well as the Soundproof ability, but only if the Soundproof Pokemon is present at the time Perish Song is used; being exposed to Perish Song and then passing to a Soundproof Pokemon with Baton Pass will not void the effect of this move. This move is not blocked by Substitute.

Curse (Ghost-type) - While not a very commonly seen move, Curse from a Ghost-type will deplete 1/4 of the target's health every turn. The effect of this move becomes part of the Baton Pass chain and will not end without the stat changes being erased by means of either fainting or making a manual switch. This move is blocked by Taunt.

Leech Seed - This doesn't necessarily screw up Baton Pass, but it is highly annoying. The health sapping effect of this move becomes part of the Baton Pass chain and can only be ended with Rapid Spin. Even though Grass-types themselves are immune to Leech Seed, passing to a Grass-type teammate with Baton Pass will not remove it from the chain and it will continue to sap the Grass-type in this scenario as if it weren't immune. This move is blocked by Taunt and Substitute.

Trick/Switcheroo + Choice Item - This can really throw a wrench in Baton Pass chains if the user of it manages to move before you can, because you will be locked into whatever move you selected that turn, and forced to either switch or die shortly after. It's not so horrible if they swap items with you after you move, because at least then, you can select Baton Pass next turn and pass to something else while retaining your boosts. These moves have different names but do the exact same thing; both are also blocked by Taunt and Substitute.

I have added below some recommended changes to the OP.

While it's great that you mentioned all of the moves that can potentially be passed, a good many of them should be either noted as nonviable and/or impractical, or just omitted from the list altogether. I'll start from the top.

Aqua Ring passing via Baton Pass is awesome, but I'm not sure if Buizel has anything close to the defensive stats necessary to just use up turns for something like this without risking death.

Assist does not belong in this list at all; it calls a random move from the moveset of one of your allies and has nothing to do with passing boosts.

Dual Screens are great, but they aren't permanent, and they can help teammates take hits better without Baton Pass. Bulk Up is better than Reflect and Calm Mind is better than Light Screen here, as the offensive stats are increased as well as the ability to take hits, and the effects of them do not wear off on their own.

Mind Reader passes with Baton Pass but has no competitive value in Little Cup, as OHKO moves are banned and inaccurate moves like Zap Cannon are always forgone in favor of Thunderbolt; the mons that make use of Dynamicpunch in Little Cup have No Guard to assure that they don't miss.

Power Trick has little competitive value and there is really nothing gained by having Gligar or Meditite switch their Attack and Defense stats; Gligar can increase its power far more efficiently with Swords Dance, and Meditite likes its Attack stat the way it is.

Psych Up is an interesting move that lets you copy your opponent's stat changes, but when you're against a boosting sweeper, attempting to copy their boosts has a lot of risk involved when you have to take a turn to use Psych Up and then another turn to pass the boosts, and then you realize you just gave a setup sweeper two free turns without even damaging it.

Acupressure is fun but it's generally not competitive at all, because competitive players usually want to choose which stat they're boosting and not have one increase at random; this is a bad idea to be included with a Baton Pass chain because of the high chance of not getting what you need weighed against the fact that you took a turn to roll the dice for it.

Agility is made almost entirely unnecessary since Speed Boost Torchic exists.

Ancient Power is not reliable enough to count on the boosts to be able to add them to a chain. Togepi gets Serene Grace, which makes the chance of the Ancient Power boost 20%, but it is still pretty unreliable. It probably feels awesome to get the boost in this scenario, but you will often not get it when you need it. Silver Wind and Ominous Wind also fall into a similar category.

Defense Curl and Harden are doubly outclassed by Iron Defense and Acid Armor and are generally not worth using. Defense Curl can allow Rollout to do more, but a Baton Pass user does not want to lock him/herself into a move for 5 turns when the opportunity to capitalize on something else will surely be missed.

Metal Claw and Steel Wing also only have a small chance of providing boosts, and are thus not very reliable or deserving of moveslots on teams that aim to pass boosts with Baton Pass.

Tailwind can function outside of Baton Pass, but that's beside the point. Tailwind offers doubled Speed for the user's whole team for four turns, and then it goes away. 2 Speed Boosts from Torchic offers the same thing and never goes away as long as the Baton Pass chain is kept intact.

Work Up is awesome for what it does, and even though it raises both offensive stats, this move struggles to find a moveslot on even mixed sweepers with the most colorful of movepools. Bulk Up and Calm Mind are generally better than Work Up in every way, especially since most mons in LC are either physically or specially based, and it will be even harder to justify this move on a Baton Pass team when so many others are available.

The Defense and Special Defense boosts of Stockpile can be passed with Baton Pass, but the only Pokemon in XY Little Cup with access to both Baton Pass and Stockpile is Drifloon.

Taunt is definitely helpful to carry on a Baton Pass chain. Recovery is always nice, but due to the crammed movesets of Baton Pass teams, it's generally only good on moves that also deal damage, such as Giga Drain or Drain Punch. The other moves you mentioned are pretty situational and not very useful; Knock Off is incredible but since the objective for Baton Pass is to get boosts up and maintain momentum, it will find a hard time seeing use in a moveset for this kind of strategy, not to mention a free turn to use it in battle.

Ok that post was longer than my English term paper. Just one small nitpick on the Lileep receiver is that Ingrain can be used over Stockpile to prevent being phazed out and then you can use Storm Drain for the ability so you don't get destroyed by a water type move crit. Recovery always helps. Honestly, this isn't really a big change just an option if you want.

Goddess Briyella · Jan 20, 2014

Starmaster said:
Ok that post was longer than my English term paper. Just one small nitpick on the Lileep receiver is that Ingrain can be used over Stockpile to prevent being phazed out and then you can use Storm Drain for the ability so you don't get destroyed by a water type move crit. Recovery always helps. Honestly, this isn't really a big change just an option if you want.

Suction Cups ability already prevents being forced to switch without requiring a moveslot. Giga Drain will also be healing a lot more than Ingrain. Storm Drain is additionally unnecessary due to the fact that Lileep is not weak to Water and also the fact that enemies who get STAB on Water-type attacks are hit super effectively by STAB Giga Drain anyway. For exceptions like Mantyke, Ancient Power is super effective.

Renwit355 · Jan 20, 2014

When I made this thread, I had the mind set of using a dedicated Baton Pass team. so I will list as many things as possible to help people wanting to do the same (But I will move less viable move into a separate section away from the more viable one).

I meant to list why some of the moves are (some-what) viable. Assist could let a Passer use a boosting move it does not normally have (or maybe recovery), and, now that I think about it, it could allow a non-Baton Pass knowing pokemon to baton pass (ado, it may not be that reliable). does having multiple copies of a move in your team increase the chance of using that move compared to less used move or do all moves have the same chance?

You could just Dual Screens right before passing to your sweeper. true, you could calm mind or bulk up instead and enough of them provide more protection than both screens, but to reach an equal amount of protection, it would take 4 turn to set up, compared to two turns. Cosmic power does that in two turns too, but you would have less protection the first turn compared to the protection of the proper Screen.

Yeah, Mind Reader is outclassed by Hone Claws.

I'm not sure if you know, but Power Trick can be Passed, and could help the receiver (make them bulkier or, in cubone's case, stronger than they normally could). basically, power Trick's perks are not limited to Gligar and Meditite.

I would probably use Psych Up with Swagger (relying on your opponent to give you boosts is not attractive) and use it on a non-physically attacking pokemon (a wall or a special Attack). of course, the only thing this combo has over Swords Dance is the possibly Confusion Hax, which is not the best strategy (no matter how good SwagKey looks...). although, it could help Pokes that don't know Swords Dance, but you are probably better off using someone with Swords Dance. if your opponent does set up and you have not started boosting yet, Psych Up could do some of the work yet you do something else while the Opponent's boosting.

Aqua Ring. If I were to use Buizel to pass Aqua Ring, I would first gain some Defensive Boosts, then pass to Buizel. However, Aqua Ring heal only 1/16th of the Pokes HP, and Everyone (except Wailmer and Munchlax) would heal 1 HP per turn, which does not look good to me (I apologize if I do not realize the Power of 1 HP Recovery). I guess it could Negate Life Orb Recoil (if you have low enough HP).

Maybe you could use Acupressure to start a sweep, fish for Evasioness boost, but you will probably want Wish Support to keep Meditite Alive long enough to get all those boosts. plus, it could take a while to get all the boosts you want compared to just using other pokes to reliably get the boosts you want (maybe Acupressure for a few turn, then Pass?).

Yeah, Torchic Outclasses Agility (and Rock Polish?), but what about the Pokes not called Torchic? Ado, Torchic may be the best Speed Passing Poke, but let me show other Options (maybe move Agility to less Viable? also, did you not list Rock Polish for some Reason?)

Ancient Power and friends. Yeah, not very reliable moves (even with Serene grace), just me being thorough. same thing with Metal Claw and Steel Wing (they do work when Taunted, for what it's worth...).

After enough Speed Boosts, Tailwind is outclassed (maybe you can use it when your Chain is ruined or on Pokes without Speec Boosting move?).

Work Up only helps a Mixed Sweeper (or maybe Physical and Special Sweepers Passing Between each other?), so maybe this will be less Viable (Only pokemon who would benefit from Work Up?).

Thank you for you help, especially the Weakness Section! try to not leave anything out, no matter how unviable (for thoroughness). I am thinking about mentioning Sound-based Moves, since they bypass Substitute (but Mime Jr. stops that nonsense).

will add Taunt, Recovery, and Snatch (for the risky people). Torment any good? (revised Current Questions in first post)

Goddess Briyella · Jan 20, 2014

Renwit355 said:
When I made this thread, I had the mind set of using a dedicated Baton Pass team. so I will list as many things as possible to help people wanting to do the same (But I will move less viable move into a separate section away from the more viable one).

I meant to list why some of the moves are (some-what) viable. Assist could let a Passer use a boosting move it does not normally have (or maybe recovery), and, now that I think about it, it could allow a non-Baton Pass knowing pokemon to baton pass (ado, it may not be that reliable). does having multiple copies of a move in your team increase the chance of using that move compared to less used move or do all moves have the same chance?

You could just Dual Screens right before passing to your sweeper. true, you could calm mind or bulk up instead and enough of them provide more protection than both screens, but to reach an equal amount of protection, it would take 4 turn to set up, compared to two turns. Cosmic power does that in two turns too, but you would have less protection the first turn compared to the protection of the proper Screen.

Yeah, Mind Reader is outclassed by Hone Claws.

I'm not sure if you know, but Power Trick can be Passed, and could help the receiver (make them bulkier or, in cubone's case, stronger than they normally could). basically, power Trick's perk are not limited to Gligar and Meditite.

I would probably use Psych Up with Swagger (relying on your opponent to give you boosts is not attractive) and use it on a non-physically attacking pokemon (a wall or a special Attack). of course, the only thing this combo has over Swords Dance is the possibly Confusion Hax, which is not the best strategy (no matter how good SwagKey looks...). although, it could help Pokes that don't know Swords Dance, but you are probably better off using someone with Swords Dance. if your opponent does set up and you have not started boosting yet, Psych Up could do some of the work yet you do something else while the Opponent's boosting.

Aqua Ring. If I were to use Buizel to pass Aqua Ring, I would first gain some Defensive Boosts, then pass to Buizel. However, Aqua Ring heal only 1/16th of the Pokes HP, and Everyone (except Wailmer and Munchlax) would heal 1 HP per turn, which does not look good to me (I apologize if I do not realize the Power of 1 HP Recovery). I guess it could Negate Life Orb Recoil (if you have low enough HP).

Maybe you could use Acupressure to start a sweep, fish for Evasioness boost, but you will probably want Wish Support to keep Meditite Alive long enough to get all those boosts. plus, it could take a while to get all the boosts you want compared to just using other pokes to reliably get the boosts you want (maybe Acupressure for a few turn, then Pass?).

Ancient Power and friends. Yeah, not very reliable moves (even with Serene grace), just me being thorough. same thing with Metal Claw and Steel Wing (they do work when Taunted, for what it's worth...).

After enough Speed Boosts, Tailwind is outclassed (maybe you can use it when your Chain is ruined or on Pokes without Speec Boosting move?).

Work Up only helps a Mixed Sweeper (or maybe Physical and Special Sweepers Passing Between each other?), so maybe this will be less Viable (Only pokemon who would benefit from Work Up?).

Most things with access to Baton Pass in Little Cup die in one or two hits under usual circumstances. Moves that do not have a 100% chance of fulfulling the desired purpose usually result in a wasted effort for this reason. If you aren't increasing the offensive potential of the chain or making yourself harder to kill, you're going to be easily overwhelmed by hard-hitting moves like Murkrow's Brave Bird or Ponyta's Flare Blitz, and fishing around for random moves/boosts has a higher chance of costing you the boosts you accumulated than it does of benefiting your chain. Get what you need and keep the chain moving; there's no time to shop around while the opponent is trying with all their might to beat the hell out of your chain.

Renwit355 said:
Yeah, Torchic Outclasses Agility (and Rock Polish?), but what about the Pokes not called Torchic? Ado, Torchic may be the best Speed Passing Poke, but let me show other Options (maybe move Agility to less Viable? also, did you not list Rock Polish for some Reason?)

Rock Polish does the exact same thing as Agility, and therefore falls into the same category. Torchic's access to Baton Pass and Speed Boost on the same set this generation makes manual boosting of Speed impractical.

Renwit355 said:
Thank you for you help, especially the Weakness Section! try to not leave anything out, no matter how unviable (for thoroughness). I am thinking about mentioning Sound-based Moves, since they bypass Substitute (but Mime Jr. stops that nonsense).

will add Taunt, Recovery, and Snatch (for the risky people). Torment any good? (revised Current Questions in first post)

Certainly!

Sound-based moves do bypass Substitutes this generation, but the only one that is really problematic for Baton Pass chains is Perish Song. Mime Jr. can run Soundproof to prevent this move from disrupting the chain, but Perish Song is not even close to commonly used enough to justify running Soundproof over Filter, since Filter works wonders in keeping Mime Jr. from being overwhelmed by super effective hits.

As stated previously, recovery is great for Baton Pass teams, but usually only in the form of a move that also deals damage (Regenerator ability is obviously viable as well). Moves such as Aqua Ring and Recover are largely unnecessary and take up moveslots that can be used for much more effective options; bear in mind that there are only four moves to a Pokemon. Snatch is highly situational, and there are much more efficient ways of punishing the enemy for attempting to setup alongside you, most notably with Encore.

Ashley11 · Jan 21, 2014

Another pretty neat baton passer is Venonat. Venonat can put things to sleep with its very accurate compound eyes sleep powder, sub up, then continue the chain. It's a good thing to use so you can put threats to sleep you have a hard time with, and it continues your chain!

Also, topsy turvy is a cool move on inkay as a baton pass anchor, it can really combat against other baton pass teams <3

Goddess Briyella · Jan 21, 2014

Something that also deserves a mention in this thread is the use of Dry-Passing (Baton Pass without passing boosts or in-battle effects). It might sound gimmicky or impractical, but it allows the user to have switch advantage against foes that are forced to switch out for fear of being knocked out or against foes that are faster than you but can't quite kill you. Prime examples of this in the current metagame are shown below:

Dry-Passing Example 1

Spinarak is a previously nonviable Little Cup Pokemon that now sees use for the sole purpose of setting Sticky Web. Additional things it gets to play with are Toxic Spikes, Megahorn, and Baton Pass. Let's say it's Turn 1. You lead with Spinarak, and the opponent leads with Mienfoo... pretty standard scenario. Your opponent concludes you're probably running Focus Sash to ensure that Sticky Web goes down, so they use U-turn to break your Focus Sash and switch out to Gligar, a Pokemon that walls Spinarak's STABs and also can use Defog to get rid of Spinarak's entry hazards. This is a pretty good play made by the opponent. Spinarak puts down Sticky Web.

Gligar is in, Spinarak's Focus Sash is broken, and it's the beginning of Turn 2. The opponent realizes that Spinarak is at a huge disadvantage and that Defog can be used now to get rid of Sticky Web, but then they also realize that Spinarak can just set up Sticky Web again later. Acknowledging that there isn't much Spinarak can do to Gligar offensively, the opponent makes the decision to set up Stealth Rock, and later kill off Spinarak and then get rid of Sticky Web after it can no longer be put down again. Gligar uses Stealth Rock and then you use Baton Pass; you get switch advantage since you are last to move, and you can therefore bring in a teammate of your choice without them having to take an attack upon entering the battlefield.

Gothita is your Dry-Pass recipient, and it gets in unscathed, only taking damage from Stealth Rock that it would have had to take later on anyway. With Gothita's combination of Choice Scarf, Shadow Tag ability, and Hidden Power Ice, Gligar is now trapped against something that outspeeds it and is threatened by an attack it has a very small chance of surviving. Gothita outspeeds and hits Gligar with HP Ice, and Gligar faints. Sticky Web remains active and now Spinarak can even be used later to mess with Mienfoo, lay Toxic Spikes, or serve as death fodder when planning to bring in a teammate unharmed later in the match.

Dry-Passing Example 2

Meditite has been an incredible addition to Little Cup since its return at the start of XY, and the great offensive strength provided to it by the Pure Power ability strikes fear into the hearts of opponents, making them want to be able to stop Meditite whenever possible. It is usually not ever able to find space in its moveset for moves that boost its stats, but it does have access to Baton Pass, and can use it to shift momentum in battle without requiring boosts to offer to teammates. Let's say it's mid-game, at Turn 8. Meditite has a little prior damage from Life Orb recoil, and the opponent is lucky enough to be carrying Slowpoke, a Pokemon that walls Meditite handily throughout matches (unless it specifically has Thunder Punch, but let's assume you don't for this example). You know that your opponent's best option when Meditite is out is to switch to Slowpoke and then force you out, and your opponent also acknowledges this, and they figure there is nothing to lose, so there is no reason not to bring in Slowpoke.

Slowpoke comes in on Meditite, as expected. It has some prior damage on it, but the opponent doesn't mind it because Slowpoke has Regenerator and will probably get a turn to use Slack Off as Meditite is forced to flee. But instead of going for an attack as Slowpoke switches in on Meditite, you use Baton Pass. The fact that you used it on a turn where the opponent switched means that you get a free switch to any Pokemon you want while suffering no consequences.

Pawniard is your Dry-Pass recipient, and it gets in while taking no damage or status. This play has punished your opponent for attempting to wall Meditite with Slowpoke, and now they must choose between having their Slowpoke killed by Knock Off or switching Slowpoke out and bringing in something that will take a hard Dark-type hit and also have its item removed before it is even able to act.

This is an important method of Baton Pass to keep in mind!

dcae · Jan 23, 2014

I wanted to mention that the standard Torchpass team,with BP Gligar and BP Meditite, is weak to every single threat normal chain BP teams are. A simple Whirlwind/Roar Munchlax will stop the Torchic every time. The sane can be said for most other common stoppers, bar Clear Smog. Torchpass is also ridiculoudly mstchup based and becoms an auto loss if thr opponent is carrying just one move.

Goddess Briyella · Jan 23, 2014

dcae said:
I wanted to mention that the standard Torchpass team,with BP Gligar and BP Meditite, is weak to every single threat normal chain BP teams are. A simple Whirlwind/Roar Munchlax will stop the Torchic every time. The sane can be said for most other common stoppers, bar Clear Smog. Torchpass is also ridiculoudly mstchup based and becoms an auto loss if thr opponent is carrying just one move.

This is true. Munchlax loses to Mienfoo, though, and many viable Baton Passers either have Taunt or are able to outspeed and kill enemies before they can disrupt the chain. The largest weakness of a full Baton Pass team in Little Cup is the combination of Prankster and Taunt, which Cottonee commonly uses, and is also available to Murkrow. Cottonee will have to watch for Torchic's Fire Blast and Gligar's Acrobatics, however, and Murkrow will have to be wary of Gligar as well, along with Meditite and Mienfoo after boosts to their Attack and Speed. Taunt Gligar is also a problem, but is OHKOed by Meditite's Ice Punch outright, while it is unable to immediately OHKO back if it's running Eviolite.

Ashley11 · Jan 23, 2014

Yeah, the main problems i find is Haze crow and taunt/encore cottonee. They are both a pain, but just attack them lol. They will fall eventually and then start your chain. Drifloon is a great baton passer, being able to will o wisp physical attackers, pass calm mind or stockpile boosts, and having nice immunities.

macle · Jan 26, 2014

honestly, all you need is torchic bping to a bulky cotton guard cm swirlix. broken as fuck

Wobbyble · Jan 26, 2014

macle said:
honestly, all you need is ~~torchic bping to a bulky cotton guard cm~~ swirlix. broken as fuck

FTFY.

Goddess Briyella · Jan 27, 2014

macle said:
honestly, all you need is torchic bping to a bulky cotton guard cm swirlix. broken as fuck

Swirlix's Unburden makes the Speed boosts from Torchic unnecessary, and Swords Dance boosts are also useless to a Swirlix set that does not use physical attacks...

Amp Pharaohs · Jan 27, 2014

Well my strategy with Baton Pass is simply to have one(Torchic) dedicated passer and several different recipients. This allows me switch Torchic into something he checks or can tank hits from and simply pass the boost to someone who can deal with the current threat. This isn't flawless though, as priority really damages this strategy, as does the popularity of Gligar who can try to KO Torchic or Swords Dance as I boost or baton pass. I am certain Torchic is the best for this, as the speed boosts can really help you deal with faster checks to the recipient.

Baton Pass(ers) in LC

Renwit355

WinterWave

chimp

Go Bananas

Wobbyble

Darkamber8828

atomicllamas

but then what's left of me?

kingmidas

atomicllamas

but then what's left of me?

kingmidas

Wobbyble

Darkamber8828

Goddess Briyella

Banned deucer.

Star

Goddess Briyella

Banned deucer.

Renwit355

Goddess Briyella

Banned deucer.

Ashley11

Goddess Briyella

Banned deucer.

dcae

plaza athénée

Goddess Briyella

Banned deucer.

Ashley11

macle

sup geodudes

Wobbyble

Goddess Briyella

Banned deucer.

Amp Pharaohs

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