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Resource Simple Questions, Simple Answers Thread (read the op before posting a thread)
- Thread starter Celticpride
- Start date
It's basically exactly what it sounds like: it means putting pressure on your opponent to make a certain play, thus making their moves more predictable and giving you openings for free turns. Spikes pressure Fini because it will want to come in and Defog ASAP in order to minimize how much residual damage your team racks up; this gives you a chance to bring in something like Kartana that doesn't care about Fini and can take advantage of it to set up SD. Scald pressures Ttar because it will generally not want to risk getting burned, so using Scald against it will force your opponent to switch into something that doesn't care about burns like a special attacker or a tank with recovery, which eases prediction on you. It's more specific than just having offensive/defensive presence because it forces your opponent into certain foreseeable counterplays that you can then take advantage of by setting up or double switching to gain momentum.
After lurking RMTs on various sites, I found that most good teams are built around one Pokemon. I want to know more about this process, because I want to build good teams like how they're doing. These are some questions I have.
How is the first Pokemon chosen?
How is the second Pokemon chosen (to form a "core")?
How are the other four Pokemon chosen?
When is it worth sacrificing a STAB attack for better coverage? (example: Metagross without zen headbutt)
If a Pokemon doesn't need good coverage, and might benefit from a utility move, how are utility moves chosen?
How is the first Pokemon chosen?
How is the second Pokemon chosen (to form a "core")?
How are the other four Pokemon chosen?
When is it worth sacrificing a STAB attack for better coverage? (example: Metagross without zen headbutt)
If a Pokemon doesn't need good coverage, and might benefit from a utility move, how are utility moves chosen?
The first step is kinda arbitrary in some cases tbh. You can choose to build around a specific threat just for the sake of wanting to try that mon/what works best with it. You can also try to pick something either more unorthodox or antimeta to catch people off guard on the ladder or exploit common defensive/offensive cores. In order to choose a partner for the mon you're building around (let's say you're building Offense and want an offensive partner) you need to look at what your starting mon struggles with/what it lures in/what it can benefit from. For example let's take an old core: Ash Gren Heatran. Gren struggles with bulky waters/grasses that prevent it from transforming so Heatran is chosen as a partner because it beats most of these mons with Magma/Bloom Doom and takes adavntage of the pivoting capabilities of Gren. These mons don't necessarily need defensive synergy because you can cover that with the rest of your team. Your sets need to be customized to your team's needs. Sometimes you will give up either good coverage or a STAB move because you either don't need it or need something else more. For example FV's team with Azu and Gren has Gunk Shot-less Gren which is usually go-to coverage but his team needs Esens/HP Fire/Spikes/Pump more so he can afford to not run it. Sometimes you will have to leave some sets uncompleted til you have chosen all of your mons so you know what set you need. On your last question, would you mind giving an example? I don't really find any scenario where this happens besides maybe Spikes Gren which is a different set kinda or stuff like Pursuit Metagross but the same as above aplies here
I mean on all Pokemon, not just sweepers. I guess substitute and protect don't really count as utility, but I'm also wondering when it's worth using them over coverage moves.
Landorus with stealth rock
Tapu Fini with defog and taunt
Ferrothorn with leech seed and spikes
Garchomp with stealth rock
Skarmory with defog and spikes
Toxapex with toxic spikes and haze
Excadrill with rapid spin, stealth rock, and toxic
Heatran with stealth rock and taunt
Dugtrio with screech
Chansey with toxic and stealth rock
Zygarde with substitute
Mega Sableye with will-o-wisp and protect
I also don't think you told me much about how the team is filled out after a core is chosen, so I'm still asking, "How are the other four Pokemon chosen?" I have further questions.
After choosing a core, how do people know what kinds of support they need, and how are Pokemon chosen to fill the support roles?
If there was a choice between more support or better synergy, how is that choice made?
When is it a good idea to have setup moves like swords dance and coil?
When is it a good idea to have direct attacks like nature's madness, counter, and seismic toss?
A lot of filling out the last few Pokémon comes down to the archetype you chose to build around and tbh the process is different depending on the play style in mind. Ultimately the building of the final mons should be about filling roles/covering threats to the team; 'Do I have a rocket?' 'Do I need hazard removal', 'What are my win-cons?' Or 'Can I check a +1 Volcarona?' or 'Do I have anyway of beating stall?'
I wish I could give you a vanilla explanation of team building but you've just got to try it. Once you know what you need to prepare for, it becomes a lot easier. As you play games too, make note of your losses and make improvements on your team based on it. 'Oh, Zygarde 6-0ed my team, I guess HP Ice is more important than HP Fire on Tangrowth', or 'MegaZam would have won that game if he didn't have A Sucker Punch Bisharp, I'll run Substitute over Shadow Ball'.
There's a reason that standard teams exist and that's because building isn't easy, but critiquing your mistakes and finding your weaknesses is the best way to improve.
Oh didn't see the thrid question lol. On the utility moves question, there are mons that usually want certain moves to perform their roles effectively. For example, Skarmory wants Roost to stay healthy and consistently wall the mons it's supposed to and Spikes because being a Spikes setter is one of its niches. Most rocks setters run it because it's pretty much a staple on any team (well it is a staple) find opportunities to get them up. You don't need coverage or anything on these kind of mons becuase they aren't meant to wallbreak. Once you've chosen the core you want to build around you need to cover their weaknesses with a defensive backbone (this aplies to Offense btw) and also some roles such as Speed Control, Stallbreaker etc. The move choices depend on how the mon excels at a certain role, you usually want to get your sets from the analysis to make this easier
Where can i see the pokemon usage stats?
If I am using a hazard stacking team, should I just ignore Defog as a move option, or should I still use it if I have a Pokemon weak to Rocks?
If this was oras I'd tell you to use Starmie or Excadrill as your spinner but now they aren't that effective anymore so either use Starmie as your Spinner despite its flaws or avoid using rocks weak mons with Spikes. You could still run defog but it's extremely counterproductive if your opponent keeps getting rocks up and forcing yo to lose momentum by defogging
What are some good Sticky Web setters in OU right now? In theory, Kartana would an absolute monster with Sticky Web down - it already slices through slow teams, so with the ability to outrun everything on the ground it seems like it would wreck. Want to test it first, but my knowledge of OU is limited.
3 decent Sticky Web setters are Galvantula, Shuckle, and Smeargle. I recommend Smeargle because it can put up Sticky Web, put foes to sleep with Spore, and setup both Spikes and Stealth Rocks.
Smeargle don't run Spikes on Sticky Webs teams. They'll prefer something like Magic Coat/Skill Swap/Taunt/Memento
Maybe it's just me, but I think Spore Smeargle isn't that good and would much rather run SR+Webs+2 of Taunt/Magic Coat/Memento. Smeargle has a minor case of 4MSS in that it wants Taunt to block slower setup, Magic Coat to create 50:50s with opposing Taunt users like Tapu Koko (and to reflect opposing hazards in order to generate a free turn in which to lay Webs+SR together without busting its Sash on the turn it lats the second), and Memento to generate momentum, and it just can't really afford to use one of those slots on Spore imo. Once again, maybe that's just me, but I don't ever really get off both hazards that consistently when I spend a turn using Spore and just find other moves more consistent. Spore is nice for faster setup mons though, so I'll give it that.
After nearly 5 years of lurking on this site, something has finally made me sign up an account...
There's a pretty cancerous Scoli-Pass team around at the moment consisting of 2 x stored power users Espeon and Necrozma, Azelf and Aerodactyl suiciders and bellydrum Chesnaught.
I am really struggling to teambuild to account for this kind of gameplay, does anyone have any suggestions or strategy to share?
I'm going to try stallbreaker, infiltrator chandelure and see if that works.
There's a pretty cancerous Scoli-Pass team around at the moment consisting of 2 x stored power users Espeon and Necrozma, Azelf and Aerodactyl suiciders and bellydrum Chesnaught.
I am really struggling to teambuild to account for this kind of gameplay, does anyone have any suggestions or strategy to share?
I'm going to try stallbreaker, infiltrator chandelure and see if that works.
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It depends on the format. Such baton pass abuses should be banned in Smogon formats, like OU, but not Battle Spot. If you're sure it's not banned, try a Pokemon that knows either roar or whirlwind and has sturdy (like Skarmory) or something with prankster haze. (there aren't any good Pokemon with prankster haze, but Murkrow might be good in a low tier)
No, passing Speed with Scolipede isn't banned in OU
OU seriously needs a good Perish Song user. Loved using Perish Song Arceus on last gen AG, and while OU has much more limited Baton Pass chains, it's an even better move to stop Baton Pass here because no one is ever Baton Passing on Mr. Mime.
Back on topic, to stop Baton Pass don't focus on the receiver, but on the sender. Focus on stopping Scolipede, not Espeon (or whichever receiver they may have).
One problem I see with that is the Scolipede can just use baton pass as soon as its opponent sends out a p-hazer.
But what's the issue with that? You switch in your phazer on a sub or protect, scoli BPs as you phaze, whatever switches in gets phazed. If it's espeon it doesn't work obviously, but mono-attacking espeon or psychic/fairy coverage espeon is walled by steels and shouldn't be an issue in the early game.
Phazer's are also not always easy to read. Like if you send out skarmory they're probably thinking 'whirlwind,' but if you send out Heatran, they're more likely to think "he's trying to kill my scoli" and go for sub or protect, but you go for Roar and the 'chain' is broken.
The main thing IMO is to apply heavy pressure from turn 1 when you see a BP team in preview. If you don't have any phazers, maybe send out a set-up sweeper, grab DDs as scoli protects or subs and you'll keep up with the speed stages while also boosting your own attack, potentially letting you sweep really early on.
A similar mindset applies to HO and webs teams, or even rain. Any of these super-specific archetypes have goals that are always the exact same, and the first few turns of the game are gonna be fairly easy for you to read. Use this time where you know their plays to make plays of your own.
The absolute worst thing you can do against these playstyles is to just let it happen to you. Disrupt it immediately, with whatever tools you have on your squad.
Stored Power Espeon isn't walled by Steel-types lol. With enough CMs it can just blow through Steel-types because of how strong it gets. Kee berry helps it set up on stuff like Ferrothorn and Celesteela and go town with max base power Stored Powers.
+3 252 SpA Espeon Stored Power (220 BP) vs. 252 HP / 168 SpD Ferrothorn: 341-402 (96.8 - 114.2%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO
(Thats assuming +3 Speed btw)
Well that's why i put the qualifiers 'in the early game' and "don't just let it happen to you." If you let ANY mon get 6 stat boosts you're likely in a really bad spot.