Competitive VG Simple Questions Thread

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Shiny Mystery Gift Metagross?

Hi everyone, for someone who is familiar with online video game tournament rules, is the shiny Metagross from Mystery Gift and its mega stone eligible to use in the upcoming ORAS competition later this month? Also, nicknamed Pokemon aren't banned, right? This is my first online competition so sorry if these are obvious questions. Thanks! :) Mods, if I posted this in the wrong section, sorry, and please do move it.
 
RE: Shiny Mystery Gift Metagross?

ShimmeringIce said:
Hi everyone, for someone who is familiar with online video game tournament rules, is the shiny Metagross from Mystery Gift and its mega stone eligible to use in the upcoming ORAS competition later this month? Also, nicknamed Pokemon aren't banned, right? This is my first online competition so sorry if these are obvious questions. Thanks! :) Mods, if I posted this in the wrong section, sorry, and please do move it.
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Iirc, the main requirement is the pentagon denoting the pokemon originated in X/Y/OR/AS (which the event belbum gets, since it's obtained in OR/AS). As for tournament legality of the mega stone, it should be fine since you can get a metagrosite from Steven in-game anyway even without access to the event (with the event, you'll end up with two total).
 
RE: The Competitive Battling Simple Questions Thread

I'd like some input on this set.

Tornadus-T @ Life Orb
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Air Slash
- Heat Wave
- Hidden Power Ice
- Grass Knot

(In case you can't tell by the moves, this isn't for a rain team)

The set functions as a lure for bulky ground types, such as Hippowdon and Landorus-T, as well as other really physically bulky Pokes like Skarmory, Slowbro and Mega Venusaur. I think this should work to form a nice core with a Fighting type like Mega Gallade or Mega Lopunny.

Calcs for reference:
252 SpA Life Orb Tornadus-T Hidden Power Ice vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-T: 369-437 (96.5 - 114.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Life Orb Tornadus-T Hidden Power Ice vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Garchomp: 348-411 (82.8 - 97.8%) -- 25% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Life Orb Tornadus-T Heat Wave vs. 252 HP / 240 SpD Skarmory: 239-283 (71.5 - 84.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Life Orb Tornadus-T Grass Knot (80 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD (Mega) Slowbro: 242-286 (61.4 - 72.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Life Orb Tornadus-T Grass Knot (120 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Hippowdon: 268-317 (63.8 - 75.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Life Orb Tornadus-T Air Slash vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Mega Venusaur: 242-289 (66.4 - 79.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

What I'm wondering is if HP Ice or Grass Knot is too niche for this set and I should instead pair it up with a bulky water (if dropping HP Ice) or grass type (if dropping Grass Knot)
 
RE: The Competitive Battling Simple Questions Thread

What is 252 Special Defense for? I don't see anything about it in the set description. Also, some of the calcs are definitely made with Timid, so I assume you made a mistake there?

I don't know how much of a lure is this... then again, I haven't used it myself, so I can't say for sure. But I don't think someone would switch Garchomp or Skarmory in Tornadus; I'd never switch Skarmory myself, special Tornadus carries Heat Wave most of the time, and non-tank Garchomp, which are the most common, already take more than 50% from Air Slash. Then again, Tornadus-T often goes physical, so I can see where you come from. But as Tornadus-T isn't that much of a common sight in OU, it's quite possible that your opponent will not take that into account.

Overall though, I'd say the set can serve its purpose pretty well, and I like it. Grass Knot may be a bit too niche, but I personally like it. 2HKO'ing Mega Slowbro is great on its own, and doing the same with specially defensive Hippowdon isn't a bad addition. I'm more concerned about the general effectiveness, but that's something I can only make assumptions about.
 
RE: The Competitive Battling Simple Questions Thread

That's likely meant to be speed @Jackal. @Palutena you may wish to correct that :p

Overall, the set sounds promising, but I question the plausibility of switching some of the Pokemon you referenced in your calculations into Tornadus-T. Even if not used much, a flying STAB and Heat Wave are very common on it, so things like Garchomp, Venusaur and Skarmory as Jackal mentioned are rather chancy switch-ins already. Hidden Power Ice in particular seems to do little because of this (on mobile, so I can't reach a calculator myself). You also lack two of Tornadus-T's major selling points: Hurricane and U-turn. Despite the accuracy and loss of coverage, I think Flying Stab/Heat Wave/U-Turn/GK is a good set for what you intend to accomplish. GK is a nice tech I've used in the past for Hippowdon and Slowbro, so it is definitely viable yet underused. Pairing this with Mega Lopunny is nice, and you could viably pair it with the Metagross+Keldeo core to supply a wallbreaker, bulky water, win condition and fighting type. Also, this core has priority and covers your HP Ice targets due to Zen Headbutt and/or Icy Wind.
 
RE: The Competitive Battling Simple Questions Thread

Yeah it was supposed to be +Spe. :p

From what little play time I've had with the set, it really works well. Heatran and Tyranitar are annoying switchins but, like I suggested, pairing it with a Fighting type makes those two non-threats.

What I'm curious though is if there's something else that could do it's job better. I'm wondering about perhaps 4 attacks Latios (Draco Meteor / Psyshock / Surf / Thunderbolt to hit the same coverage) replacing it or if I've overlooked another Pokemon.
 
RE: The Competitive Battling Simple Questions Thread

How well can Latios function as a lure though? It's ridiculously powerful, switching into even a resisted Draco Meteor can hurt for many mons. Latios has a few solid counters, and not much else is likely to switch into it, it will be nuked.
 
Feraligatr comeback?

I always loved feraligatr and i been wondering if his release with his hidden ability will be able to put him on UU or maybe OU. Please help and feel free to discuss about the other starters with hidden abilities.
 
RE: The Competitive Battling Simple Questions Thread

What's really cool about Feraligatr is that Jolly Gatr outdamages Adamant LO Gyarados and Adamant Mega Gyarados so it's already off to a good start.

252 Atk Life Orb Sheer Force Feraligatr Waterfall vs. 252 HP / 104+ Def Mew: 208-247 (51.4 - 61.1%) -- 94.1% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Life Orb Gyarados Waterfall vs. 252 HP / 104+ Def Mew: 149-177 (36.8 - 43.8%) -- 99.8% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Mold Breaker Mega Gyarados Waterfall vs. 252 HP / 104+ Def Mew: 135-159 (33.4 - 39.3%) -- 11.9% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

It should, at worst, be viable in OU. You can afford to run Adamant because you're pretty slow (though run max Speed to outspeed Heatran to avoid burns). You can take up a Swords Dance set to act as a wallbreaker or go with a Dragon Dance set to sweep. It seems like there's a lot of potential here.

I think you could compare it to Crawdaunt. Crawdaunt hits harder but Feraligatr has good bulk, ignores Life Orb recoil and can outspeed things (+1 Gatr outspeeds Adamant Lopunny).

The other two Johto starters are going to be next to useless.
 
RE: The Competitive Battling Simple Questions Thread

I want to start playing VGC but i dont know how it works or how do i start with it. The only thing i thought so far would be that i want to use lucario(maybe mega) and if possible machamp(i know conkeldurr is better but i hate it) in a effective way. Since the battles are doubles i think about using 2 megas. Anyone can help me?
 
RE: The Competitive Battling Simple Questions Thread

rauber said:
I want to start playing VGC but i dont know how it works or how do i start with it. The only thing i thought so far would be that i want to use lucario(maybe mega) and if possible machamp(i know conkeldurr is better but i hate it) in a effective way. Since the battles are doubles i think about using 2 megas. Anyone can help me?
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If you want to start playing VGC, you can just start playing it, on Pokemon Showdown (under the "Battle Spot Doubles / VGC 2015" metagame) or on the cartridge itself in regular Battle Spot Doubles rating battles, since the rules are identical.

That said, if you want to start improving, practice makes perfect. But it can help to look at information from places like Nugget Bridge. Another good resource for VGC players would be YouTube channels like that of Aaron Zheng. Beyond that, it's largely up to you to take notes and look around for new ideas in team-building and game-play.

But most of all, never forget to have fun. VGC games are quick, and can sometimes be pretty "haxy" (i.e. luck-based). Though taking steps to minimize your odds of losing to luck is an important part of the team-building process, you can never eliminate it entirely, so you're going to have to take some losses and move on.
 
Best Rapid Spinner/Defogger?

Quick and simple question: Which Pokemon do you recommend as an entry hazard clearer, and why is it the best? Stage hazards kill some of my team..
Any help is appreciated!
 
RE: Best Rapid Spinner/Defogger?

It really depends on the team. Latias, Latios, Mandibuzz, Starmie, and more are all really really good. I'm personally a fan of Latias/os. However if you've got 3 people on your team weak to Ice, then it doesn't make much sense to add a 4th just to get arid of hazards. It also doesn't make sense to put something like Mandibuzz on a more aggressive and offensive team, because you'll lose momentum, so it's really hard to say without knowing the team. Picking someone to remove hazards is really a case-by-case basis.
 
RE: Best Rapid Spinner/Defogger?

Okay that makes sense. I'll take that into consideration for my team. Thanks!
 
RE: Best Rapid Spinner/Defogger?

Excadrill, Skarmory, Zapdos, Tentacruel, Mew, Scizor, and I guess maybe Togekiss are other good hazard-remover options.
 
RE: Best Rapid Spinner/Defogger?

mikebploz said:
Quick and simple question: Which Pokemon do you recommend as an entry hazard clearer, and why is it the best? Stage hazards kill some of my team..
Any help is appreciated!
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Like the other commenter said, Lati@s, Starmie, and Manibuzz are great options! Even though this is for an OU team, don't be afraid to dip down the tiers a little bit. Donphan is fantastic. U can use as a stealth rocker and spinner. If you don't need the rocks, you can run a nice and bulky/hard hitting assault vest set. Also Tentacruel can be good with access to rapid spin, toxic spikes, scald, and sludge wave. In addition, Tentacruel has some pretty good resistances. Lastly, you can consider Empoleon as a defog-er. It has some decent bulk to work with and a pretty good typing! These pokemon may be in a lower tier but they are definitely not bad.

Jumping back up to OU, you can also consider Excadrill for a good, hard hitting spinner.
 
fidget2000 said:
Like the other commenter said, Lati@s, Starmie, and Manibuzz are great options! Even though this is for an OU team, don't be afraid to dip down the tiers a little bit. Donphan is fantastic. U can use as a stealth rocker and spinner. If you don't need the rocks, you can run a nice and bulky/hard hitting assault vest set.
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It really isn't. It's basically a worse Excadrill or Landorus-I.

You could also try one of the two usable Magic Bounce users in OU: Mega Sableye and Mega Diancie.
 
Cinesra said:
fidget2000 said:
Like the other commenter said, Lati@s, Starmie, and Manibuzz are great options! Even though this is for an OU team, don't be afraid to dip down the tiers a little bit. Donphan is fantastic. U can use as a stealth rocker and spinner. If you don't need the rocks, you can run a nice and bulky/hard hitting assault vest set.
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It really isn't. It's basically a worse Excadrill or Landorus-I.
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With Stealth Rock, yes, but AV Donphan can be very good. Again, most team choices come down to what the rest of the team is supposed to do anyway.
 
Cinesra said:
So then it's just a bad Hippowdown?
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Donphan has a unique variety of offensive and supportive moves that no other Pokemon can match, therefor trying to find a "better" or "worse" Donphan is simply impossible. If you are trying to imply that they fill the role better, then your statement is again subjective to the team said Pokemon is being placed on. Though given statistics, I cannot argue that Donphan fares better in UU at the moment, but then again, so does Hippowdon.

I can also recommend Mega Scizor as a good bulky and offensive Defog user.
 
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