Flinches in VGC

Flinching in VGC

Flinches. They always seem to happen at the worst, or best of times. In VGC, moves such as the omnipresent Rock Slide are used over their singles counterpart Stone Edge for a variety of reasons, such as the spread damage to hit both targets at once, a much higher accuracy and, of course, the 30% flinch chance. Flinches have become a staple of the VGC metagame, as almost every team will include at least one move which has a chance to flinch the opponent. Within this article, I will be assessing what I think are some of the most threatening moves and users of potential flinches.

Fake Out: A Summary

While playing singles, the use of the move Fake Out is somewhat uncommon, used primarily to break a Focus Sash on frailer Pokemon. However, in VGC, the move becomes a lot more common and a whole lot more versatile. Within this article, the primary uses of the move will be discussed, along with several common strategies and which, in my opinion, are the best current users of the move.

Fake Out. A move which, when first looked at, can seem somewhat useless and redundant. A move with an appalling 40 base power, a measly 10 PP and can only be used on the first full turn the user is on the field. So, why would anyone use this move? For starters, this is the only move in the game with a guaranteed 100% flinch chance, and with a +3 priority you can get the jump on many usually faster Pokemon.

Kangaskhan

Kangaskhan (Always seen as Mega Kangaskhan) is the most common user of Fake Out in the VGC’15 metagame, as it is actually the most used Pokemon overall. With well rounded stats, a base 100 speed after Mega Evolving, and, with access to Parental Bond, a base 60 STAB Fake Out, it’s not hard to see why this monolithic giant is used so often.
Whilst Kangaskhan is almost always Mega Evolved the turn it is sent out, it is worth noting that most have the ability Scrappy when Non-Mega, so can actually Fake Out Ghost Type Pokemon.

Sample Set:

Kangaskhan (F) @ Kangaskhanite

Ability: Scrappy

EVs: 212 HP / 108 Atk / 60 Def / 20 SpD / 108 Spe

Adamant Nature

- Double-Edge

- Low Kick

- Sucker Punch

- Fake Out

Whilst most people choose to opt for the more VGC’14 style 252/252 Jolly sets, many players have developed more complex, bulky Kangaskhan spreads. Seen here is Level 51’s Kangaskhan spread which he used to win the Singapore Asia Cup Qualifier. This spread survives Modest Choice Specs Hydreigon Draco Meteor 100% of the time, Adamant Mega Kangaskhan’s Low Kick 100% of the time, and can outspeed neutral natured max speed base 80s by 2 points, so it can also outspeed things like Milotic and Mega Gyarados by 1 point.

The debate between Return and Double-Edge has gone on for some time now, and frankly, in my opinion, Double-Edge is by far the superior option. Kangaskhan should usually be preserved for the late game, where you want to be dishing out at much damage as humanly possible, and Double-Edge provides that. Sucker Punch gives priority, which is needed in a slower, bulkier set and Low Kick is chosen over Power Up Punch, because it gives Kangaskhan the power to hit targets like Hydreigon and other Kangaskhans right off the bat.

Liepard / Raichu

These two I have grouped together because they perform an extremely similar role on most teams, when regarding Fake Out pressure. Both have high speeds (Base 110 for Raichu and Base 106 for Liepard) which means they can fire off their Fake Outs before that of Mega Kangaskhan. A popular tactic for making a safe play in front of an incoming Fake Out is to Protect both of your Pokemon, thus easing prediction and making sure you don’t take excessive damage. However, using Protect in front of either of these two is an extremely bad idea. Both will almost certainly be carrying the move Encore, and with Raichu’s very high speed stat and Liepard’s access to the Prankster ability, this can cause a Pokemon to be locked into Protect, which is an extremely unfavourable position to be in.

Sample Set(s):

Raichu @ Focus Sash

Ability: Lightning Rod

EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

Timid Nature

- Fake Out

- Encore

- Volt Switch

- Protect

Liepard @ Focus Sash

Ability: Prankster

EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe

Jolly Nature

- Fake Out

- Encore

- Swagger

- Foul Play

Both of these sets are very similar, and are there to disrupt the opponent, rather than deal any real damage. Raichu has Volt Switch to take it out of an unfavourable position and allow it to fire off another Fake Out, which can be crucial later in the game. Liepard, however, can have access to Thunder Wave, Swagger, Snarl and Taunt as usable moves in the last two slots, and can be used to further disrupt any opposing Pokemon.
Take note, however, that Liepard paired alongside a Mega Gengar can form an extremely troublesome duo, as Encore/Disable paired with Shadow Tag from Mega Gengar can effectively nullify a lot of teams from the start.

Hitmontop

Ah Hitmontop. This is where my personal opinions, I am afraid, must come through. This little spinning top has been on many of my teams right from the start of VGC’15, and for good reason. With a respectable base 70 speed, Intimidate as an ability and access to moves such as Fake Out, Wide Guard, Quick Guard, Helping Hand and Feint, it’s hard to see why many teams don’t run him more often. The main problems for him, however, are many faster Fake Out users to stop Hitmontop from even firing off from the start, his appalling base 50 HP, and the ever present Burn status. However, when used correctly, Hitmontop can be a real asset to the team, providing decent offensive capabilities while maintaining the ability to protect the team from many different positions.

Sample Set:

Hitmontop (M) @ Sitrus Berry Ability: Intimidate EVs: 252 HP / 28 Atk / 84 Def / 140 SpD / 4 Spe Careful Nature - Close Combat - Fake Out - Feint - Wide Guard

This is the set that I currently run on my own Hitmontop, and have done since the start of VGC'15. Close Combat and Fake Out are essential to allow Hitmontop to support from turn 1, while also maintaining a decent offensive presence on the field. For the last two moveslots, I chose Feint and Wide Guard. Wide Guard can protect the team from spread move spam which is unbelievably common in VGC, while Feint is an unorthodox choice (and one which I have been questioned about constantly). I use Feint to punish players who Protect turn 1 to avoid a possible Fake Out. It allows me to gain momentum which would otherwise have been lost. A note on Feint, it has a +2 priority, which allows me to avoid potential sucker punches coming my way, and allows me to safely pick up the KO on sash users. It does, however, require a fair amount of prediction, and so Quick Guard is quite possibly the safer choice, due to the presence of Thundurus-I.

Rock Slide: A Summary

Ah, Rock Slide. A move so annoyingly useful it can warrant a spot on nearly anything that can learn it. Sometimes. A move that hits both Pokemon, 90% accuracy rate, and a 30% flinch chance on each individual Pokemon. This move alone is the reason for many disconnects on the Battle Spot, or people simply shouting at you on Showdown. When factoring in the accuracy of Rock Slide, going onto a double target, there is a high chance that at least one of the Pokemon will flinch. This can cause some serious annoyance in battles, which leads to nearly every team having a way to counter the most common Rock Slide users out there.

Landorus-T

This Pokemon is currently sitting at #2 usage on the Battle Spot, and it’s really not hard to see why. With decent overall bulk of 89/90/90, a wonderful typing in Ground/Flying, and access to the ability Intimidate, Landorus-T seems like a decent bulky attacker. But then someone decided it would be a great (see: Horrendous) idea to give it a Choice Scarf. With a base 91 speed, and 145 attack, this absolute monster can rip through underprepared teams like there’s no tomorrow. With access to Earthquake, Rock Slide, Superpower, U-Turn and Knock Off, there isn't much this flying tiger of death can’t do. Especially with the Hidden Power nerf going into Gen VI, it can even survive HP Ice from certain threats. It does, however, have one fairly large weakness. Milotic. Given Milotic’s ability, Competitive, and Landorus-T’s popularity, it’s only natural that Milotic’s usage has skyrocketed recently, and can deal huge chunks of damage to even the more defensive, Assault Vest Variants.

Sample Set:

Landorus-Therian (M) @ Choice Scarf

Ability: Intimidate

EVs: 68 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 180 Spe

Adamant Nature

- Earthquake

- Rock Slide

- Superpower

- U-turn

This is the Landorus-T set I have used in the past, and it’s fairly decent. It has a little more bulk than the standard 252/252 spread, and with the Choice Scarf it outspeeds base 130s by 1 point, hitting a speed stat of 201. This allows it to fire off powerful Earthquakes before other Pokemon can have the chance to attack, or simply fish for flinches with Rock Slide. This isn't an extremely complex spread, and Landorus-T itself doesn't perform a complex role, but that isn't to say it’s not good at what it does. It’s by far and away one of the best Pokemon in VGC’15 and is something all teams need to prepare for.

Terrakion

Terrakion is one of the biggest threats of VGC’15, being able to OHKO Mega Kangaskhan and Charizard-Y, two of the biggest Mega Evolutions of VGC’15. With a base 108 speed, good overall bulk in 91/90/90, an incredible base 129 attack and the ability to fire off STAB boosted Rock Slides, Terrakion is a threat every team needs to prepare for. While 3 of its moves are an easy pick: Rock Slide, Close Combat and Protect, the 4th is always contested. The most common option at the moment is Double Kick but many of us here disagree with that choice, and feel Substitute is the superior pick, as it gives Terrakion that extra survivability as the pressure he evokes can force switches. Stone edge can also be used to remove bulky Thundurus from the field and also evade wide guarders.

Sample Set:

Terrakion @ Lum Berry

Ability: Justified

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Jolly Nature

- Rock Slide

- Close Combat

- Substitute

- Protect

Nothing fancy here, it’s not needed. Hit hard, hit fast, net the KOs you need to, and play for some flinches along the way. A Terrakion behind a sub is scary, as it turns anything that OHKOs it into a 2HKO, and it can usually OHKO back, while simultaneously stopping status and intimidate drops. Some attack can be moved into HP to survive certain attacks and seems to be picking up steam as it did in VGC2013.

Inner Focus and Steadfast

There are two abilities where drawing in a potential Fake Out can be incredibly useful, potentially game changing. Inner Focus purely nullifies the flinch chance, meaning anything targeted onto that Pokemon will not flinch it. The best two examples of this are Crobat, and Mega Gallade, each having merits in their own right. Crobat is a wonderful example of a fast, somewhat frail support Pokemon, and with Inner Focus its job is made infinitely easier. It means that, with a base 130 speed, it's almost guaranteed to get Tailwind up, allowing the rest of a team to clean up. It can also decimate bulky Pokemon with Super Fang, halving their effective lifespan.

Mega Gallade, on the other hand, is much more offensively geared. Inner Focus means it doesn't have to worry about Mega Kangaskhan's Fake Outs, and can just go straight for a Close Combat to pick up the KO. Before Gallade Mega Evolves, it can also have the ability Steadfast. This means that even if it does bait a Fake Out onto the Non-Mega variant, as soon as it does in fact flinch, it gets a +1 boost to its speed stat, potentially allowing it to outspeed and KO whatever made it flinch.

Honourable Mentions

Firstly, Togekiss. With access to Serene Grace and Air Slash, it has a combined percentage to flinch a single Pokemon of 57%. Furthermore, with paralysis spread, that can be further increased, so the opposing Pokemon only has a 32% chance of actually making its attack. This can become extremely infuriating if you are on the receiving end of it. However, with its new Fairy typing and the ever present Rock Slide, Togekiss has a harder role than before, however, this can still be achieved nevertheless with the correct support.

Iron Head / Icicle Crash also have a 30% chance to flinch a target, but since they only target single Pokemon, the effect does not happen as often as Rock Slide. As such, there aren't many Pokemon who can abuse these. Mamoswine is perhaps the greatest at abusing Icicle Crash, since most variants are scarfed. Mega Metagross can abuse Iron Head due to its base 110 speed, and it can also flinch through Zen Headbutt, though that is lower at 20%. A cheeky thing to abuse is a supporting Gyarados with Thunder wave and Waterfall which can lead to frustration on the opposing side.

Conclusion

Flinching is a part of the game, and minimizing your risk to flinches can actually help your team achieve more in the long run. It can even make seemingly impossible games winnable, but can also cause you to get so annoyed you feel like quitting the game altogether. At the end of the day you can have 6 rock resists. but Rock slide will still flinch you... What a lovely move :]