Tuesday, 10 March 2015

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 :]





Friday, 6 March 2015

Redirection in VGC



Redirection in VGC

For those making the transition from singles into the VGC format, one of the main differences you will find in a huge percentage of teams, is the inclusion of a pokemon whose primary function is to redirect attacks, either through Rage Powder or Follow Me. Throughout this article, I'll discuss which move is the better option, followed by examples of the most common pokemon used in the redirector role.

Usually when mentioning redirection, the first player that will immediately come to mind is Sejun Park. Renounded for making Top 8 in Worlds 2013 with a Follow Me Magmar, he even managed to top that in 2014, becoming World Champion using a Follow Me Pachirisu + Dragon Dance Mega Gyarados. This player alone represents an advert for how strong redirection is in the VGC format.

Rage Powder Vs Follow Me:

Let's start off by looking at the differences between the two options. Both moves have +2 priority and 20PP, so the only difference between the two, is that the effects of Rage Powder can be nullified through grass types, a Pokemon holding Safety Goggles, or a Pokemon with the "Overcoat" ability, whilst Follow Me bypasses all 3 of these options.
Therefore, Follow Me is clearly the superior option, however, this doesn't mean that Rage Powder should be ignored, as it is still a fantastic move in its own right.

So without further ado, let's look at the most common users of both moves, with a couple of niche choices thrown in too.


Follow Me:

Togekiss

Togekiss is probably the most common user of Follow Me. This can be attributed to it's superior bulk in comparison to other options, sporting base stats of 85/50/95/120/115/80, it has a fantastic mixture of bulk, whilst still posing as an offensive threat, a rare mix in redirectors.

Sample Set-

Togekiss @ Sitrus Berry
Bold Nature - 236hp/196def/4SpAtk/12SpDef/60spd
-Protect
-Follow Me
- Air Slash
-Moonblast/Thunder Wave/Tailwind

The following spread was used by Fatum in the earlier half of the season to success in a number of Premier Challenges across Germany, and R Inanimate during the 2013 season. EV's provide optimal recovery from Sitrus Berry after dealing with Super Fang, whilst outspeeding Choice Scarf Landorus in Tailwind.
Togekiss has a few tricks up it's sleeve that separates it from its rival. Noticeably, the first is Tailwind. This gives it a further supporting role outside of redirection, adding even more defensive value to a team as a supporting mon. Secondly, the combination of Serene Grace and Air Slash is a rare combination, similar to Swagger, which can provide a player with a win condition, in what would otherwise seem to be an unwinnable position, with a 60% chance to flinch the opponent. More support options include extra variety in speed control, with Thunder Wave, and some interesting niche sets, such as a Choice Scarf set, briefly popularised by Baz Anderson, with the moves After You, Follow Me, Air Slash and Dazzling Gleam. The setbacks however, are glaring weaknesses to some of the most common offensive types in the current metagame.

Clefable

For the players that can't afford to add an extra Ice or Rock weakness into their team, but want a somewhat similar role to Togekiss, the next port of call has to be Clefable. With base stats of 95/70/73/85/90/60, this Pokemon certainly isn't bad. Couple this with a typing that only makes it weak to 2 somewhat uncommon attacking types and you have the perfect fit for a Follow Me User.

Sample Set -

Clefable @ Sitrus Berry/Safety Goggles
Bold  - 252hp/156def/28SpAtk/68SpDef/4spd
-Protect
-Follow Me
-Ice Beam
-Helping Hand/Icy Wind/Moonblast/Moonlight

The above spread is the spread recommended by the Nugget Bridge Damage Calculator, and through investigating it's use against some of the stalwarts of VGC, it's clear to see why this is a popular choice, surviving some of the strongest common hits in the game, whilst still leaving enough special attack in reserve to maintain some sort of offensive presence. The pick of the calculations are shown below.

252+ Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 156+ Def Clefable: 160-190 (79.2 - 94%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252+ SpA Heatran Flash Cannon vs. 252 HP / 68 SpD Clefable: 152-182 (75.2 - 90%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

252 SpA Gengar Sludge Bomb vs. 252 HP / 68 SpD Clefable: 156-186 (77.2 - 92%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery

28 SpA Clefable Ice Beam vs. 4 HP / 4 SpD Landorus: 160-192 (96.9 - 116.3%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO

Clefable's biggest weakness is to the most common Steel and Poison types. There isn't a lot it can do in return to pokemon such as Heatran and Venusaur, both will have an easy time despatching of it. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing, as a lot of the time, redirecting one steel or poison move away from your partner allowing Clefable to faint can be enough to win the match.

Clefairy:

Lets briefly touch on Clefairy. On the surface, it looks ridiculous to consider Clefairy when Clefable is a perfectly good option, but there is one significant difference which means Clefairy is almost an equally legitimate decision as Clefable is... Friend Guard. This ability reduces the damage done to allies by 25%, which could prove significant through the course of a battle, particularly for instances such as allowing your Mega Kangaskhan to survive an opposition's Low Kick with ease, whilst often being able to OHKO in return. Here, there is no real reason to run any different moves to the standard Clefable set, except perhaps Icy Wind over Ice Beam, due to a lack of power, however, the main sacrifice is that clefairy is basically forced to hold an eviolite in order to make it somewhat bulky. There are downsides to using Clefairy, however, the fact that this Pokemon has already had a respectable number of high placements in Regionals is enough to prove that this option should not be overlooked.

Honourable Mentions:

A couple of honourable mentions for Follow Me users include Pachirisu, who has the unique niche of being the only legal electric type to carry Follow Me, giving it only one weakness, also making it the only Pokemon capable of redirecting Thunder Waves from the ever-present Thundurus with ease. One final mention goes to Lucario, occasionally seen in VGC 2014 when fewer options were available, who has the niche of being the only Steel type which can legally use Follow Me, providing it with a number of resistances which could be just what some specific teams require.  Both very usable mons in their own right, but often more suited to restricted formats.


Rage Powder:

Amoonguss


Amoonguss holds the title of being the most used pokemon for redirection as it stands. At the time of writing, Amoonguss stands at #10 in the overall usage rankings, proving that it doesn't necessarily matter that Follow Me is technically is a stronger move, as long as the Pokemon itself is still good enough to hold its own in the format. Amoonguss was lucky enough to be blessed with 2 of the greatest moves in the history of Pokemon, Rage Powder and Spore, the only move with a 100% chance to guarantee a Pokemon will asleep. Pair this with incredible bulk, solid typing, and one of the best abilities in the game (Regenerator), and it's no surprise that you end up with a simply excellent pokemon, which has remained around the top 10 in usage since it was let loose to wreak havoc in VGC in 2011.

Sample Set - 

Amoonguss @ Rocky Helmet
Sassy/Calm - 252hp/172def/84SpDef
-Protect
-Rage Powder
-Spore
-Giga Drain

A very standard set here, but it simply doesn't matter, Amoonguss is so good that it still has an impact despite the fact that virtually every VGC player will be aware of this set. This set can survive unboosted Heat Waves and Zen Headbutts from the likes of Heatran and Metagross, whilst also having a chance to survive even stronger attacks  such as Talonflame's Brave Bird. Further advantages to using Amoonguss are its ability to dominate in and out of Trick Room, and it can also have versatility in item choice. Rocky Helmet will be the main item of choice, but is equally useful holding a Sitrus or Coba Berry, or a more interesting choice, the Custap Berry, which at the right moent, can devastate teams with a  priority Spore in a Best of 1 match setting.
Volcarona

Tangela

Tangela is a very similar choice to Amoonguss, similar to the way that Clefairy can be chosen over Clefable. It is forced to run an eviolite, but this makes it bulkier than Amoonguss at the expense of an item slot, while keeping the regenerator ability, and a slightly less reliable status move in Sleep Powder. It's difficult to overlook Amoonguss for Rage Powder usage, but Tangela is definitely an option.

Honourable Mentions:

There are some honourable mentions that are extremely uncommon in VGC, but deserve a mention due to niche options or unexpected Nationals performances.

Firstly, there's Vivillon, which exploded onto the scene from almost nowhere when Nemanja Sandic (Porengan) shocked everyone by not only Top cutting 2014 Germany Nationals with it, but further progressing in the tournament, finishing in 4th place, where Rage Powder was again used to support a Mega Gyarados. Vivillon also has access to Compundeyes and Sleep Powder which can give a similar function to Amoonguss. All in all, Vivillon has it's shortcomings, but should never be overlooked on team preview.

Jumpluff is very similar to Vivillon, in that it is less bulky than it's counterparts, but makes up for it with speed, being able to put threats to sleep before they can move. Also like Vivillon, almost always requires a focus sash to be effective.

Finally there's Parasect, the only real reason to use this over Amoonguss is that outside of Smeargle, it is the only pokemon that has access to redirection and wide guard in the same moveset. With the abundance of Landorus and Sylveon, who often rely on Earthquake and Hyper Voice, redirection and wide guard on the same pokemon seems appealing, but there would have to be a really good reason to require both of these moves when Amoonguss remains an option.

Conclusion

Hopefully this demonstrates just how crucial it can be to have one of these pokemon on your team. While they are not essential, they definitely provide a great way to start your team building, supported by the fact that Amoonguss and Pachirisu were crucial members of the World Championship winning teams of 2013 and 2014 respectively. Thanks for reading!





Monday, 2 March 2015

Mega Evolution Tiers ORAS

Mega evolution Tiers


Now don't kill me for this as this is gonna be 100% opinion based and I know how heated some people can be when their precious Mega Absol isn't S+ rank, but note that this is just for fun and reflects what I think of the Mega Evolutions in the VGC 15 format.  


S Rank
  


These in my opinion are the best mega's to use in terms of stats ability's and general effectiveness. All 3 have their weaknesses and can be built around rather easily. I won't get into them an awful much as I'll likely have articles on all 3 at some point.



A Rank
   


Quite a populated tier as this is filled with Mega evolutions I think have just as much presence on the field as the big S rank ones. They just require a lot more support and have more exploitable weaknesses to be used as consistently. Definitely still massive threats in their own way and shouldn't be ignored. Note: That is Mega Latias in case of confusion. 

B Rank


Big tier of Mega's here that have less freedom than those in higher ranks but still have a strong niche or presence that sets them apart from C and below mega's. All of these Pokemon I could see being used at some point in the format very successfully.

 

 C Rank


This is where the majority of Mega evolutions sit at. All very strong Pokemon in their own right. But when compared in a competitive setting these Pokemon fall short ever so slightly, Now don't get me wrong, all these Pokemon are perfectly usable and may have a strong niche but just aren't strong enough in my opinion to be used without heavy support or in some sort of gimmick. Could be worse, they could be in D rank...     ( Pidgeot is god I <3 u rlly)


D Rank



Mega Rayquaza is in here as it's about as usable as Absol. That is not at all. Just avoid this mon If you can help yourself. I guess you could out speed and Ice beam some things with it or do some magic bounce cheese but honestly, its paper thin bulk puts it in the lowest of the low of tiers... Or is it?




Steelix Tier

Home of everyone's favourite Mega Pokemon Steelix who I can ( as to no surprise) not find the Sprite   for. My least favourite and the least viable Mega Pokemon available. IN MY OPINION ( Don't kill me)



To finish off this horridly biased post I would like to say that I don't think that many Pokemon are truly 'Bad'. It's just some are better than others. That's literally it, don't feel discouraged to try out any of the mega's on the tiering list  and If I missed some then I either forgot about them or slapped them in the D tier which is kinda the same thing is it not :]

Final reminder that this is 100% OPINION BASED. Thanks for reading and not spamming my twitter with hate in advance.