Strategy Accuracy Discussion

[Scattered mind]

Focus Blast, Fire Blast, Hydro Pump, Hurricane, Thunder.. there is a big amount of powerful moves that many Pokemon can use in battle, yet they share a significant weakness in their shaky accuracy. In OU, you usually use these moves regardless, if the alternative cannot score the same KO's. So, if Tornadus-T has the option to run Hurricane or Air Slash, you would usually (or always) run Hurricane since Air Slash cannot OHKO (one hit knock out) common threats like Keldeo. So is it the same in the VGC metagame. Do you run low accuracy high power moves if it ensures KO's on common threats or is it something you should not do in doubles due to the fact that you are facing 2 Pokemon so the risk is higher?
What do you think about low accuracy moves in general? do you use them and in what terms?
Share your thoughts :]

 

[PMJ]

Thunder is the only one I don't use. If there was 90 bp special flying that was widely distributed, no one would use Hurricane either (though the confusion chance is nice).

 

[Scattered mind]

Yes and it's also depends on the move distribution. Aura Sphere for example is a great alternative for Focus Blast, but only few which can actually learn it and usually those who can learn it doesn't have the option to run Focus Blast. I guess that the best example would be a non-Fighting-type Pokemon with the option to run both moves. Lucario in UU for example has the Nasty Plot set and the option to go Focus Blast or Aura Sphere. Focus Blast lets you OHKO Snorlax (even with Assault Vest) after one NP boost, but Aura Sphere has a perfect accuracy and after one boost it is still pretty powerful yet not powerful enough to OHKO Snorlax. So which one you would prefer to use?

 

[PMJ]

Those aren't dice I'm too keen on rolling, because if you miss, you're dead. I'd rather weaken him by other means (hazards, chip damage), and then attack once he's in KO range.

 

[King Arceus]

I refuse to use certain moves purely because of accuracy. I don't use Thunder or Focus Blast because they miss when you need them to connect. I find ways around Focus Blast by having a different move available on a Pokemon that is more reliable. Anything less than 85% accuracy I will not use. Missing is huge in doubles because your Pokemon can take up to two hits before it moves again. If you have the fastest Pokemon and the slowest Pokemon and you miss with the fastest one, your slow Pokemon may not get a turn.

 

[Perfect_Shot]

I've seen a lot of people in VGC choose against using Precipice Blades on Primal Groudon for the same reason. Why risk missing with the Pokemon that you need to do damage with the most when you could just use Earthquake or even Earth Power, and only do slightly less damage and probably still get the KO anyways?

 

[Scattered mind]

I've seen a lot of people in VGC choose against using Precipice Blades on Primal Groudon for the same reason. Why risk missing with the Pokemon that you need to do damage with the most when you could just use Earthquake or even Earth Power, and only do slightly less damage and probably still get the KO anyways?

That's interesting. Earthquake targets your ally as well, while Precipice Blades targets only the opponent. Earth Power's base power is 90 coming from 150 BP while Precipice Blades' power is 120 coming from 180 BP. That is pretty significant power to give up when the accuracy is not that shaky (85).

 

[One Approved]

I've seen a lot of people in VGC choose against using Precipice Blades on Primal Groudon for the same reason. Why risk missing with the Pokemon that you need to do damage with the most when you could just use Earthquake or even Earth Power, and only do slightly less damage and probably still get the KO anyways?

Well, Precipice Blades and Earth Power come from completely different sets. Running Earth Power usually denotes a more specially-orented set, which opens the floor up for Groudon to make full use of Eruption. Running Earthquake over Precipice Blades I can definitely understand. It does target your teammate as well, but pretty much everything in VGC runs Protect anyways, so it's not a huge deal. In addition, stuff like Cresselia and Gengar are also really popular, and Earthquake misses them anyways due to levitate.

I myself have never had a problem with using low-accuracy moves. I feel that at the highest level of play (which is what I want to aim for, obiously) using a move that could miss crucial OHKOs is just too important to not do. I do understand that there is a risk of sometimes missing, but I'm willing to accept that and move past it. The only one I really have a problem with is Thunder, because of its piss-poor accuracy. 70 is really awful, and it drops to 50 in Sun, iirc. Even on rain teams, it's too gimmicky in my opinion. Focus Blast and Hurricane I dislike, but unfortunately, the alternatives to Focus Blast are learned by so few pokemon, and Air Slash just doesn't have enough power.

 

[thegrovylekid]

In RU, most Houndoom and Delphox run Fire Blast instead of Flamethrower due to more Power. Mega Abomasnow runs Blizzard, but since Blizzard can't miss in the hail, that's irrelevant. Focus miss is still around for a few things. Tyrantrum and Aggron both pack Head Smash, which is worth it since they both get Rock Head. Thunder and Hurricane are almost never seen, even on Rain teams, and Hydro Pump is sometimes used over Scald for the extra power.

 

[PG24]

I've always believed that luck control is an actual skill that is important in higher levels of play. I'm not talking about picking flamethrower over fire blast to avoid misses, I'm talking about actually controlling probability to win the match. Example:

You have a Sp Def. Heatran (active) at 40% health and a Serperior at 30% health. Your opponent has a Rotom-W (active) at 60% health and a Mega Lopunny at 5% health. From your perspective, this battle seems unwinnable. Rotom-W can OHKO Heatran and then your opponent just needs to let Rotom-W die to Serperior to safely bring in Lopunny to finish the game. The only way for you to win this game is to bank on Hydro Pump missing (20%) and setting up Stealth Rock. Now Lopunny can't switchin, and you can simply take out the Rotom-W with Serperior. Yes, the opponent could just switch straight to Lopunny by predicting the Stealth Rock, but this is an even riskier play for them since it can potentially destroy their only advantage in the endgame.

20% > 0% chance to win

 

[Scattered mind]

Yeah, the accuracy can turn into your favor and it is one of the few things that can turn the match. Some call it hax but that's just part of the game.

I like to use moves with perfect accuracy, but I understand that sometimes a Pokemon needs more power to beat a particular threat or simply do serious damage to anything in general. In doubles, I think KA is right. Missing is a lot more dangerous than missing in singles. They have only 4 Pokemon, and they are facing 2 Pokemon each time. In singles, it can be crucial to miss depending on the situation, but most of the times you do have a way to compensate the miss.