The Battler Improvement Thread - 3rd round!

RE: The Battler Improvement Thread - 2nd match is up!

TDL said:
I feel that layer of Spikes was simply the deciding factor between you winning and losing. I assume you kept Infernape in on Rotom-W because it would die to hazards coming back in and you didn't want to risk Jolteon (your last hope) taking a hit with what few health it had. Obviously you did all that you could on those final turns due to the pressure hazards brought. This leads me back to my main point: that extra layer of hazards made all the difference. I think that you should've immediately used Taunt on Roserade when you switched in Froslass. You would've got up all your layers of Spikes while still limiting him to just Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes.

Another issue was the amount of choice users you have. That certainly didn't make the hazards issue any better. :p

I like this battle. It's a great example of the pressure hazards can bring even in the most simplest of ways.

Thanks for you feedback man, I really do appreciate that. I can see what you mean and now that I look at it, I think it is really the reason why I lost. That one layer of spikes cost me a lot of health which I could've prevent easily by taunting, but I would never stay in with Roserade when I am against Froslass I can do like nothing to it. As far as the Choice User go, I nearly always have that many of them. I am used to that, when I don't use stall, it is a team full with Choicer, especially specs. All the time that I have been playing this was the strategy that worked the best for me. Hazards and Choicer, or when it's a tier without Blissey and Umbreon, simply 6 times Choice Specs and that's it. That kind of teams were the most successfull for me and I've been doing much better with them that with what other people would call a serious team.


Dark Void said:
Why do you have a Specs Poliwrath in OU, lol. Its got all of 70 base special attack, no stats at or above 100, and a lackluster movepool to boot. The only real error I saw aside from that was near the end you had Jolteon use Shadow Ball on the Rotom-W (he switched to Hitmontop, which died). I would probably have used Thunderbolt here instead (yes, I'm aware that Rotom-W resists it) because it should have still been a 1-2HKO at that point and it hits everything else much harder, which is especially useful because you're Specs. You wouldn't have had to sacrifice Scizor then. Speaking of sacrificing Scizor, I would've sacrificed Infernape instead because it was already low on health and Jolteon can finish off Gyarados easily anyway, while Scizor is going to be more useful. Those were the big problems I saw, but its a bit tougher for me to envision because its pure paste data not a replay and its confusing how much hp each mon has left at the end of the turn.

Edit: And yeah what SL said, too many choice users just leaves you in a terrible spot against any team that can set up hazards successfully, especially because you lack a spinner. I'd suggest replacing Poliwrath with Starmie.

I think you should try Poliwrath out before you judge it. It is a good set, it does what it is here for and it gives my team the Bulk it needs to not get swept by everything. I cannot replace it with Starmie, because Starmie lacks bulk, has no Focus Blast, which is by the way the main reason why I use this and Starmie has no Priority. It cannot switch into Scizor, into Tyranitar and a lot of stuff that Poliwrath handles for me. I tried Starmie, it doesn't work half as good.

Some Loser said:
DPP OU is still an awesome gen to play competitively. I'll give you a few tips where I can:

- Firstly and most importantly, I notice your team is running an awful lot of Choice Sets. Specs Jolteon and Banded Scizor I can see the logic in, but ScarfNape and specially-based Poliwrath is where I start to see some problems. Infernape's strength is in it's flexibility, especially in 4th gen, so having it as a lead or mixed attacker might get you better results, and it can't perform as well with so many other choiced Pokemon on the team. Near the end, your Infernape and Jolteon were being forced to switch out a lot, and the hazards damage and lack of momentum you had cost you the game, in my opinion. Or it could have just been that lucky Sleep Talk Rotom-W at the end. :P

I think I would've won without that sleeptalk roll in the end, but I am unsure if Heatran wouldn't have stayed a shadow ball, even though it was at very low health! You wouldn't believe how good ScarfNape is doing, it is perfect for cleaning up in lategame when all the Pokemon are weakend and you can spam either Close Combat or Flare Blitz. Probably that's just me, but 4 Choicers are working good for me and fit my playing style.

- Your Poliwrath has an interesting set. How well has it performed in other games? It seemed to do okay in this battle, but there are better users of choice specs out there, especially water-types, and your other team members like Jolteon and Infernape already do it's job better. It has bulk, sure, but it really can't take repeated hits reliably, and it hits much harder from the physical spectrum.

SpecsPoliwrath is totally a legit set. I can see why you might think that other waters do the Job better, but Poliwrath was simply perfect for what I needed. It has Priority, it has Hydropump, and even more important it has Focus Blast. It is my main switch in for a lot of physical sweepers, for Mixednape and for a lot of other stuff, my team simply needs it. True, a 70 base special attack is not what you'd consider high or good, but with specs and 2 base 120 STABs it still hits damn hard. It can 2HKO offensive Starmies, while they try they can kill with Thunderbolt or spin my hazards away. It can even stay Shaymins seed Flare (93.4% - 110.8% with Timid Leftovers) and strike back with Ice Beam. It's not here because I want it to sweep, that's not its purpose, but it can defeat some significant Pokemon that can stop a sweep, like Celebi which takes a lot at the switch in, when I predict it, what I usually manage to do. By the way, it's attack isn'i high as well and it has much better Moves on the special side.

- Your prediction was pretty good throughout the entire game, but again, not having so many choice users would make it a lot easier on you.

Thanks, but again, I am used to having a lot of Choicers, and it works better for me, probably not in this case, but in most.

Don't get me wrong, it was an excellent and a very close game, but the extra damage his hazards did along with so many switches on your part really sealed the deal. Hope I could be of some help.

Thanks for your help man, I really appreciate that!
So in the end everyone agrees that it was the not taunting against Roserade. My team probably would need a spinner, but there is nothing I can afford taking out, so I don't know, the next time I face a more defensive team I guess I will have to predict better and prevent the hazards! As far as Poliwrath goes, I don't consider it as a gimmick, it works repeatedly against the same player and it does what it is here for. It's kinda the Pokemon that makes my team not get swept by everything and that allows me to take out some Walls that might stop my sweeps with Infernape or Jolteon. You wouldn't believe how often people switch Rotom or Skarmory into it and then have to take a Hydropump.

Guys thanks for your help, I am pretty sure I won't use Spikes against a non taunter Roserade ever again lol
 
Can you post the team? I thought you won pretty convincingly, but there might be something on the team that changes my mind.
 
Hippowdon (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 HP / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Whirlwind

Landorus (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Spd / 252 SAtk / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Earth Power
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Psychic

Starmie @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 Def / 252 HP / 4 SAtk
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Psyshock
- Rapid Spin
- Recover

Celebi @ Leftovers
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 220 SDef / 252 HP / 36 Spd
Gentle Nature
- Thunder Wave
- Leaf Storm
- U-turn
- Recover

Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 224 SDef / 252 HP / 32 Spd
Careful Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Body Slam
- Iron Head

Gyarados @ Chesto Berry
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 204 Spd / 128 Atk / 176 HP
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Rest
- Bounce
 
Currently, we do need a battle up, I'll provide one tonight if no submissions are sent in.
 
Back
Top