Tales from Battle Spot Singles blog #6 — Gengar Vivillon (little-tale S12)
This post features a team that has done well in the hands of a single player across multiple seasons and iterations, repeatedly placing above 2000 points. Built around Vivillon, it brings a bench deep enough to provide answers for its most prominent threats.
nouthuca: http://nouthuca.com/topic/?code=g7s12single&num=3
blogs: http://little-tale.hatenablog.com/entry/2018/11/06/173441
QR code:
Pokepaste: https://pokepast.es/62964411f9046f4f
1) Team overview:
Please see links above for builds.
Vivillon
Vivillon is a finisher that relies on an unobstructed Sleep Powder opening to run away with the game with a follow-up consisting of Quiver Dancing behind the safety of a Substitute. What makes the team tick is what the addition of Gengar does to empower it: Sleep against grounded pokemon is nullified by the terrain conditions set by Tapu Koko and Tapu Fini, both of which are threatened by lead Gengar, although the speed tie with most Koko can make for some quick games in an already fast format; and the Grass types immune to Sleep Powder, particulary Ferrothorn, do not appreciate the movepool Gengar brings to bear.
Gengar
As mentioned above, four attacks Gengar seeks to check Tapu Koko and Tapu Fini, while providing speed control for the Quiver Dancers with its ability combined with Icy Wind. When leading against things like Landorus, Scarfed sets can not safely click Earthquake so long as Vivillon is in the back unless paired with a form of Sleep Powder immunity.
Greninja
Greninja provides Taunt, which shuts down would-be Stealth Rock setters hoping to capitalize on the quad-weakness to rock flaunted by both Vivillon and Volcarona. Greninja also has the distinction of carrying Water STAB, which is super effective against 6 out of the 8 most popular Stealth Rock setters, with Ferrothorn (#3) and Garchomp (#7) being the two exceptions, making it a good lead that carries good solo damage potential against most things unresisted thanks to its Sashed Modest Torrent Surf + Water Shuriken.
Greninja is also notable for having type synergy with Gengar, being able to switch into a Psychic or Psyshock from Scarf Tapu Lele, resulting in the pair being a solid bring into an otherwise nasty Lele lead.
Kangaskhan
At base 100 speed, it wouldn't exactly be accurate to call Kangaskhan the team's slow mode mega sweeper, but that is kind of one of its two main roles here. Carrying just enough native speed to creep past the likes of bulky Mimikyu, 252 Breloom and +252 Speed invested Substitute+Toxic Aegislash, Power-Up Punch Kangaskhan is further empowered by Trick Room + Curse from Mimikyu to turn the tables on things like Blaziken, rain, or sand, with Double-Edge tearing through fast and frail sweepers with no effort whatsoever.
Since Kangaskhan lacks the finesse of Fake Out + Sucker Punch, opting insted for Power-Up Punch, its second main role is to break through bulky opponents with boosted Fire Punch and Earthquake carrying the day against defensive teams bringing things like Scizor, Aegislash, Mimikyu or Celesteela, which Gengar can struggle with either due to lack of coverage or vulnerability to physical priority attacks. Kangaskhan is also bulky enough to live a hit to revenge Double-Edge +1 Gyarados and non-Double-Edge +1 Salamence.
Volcarona
At +1 Z-Hyper Beam 1HKOs defense-uninvested Salamence, has a 50% chance to 1HKO Charizard X, but falls short of 1HKOing Gyarados or Charizard Y, the latter of which can be Quiver Danced on to go to +2 provided Volcarona is above 50%. It is also slower than the most common physical Choice Scarf users, meaning its use can be limited to games where boosting and Roosting is relatively safe.
On the defensive side, Volcarona has a 75% chance to live a +252 +2 Snuggle from Mimikyu and lives a single Psyshock from Modest Scarf Tapu Lele and Flare Blitz from +252 mega-Blaziken every time. These defensive benchmarks can be left to the wayside if all the Def EVs are instead dumped into SpAtt, making Charizard a consistent 1HKO, but reducing the utility of this as a bulky Roost set.
Mimikyu
The momentum recoverer par excellence. The Z-move threatens a powerful physical nuke from behind the safety of its Disguise, Curse cripples Glalie and many forms of Baton Pass, and Trick Room provides a form of reverse-speed control for the sweepers Kangaskhan, Volcarona and Vivillon when going up against Scarfed pokemon like Greninja, Landorus or +1 Salamence/Gyarados.
2) Usage notes:
Opposing Greninja is something to especially plan for: physical Choice Scarf sets seem to be an auto-bring against this team since they carry a Rock move and outspeed both Quiver Dancers at +1.
Lopunny, enjoying a bit of a revival at the time of writing, is also a problematic for the team since it can lead and solo both Greninja and Gengar with Fake Out + Return/Frustration and might even necessitate actually leading Volcarona or Mimikyu. Snorlax is another Normal-type to be mindful of, as Recycle lets it solo everything heads-up while Yawn and Whirlwind both prevent Kangaskhan and the Quiver Dancers from being too effective.
2.1 — Usual team compositions
Gengar/Greninja-Vivillon
Gengar/Greninja-Volcarona
Gengar-Volcarona-Vivillon
2.2 — Most drafted, by rate/member (descending)
1. Greninja
2. Gengar
3. Volcarona
4. Vivillon
5. Mimikyu
6. Kangaskhan
2.3 — Drafting and leading vs. matchup-archetype list
See link for my basic archetype checklist:
https://tinyurl.com/archetypes101
"Kabamanda"
Salamence/Hippowdon/Aegislash/Koko
Gengar/Greninja-Mimikyu-Volcarona
Standard offensive Salamence is one of the main things +1 Z-Hyper Beam is EV'd to kill, so getting momentum against this archetype is key.
"Rizzagross / Kabarizza"
Charizard X/Metagross/Greninja; Charizard Y/Hippowdon ("rizzagross, kabarizza")
Gengar-Greninja-Volcarona
Greninja-Mimikyu-Vivillon
Flame Charge from Charizard X/Y is scary if Greninja's Sash is down due to Stealth Rock or sand damage, so bringing Mimikyu to set Trick Room for Vivillon is highly recommended. Standard offensive Charizard Y is typically run as +252 Speed invested, so Vivillon does not outspeed it heads up like it does against 252 Charizard X, either.
"Landorus momentum"
Suicide lead Landorus+set-up sweepers (Naganadel, Dragon Dance megas, NagaScizor etc.)
Greninja-Mimikyu-Kangaskhan/Volcarona
The Greninja opener can Shuriken or Surf/Dark Pulse a Scarfed U-Turning Landorus, attempt to flinch hax the Sashed standard Landorus' Stealth Rock with Dark Pulse or, indeed, click Taunt on it. Dark Pulse + 3-hit minimum Water Shuriken also beats the Rock Tomb opener from it without it getting rocks down while still having bulky Mimikyu in the back to Trick Room the follow-up sweeper that comes in on -1 speed Greninja.
Rain core modular
Politoed/Pelipper/Swampert/steel type/Tapu Koko
Greninja-Mimikyu-Kangaskhan
Lead Greninja can usually 1-for-1 something barring the appearance of a bulky Grass like Ferrothorn on the opposing side. Mimikyu's Trick Room is invaluable for reversing the speed advantage.
"Mimigassa / suropoke"
Mimikyu/Breloom/Mawile/Porygon2
Greninja-Mimikyu-Vivillon
Greninja ideally sacrifices itself in the lead matchup against Breloom, setting up Vivillon for success, as the standard core does not carry anything that natively outspeeds Vivillon.
Dedicated stall
Chansey/Toxapex/Sableye/Celesteela/Slowbro/Skarmory/Venusaur/Shedinja/Gliscor etc...
Greninja-Kangaskhan/Gengar-Vivillon/Volcarona
Greninja wants to lead Taunt stop Skarmory/Chansey from putting down rocks, opening up a hard switch into Power-Up Punch Kangaskhan or a Quiver Dancer. Gengar, normally fantastic against hard stall, loses some value against Chansey despite its trapping ability due to a lack of carrying Taunt or Substitute to dodge a possible Thunder Wave with, but is still very much the bring against anything Tapu Bulu/Toxapex or Slowbro based in terms of stall.
Dedicated Baton Pass
Scolipede, Blazikenpass, Eeveepass, Dual Screens lead etc.
Greninja/Gengar-Mimikyu
With Curse and Trick Room, Mimikyu is the MVP against most varieties of the dedicated Screens/boostpassing strategy.
Dedicated Glalie
Cripple lead (Glare Serperior, Thunder Wave/Will-o-Wisp Mimikyu, Light Ball Fling users etc.), Thunder Wave + Lunar Dance Cresselia, Glalie
Gengar/Greninja-Mimikyu
Gengar hates hitting lead Thunder Wave Mimikyu, whereas Greninja can't handle Serperior. Preserving Mimikyu for Glalie is imperative.
In conclusion:
Bringing Vivillon into the team selection screen is not unlike bringing Kommo-o: the deterrent effect is almost as strong as the pokemon itself, even if all it is benched most of the time. For this reason alone, teams like this are an experience everyone should treat themselves to.
- Tox
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tox.146/
