Battle Stadium Singles blog #2 — Dracovish Conkeldurr VoltTurn

At ladder season 1's conclusion, I thought I'd do a write-up of the first original team that dragged me into the triple digit ranks (before crashing out again) late in the season by accidentally targeting an apparent pocket metagame consisting of Weakness Policy abuse in the form of Tyranitar-Excadrill sand and various Togekiss all ins, combined with a relative lack of Gyarados play. This was a welcome experience after a rocky start to the generation, consisting of experimentation involving things like Steel, Electric, and Normal Silvally, Indeedee-Cloyster (before the terrain nerfs were discovered), and various kinds of hyper offense coin flipping. This is even as the end result was anything but consistent as evident by a peak total win-rate for the season of barely above 62%, with the team itself thus having to streak close to 70% at its zenith to hit triple digits:

Built around slow Volt Switch and U-turn, this team found success for me mainly by leveraging two good offensive threats that left open the Dynamax slot for Togekiss to abuse. The team has some lazy and questionable choices both in terms of EVs and moves which I do little to defend below, and which speaks to what people can get away with this early in the meta...provided the team preview and select screen game goes your way in a format that, sadly, seems much more unforgiving than USUM.

Pokepaste: https://pokepast.es/a804825eac30b420

1) Team overview:

Corviknight

This set lacks Iron Defense + berry recovery, making it a check rather than a counter to things like Mimikyu and Gyarados. Indeed, the idea here is to slow U-turn out of things like Mimikyu or Excadrill into decisive Conkeldurr, Dracovish, or Togekiss momentum.

   To this end, Taunt is also adapted to throw off defensive pokemon seeking to exploit something like Dracovish especially when benching Togekiss, with enough Spd creep to try to Taunt check other Corviknight looking to set up through Bulk Up or Iron Defense + Body Press sets.

   Drill Peck over Brave Bird has both the PP and recoil advantage in attrition scenarios, and has only 10 less BP as Max Airstream, but could itself be easily replaced with another coverage move (Iron Head or Body Press). Similarly, Rocky Helmet provides a few rounds of passive damage for Aegislash or Conkeldurr priority to eventually clean up against things like 4 attacks Moxie Gyarados and physical Life Orb sweepers like Durant and Haxorus when stuck repeatedly clicking Roost.

Rotom-H

Paired with Corviknight as the VoltTurn duo, this set exists as dedicated counter to Togekiss, whose Nasty Plot sets — especially paired with an activated Weakness Policy — make it the foremost special Max Airstream sweeper and wall breaker currently in the format.

   Rotom's Assault Vest bulk means that it can switch in on a Nasty Plot and have, outside of doubling out, a few different options available since it actually survives a +2 252 Max Airstream/Starfall into +4 Max Airstream/Starfall even outside Dynamax itself, outlasting the entirety of Togekiss' Dynamax turns as it dies; first, it can go Dynamax assuming Togekiss will do the same and click two Max Lightning Discharges, putting zero bulk invested variants it into priority range once its Dynamax ends; second, to Volt Switch into a Sash-intact Aegislash in the back whose Iron Head + Shadow Sneak threatens fully offensive variants, with Max Steelspike needed against bulkier 132-252 HP variants; third, to fish for paralysis with two rolls of Discharge; and, finally, to trade Dynamax while avoiding Weakness Policy by clicking two Max Flares into Max Lightning.

   As far as EVs go, the minor Spd creep is easily justified by the massive popularity of Rotom in the format, and by the SpDef bulk actually letting this set live things like +252 Choice Specs Rotom-W Hydro Pump from full.

   Where this EV-spread's USUM-roots leave it whistling past the graveyard is definitely in the area of Def investment: the calculations against some physical threats make it clear that Assault Vest Rotom is not going to survive the most prominent Max Geysers or +2 252 Mimikyu Max Phantasms regardless of investment — not that it should ever need to — although some of the more marginal ranges 252 HP / 60 Def has does include a coin flip to live a +1 252 Gyarados Max Geyser in Dynamax, nor does it obviously do anything against Mold Breaker Excadrill's Earthquake, settling on barely living a hit from Jolly Sand Sweeper's Max Rockfall (18.8% chance to 1HKO) outside Dynamax form, living both unboosted Jolly and Adamant ones in Dynamax form.

   Definitely a lot of room to specialize in this department then, especially given the fact that Weakness Policy Togekiss is by no means the only Togekiss set running around, with Lum and a number of other berry sets and even Scope Lens Super Luck (to go +2 and go through Screens) sets seeking to put in some work on the back of the deterrent effect of a Weakness Policy sweep. Overall though, this set as is has at least 100 EVs worth of stats to distribute while still retaining its potency as a Togekiss answer.

Aegislash

Double-offense Sash Aegislash seems to be shaping up to be the go-to for Aegislash sets thus far in the format. In this team, it usually ended up leading for me against Dracovish counter-leads from offense-based teams (Dragapult, Darmanitan), occasionally serving as a backliner against offensive teams without access to Stealth Rock.

   The Spd creep is chiefly aimed at Tyranitar and Corviknight, but also ostensibly helps in the mirror I never saw in the 30 or so games I played with this team. The main advantage of +252 Atk as opposed to +252 SpAtt is the ability to Iron Head + Shadow Sneak 1v1 Dynamax momentum Togekiss as a Sash-intact backliner, but going forward, switching to +252 Shadow Ball might be better overall especially in lieu of the Corviknight matchup, in which Aegislash would not only outspeed, but would also threaten the 20%-ish high-roll 2HKO against zero SpDef-invested variants without having to Dynamax.

Conkeldurr

Despite Mimikyu still running rampant in the format, Conkeldurr not only manages to be impactful even outside Dynamax thanks to its bulk and access to Drain Punch recovery, making it an easy offensive pair with more dedicated Dynamax sweepers, but because of Dexit and Aegislash nerfs, it is also no longer as easily outperformed by other things as it was in USUM.

   Conkeldurr operates similarly to Dracovish while providing complementary offensive coverage to it when the latter can't be expected to quite break through: brought in on a slow Volt Switch or U-turn, it should trade 1-for-1 at the very least, provided that the team select screen game went right.

   As for the EVs, my first iteration had substantial SpDef investment, but I have since converted that to more HP and Def in order to be more consistent in Dynamax form against Max Airstream Gyarados over Togekiss even after multiple ticks of burn damage or after incurring minor chip damage. Also, since one of Conkeldurr's main roles is to check sand teams (Excadrill), every bit of extra physical bulk is appreciated.

Dracovish

Since this team is on the slow side, I elected for Jolly Scarf Dracovish, which means it has some problems with things like Toxapex and Ferrothorn +252 Choice Band variants would muscle through with a little luck, with Water Absorb users Jellicent, Lapras, Vaporeon, the occasional Seismitoad, and the occasional Storm Drain Gastrodon representing far more of an obstacle for Dracovish likewise with the lack of raw damage herein. In short, rule of thumb I have for whether to bench or bring this Vish is as follows: if Fishious Rend is not the click every time you're in, better let Conkeldurr or Togekiss do their thing.

   The other moveslots are not exactly fully thought through but for the marginal anti-screens utility of Psychic Fangs, with Outrage and Rock Tomb undoubtedly outclassing Leech Life in particular — not that I have ever clicked anything other than Fishious Rend.

Togekiss

As alluded to above, Togekiss is one of those major threats in any preview screen that can randomly just bungle into the victory screen despite the pilot's best efforts. Here, defense-leaning teams that would otherwise relatively comfortably outlast both Dracovish and Conkeldurr risk getting blown out by +2 Max Airstream and are obliged to bring answers. Zero bulk Togekiss is definitely on the greedier side, but given against what it is intended to be employed against here, it hasn't been a problem thus far.

   Heat Wave stands out as clearly inferior to both Flamethrower and Fire Blast, but is on this set for 5 more BP than Flamethrower outside Dynamax form, while still having the same Max Flare BP as Flamethrower.

2) Usage notes:

The sections below, while based on my 150+ games total and on the publicly streamed games of a few players likewise in the triple digit ranks, are in no small part speculative when it comes to common good cores and such, as the format is still very much developing, but may — I hope — at least provide a minor help in identifying possible opposing lines of play in the team select screen.

2.1 — Usual team compositions

Aegislash-Rotom/Corviknight-Togekiss/Dracovish/Conkeldurr

Dracovish-Corviknight-Rotom

2.2 — Most drafted, by rate/member (descending)

I did not choose a set number of games for myself to play with this team beforehand this time around, and as such I haven't exactly kept precise count on usage. The ranking below thus only reflects the general trend of my play across what must have been at least 30-ish total games with this team, briefly reaching a peak of 920 during season 1 after an outrageously lucky streak in terms of matchups.

1. Aegislash

2. Togekiss

3. Rotom

4. Conkeldurr

5. Corviknight

6. Dracovish

2.3 — VS Team Select Screen

Screens/Suicide lead Hyper Offense

Grimmsnarl or other Light Clay Dual Screens/Memento leads such as Steel Beam Duraludon or Curse Dragapult. Alternatively, dedicated cripple leads like Memento Whimsicott, Thunder Wave / Will-o-Wisp / Fling + Light Ball & Curse / Trick Room Mimikyu. Win conditions: Dragon Dancers, Cloyster, Max Airstream mode etc.

Aegislash-Corviknight/Rotom-Togekiss/Conkeldurr

Corviknight-Conkeldurr-Aegislash

When the opponent telegraphs a dedicated cripple/screens lead, Corviknight can elect to lead Taunt or U-turn. Aegislash is also always a safe pick when the possible cripple/screens lead is not carrying Stealth Rock.

Trick Room Offense

Hatterene, Rhyperior, Ferrothorn, Mimikyu, -Spd Dracovish, Gyarados and/or Togekiss mode etc.

Aegislash-Conkeldurr-Corviknight/Dracovish/Rotom

So far from what I can tell, Trick Room seems to consist of a modular core like Hatterene-Rhyperior; which is relatively easy to weave into offensive teams as a form of anti-snowball mechanics against opposing Max Airstream momentum or Sand Rush Excadrill, thanks to Focus Sash Trick Room. Teams like this aren't exactly built for longevity, and also inevitably lose some form of coverage due to committing, at a minimum, two slots to Trick Room mode. Regardless of the opponent's secondary mode, Aegislash should get good value here as it can trade against something while taking up two turns of Trick Room.

Balanced Momentum Offense

Excadrill, Mimikyu, Togekiss, Corviknight, Dragapult, Gyarados, Darmanitan

Dracovish-Corviknight-Rotom

Aegislash-Corviknight-Togekiss

Aegislash-Rotom-Togekiss

I am not in the business of coining archetypes, nor am I even always correct in using established nomenclature, so what I mean by balanced momentum offense is teams that assemble powerful, self-contained win conditions while still bringing a degree of synergistic sustainability to eventually get into sweeping position. On these teams, something like Excadrill or Dragapult, for example, can run offensive sets to act as sweepers, or could just as easily be running some kind of support sets like Thunder Wave/Will-o-Wisp or dual screens in Dragapult's case.

   In general, though, Excadrill-Togekiss compositions are annoying to no end because they tend to force both Rotom and Corviknight, and given the fact that one of the main selling points of both Conkeldurr and Dracovish is the reality that they don't take up a Dynamax slot in order to do their thing, games can play out leading to some uncomfortable scenarios involving Dynamaxing the defensive pivots when Togekiss is benched.

Dedicated Defense (stall-mode)

Corviknight, Toxapex, Quagsire/Pyukumuku, Gastrodon, Umbreon, Corsola, Whirlpool Cursola, Gothitelle etc.

Corviknight-Conkeldurr-Togekiss

Like with wallbreakers in general, getting Togekiss into position to pull the trigger on boosted Dynamax moves is key. When expecting a completely passive lineup, Corviknight is invaluable, and can even elect to lead because the likelihood of becoming an unrecoverable momentum drain

Dedicated Baton Pass / Speed Control strategies

Polteageist, dedicated leads like Memento Whimsicott, Sticky Web Slurpuff / Galvantula / Ribombee etc. into Glalie, Butterfree, Clefable, Espeon.

Aegislash-Conkeldurr-Rotom/Togekiss/Corviknight

Alright, I haven't seen a single Baton Pass team all season, which I am given to assume speaks to its current viability given that I even managed to hit things like Speed Control + Glalie or Butterfree. But if I did, Conkeldurr would likely have a place since it doesn't mind getting Yawned on turn 1 or getting savaged by Sticky Web.

3) In Conclusion:

This post was originally slated for January, but I wanted to get this team out of my system as soon as possible to move on to bigger and better things (i.e. exploring teams by top players). So now that some of that stuff is starting to become available, having been proven consistent across a season's worth of play, expect to see the next few entries covering interesting top-level teams.

   Finally, based on the revised ruleset of season 2, we should be expecting a slow trickle of new pokemon or Gigantamax forms every season so long as singles keeps apace with the release schedule of doubles, a welcome injection of variety into a format that seems lamentably shallow compared to what I'm used to over the past year of doing this.

- Tox