Battle Stadium Singles blog — Spikemuth Cup (Special Edition)

At this point, I don't think it's a controversial thing to say that BSS is currently undergoing the unhealthiest metagame since its inception way back in 2011 with the Global Battle Union (although techincally online match-making has existed since 2006's Pokemon Battle Revolution), so when the developers threw us a bone with a non-Dynamax BSS-tournament with the Galar-pokedex, I decided I was going to be all over it.

   So what if the download rules they posted for this with the inital announcement were wrong for over a day once again? These are, after all, the same people who let things like Hydro Pump Drillbur go live. And, besides, this would be, perhaps, a once in a generation peek into what 3v3 singles might have looked like without that pesky little thing called Dynamax stinking up the place.

See Garchomp. Do 360 degree turn. Moonwalk out of the game.

Loss 7. A Play Rough hit on Choice Band Urshifu-SS here, and it's Rotom + Zapdos against Choice Specs Garchomp (Scale Shot / Earthquake / Swords Dance / Fire Fang) and a paralyzed Corsola. But I've never been one to turn down a free ride on the RNG-carousel.

And yes, it was neutral natured and minted to Modest in case it ever found itself in possession of a FIWAM berry.

Day 1 gamers: Sand Drill mode + SmashPass to...Rhyperior? Or is it Trick Room Chandelure mode Rhyperior?

You always end up hitting one of *these* people.

Thread:  Online Competition - Spikemuth Cup | Smogon Forums

Pokepaste: https://pokepast.es/60423297a2960197

1) Team overview

Zapdos

In a format without Dynamax, Zapdos still rules the roost. This time around, best I could tell, there are two main ways to play it: offensive Choice Specs/Scarf, and defensive — with defensive sets seemingly further subdivided into slow pivots and Kee Berry + Discharge sets.

   For my defensive set, I went for the most basic of things possible: full defensive investment with Sitrus Berry. The main benchmark justifying this decision over doing some minor Speed creeping is in order to be able to switch into Life Orb Pyro Ball and avoid the 2HKO. Indeed, even with a FIWAM berry, defensive Zapdos gets outsped and 2HKO'd by the biggest hitter in the format, Choice Band Urshifu, making it unable to safely switch in and having to "revenge-check" it.

   Cutting Hurricane risks making Zapdos abusable by the pseudo Max Airstreamer supreme in the format, Scale Shot Garchomp, but comes with the major upside of actually crippling the aforementioned Urshifu and Dracovish in a clean 1v1.

Garchomp

It boosts and then it sweeps. In a format where pivoting is a big deal, having that Volt Switch immunity is nothing to scoff at, either.

   I suppose the choice of Stone Edge over something like Fire Fang merits a brief mention, as well. So here it is: the crit chance is more relevant against the Iron Defense flyers Corviknight and Skarmory when on an even footing boosts wise. Hitting Zapdos with a super-effective move that doesn't risk procing Static is also kind of a big deal.

Azumarill

I was always going to bring anti-stall into this. The Whirlpool sets for Azumarill are arguably more effective than Gothitelle because they straight up also beat Unaware Clefable, but I have in the past found myself to be too trigger-shy with bringing it in the team select screen. As such, I went with offensive Assault Vest Azumarill here, because it helps the team with some of its more iffy lead match ups, and brings the Dragon-type immunity which is at a premium in this format.

   On the topic of Clefable more broadly, the problem for me in playing stall or semi-stall is very simple: I just can't stomach it. Yes, you win by meticulously outplaying people over several turns — as if you were actually playing some kind of entirely skill-based game (imagine that)  — but matches take forever and you are constantly at the mercy of both RNG and opposing tech, like OHKO-moves. So, momentum-aggro styles it is for me, yet again.

Gothitelle

Again, with no Dynamax and a number of prominent wallbreakers culled, defensive styles and stall have to be accounted for. So, this is what I went for.

   Going both Cosmic Power and Calm Mind, as opposed to Cosmic Power + Substitute Leftovers, is greedy in that it leaves Gothitelle open to things like 1HKO moves (Lapras, Snorlax), but lets it then actually beat things like Chansey and Blissey, as opposed to having to merely timer stall them. Indeed, going into this, actually trying to snowball with Gothitelle was something both Rotom (Trick) and Zapdos (Thunder Wave) could empower.

   The Speed creep is in all honesty just a remnant from the Substitute set, and is wholly unnecessary.

Dragapult

A question. Is this a Dragapult game?
Answer: Yes, in the case of...

a) Dragon Dancers behind screens (Gyarados, Salamence, Haxorus);
b) weather modes (rain Kingdra, sand Excadrill/Dracozolt, sun Venusaur);
c) Volt-Turn (Dragapult, Darmanitan, Urshifu, Rotom, Scizor);
d) offensive no-plan "win three 1v1s" goodstuffs compositions (Mimikyu, Sash-user, Choice-item users, optional defensive pivot/Porygon2).

   As for everything else, Mimikyu and the Sucker Punch users (Cinderace, Urshifu-SS) felt, going into this, like they were pushing Dragapult more into either a support role (burn/paralysis/screens), or into a fast pivot (U-turn). So of course I went with neither of those approaches.

   Moreover, having both Garchomp and Dragapult on the same team makes the opposing fairy a very tempting thing to bring indeed, especially considering Dragapult's only physical Ghost-type coverage is Phantom Force.

Rotom-H

Choice Specs Rotom-H with Nasty Plot over Will-o-Wisp was my attempt at defensively complementing Garchomp and Azumarill. And providing another slow pivot to get momentum is always welcome on teams like this to have an alternative to Zapdos that can cripple opponents into range for a win-condition, or, indeed, actually sweep in its own right.

   Being a Darmanitan-check was also major consideration here, because nothing on the team can switch into it, the team mostly relying on pre-empting it with momentum before it does anything (Dragapult 1HKO or Azumarill into Scale Shot Garchomp before it comes out again), similarly to Dracovish.

2) Tournament

In addition to describing my losses as usual, I thought it might be interesting to keep track of how Gothitelle would perform, especially because the 300-person friendly competition I participated in on the eve of this tournament was quite defensively orientated team-building wise.

Day 1

Win / Loss: 12 – 3

Gothitelle (games / wins):  3 / 3

Loss 1: Rotom-Garchomp-Azumarill vs. Sylveon-Zapdos-Darmanitan-G

Defensive Zapdos hit a crit Hurricane on Garchomp on its Swords Dance turn, then crit Volt Switched Azumarill in the 1v1 endgame with Static paralysis and Roost versus Liquidation Def-drops to play for.

Loss 1.

Loss 2: Rotom-Garchomp-Zapdos vs Rillaboom-Rhyperior-Cinderace

Missed Overheat on Rillaboom. Opponent also had High Horsepower on Rhyperior, which they clicked against a thrice Drum Beatinged Zapdos, a second attempt at a throw besides leaving Rillaboom in against Rotom in the first place

Loss 3: Dragapult-Garchomp-Azumarill vs. Urshifu-SS-Zapdos-Volcarona

I decided it was either Quagsire or Darmanitan-G in the back, and played for the Dragapult endgame when the time came, after being forced to open with one of my three anti-Darmanitan leads (Azumarill, Dragapult, Rotom-H). It was Volcarona.
    Without another Hurricane hit from defensive Zapdos on Garchomp on its Swords Dance turn, +2 Att +1 Spd -1 Def would have still lived Focus Sash Urshifu's Sucker Punch, and Garchomp would have swept.

Rating after day 1.

Thoughts after the first day: I think I could have gone 14-1 with even average luck, with only the third loss feeling like a conventionally "legitimate" loss. Regardless, the games overall felt even worse quality than the standard first day fare in these events.
    Dragapult felt even more unbringable than Gothitelle because I was presumably still too low to play people with screens/cripple lead + Dragon Dance, or proper weather modes. It should be noted, though, that I did come across a few evidently doubles people, who tried to do Tailwind strats with Whimsicott, when the Cotton Stall sets are far more formidable in this format. Alarmingly absent from opposing teams were also Urshifu-SS, Cinderace, and Mimikyu, which should have empowered Dragapult were it actually doing something worthwhile here.

Day 2

Win / Loss: 10 – 5

Gothitelle (games / wins): 2 / 0

Loss 4: Rotom-Azumarill-Gothitelle vs Toxapex-Krookodile-

Haze Toxapex while being behind on the tie-break conditions. Tricked Specs onto Krookodile on the switch on turn 1, receiving Assault Vest. Krookodile barely lives Overheat, putting me behind in the tie-break. I double into Gothitelle on the anti-Aqua Jet switch-out into Toxapex. It's Haze on Toxapex, which means I can't kill or timer stall it.

Loss 4.

Loss 5: Zapdos-Azumarill-Rotom vs Dracovish-Volcarona-

Got the lead right, but didn't get any paralysis turns on either Dracovish or Volcarona. Endgame: After Azumarill died to a paralyzed Dracovish, I Tricked Choice Specs onto a paralyzed 50% health +2 Volcarona that Bug Buzzed through Zapdos and Rotom without issue.

Loss 5.

Loss 6: Garchomp-Rotom-Gothitelle vs Clefable-Toxapex-Tyranitar

Opponent played around Trick, which meant Unaware Kee Berry Clefable beat everything even after switching into Garchomp Earthquake in their own sand for no reason.

   What I find more than mildly upsetting, and what may well put this game in the throw column for me, is the out I did not try to take on turn 2: after switching in to take the Trick, the now Choice Specs-donning Tyranitar clicked Stealth Rock on Rotom Volt Switching out, which meant an instant loss to Gothitelle on timer (32 max PP).

   Now, I assumed it was probably Protect + Stealth Rock + Rock Blast + second offensive move after getting Leftovers (it was not), but just couldn't place myself in the donkeyspace necessary to make the right play for the situation, as even uninvested Crunch still 2HKOs, and without Dynamax, something like Superpower (Max Knuckle) is less likely than on Series 7-8 anti-Zapdos sets.

   I don't mean to denigrate my opponent in any way, because it was one of Pythagoras_Poke's two entering accounts — and he is one of the most consistent stall pilots in the game, after all — but just look at the teams below and tell me locking yourself into Stealth Rock was a play in a virtually guaranteed Gothitelle game:

Loss 6.

Loss 7: Azumarill-Zapdos-Rotom vs Urshifu-Corsola-Garchomp

First 1700s opponent of the tournament: miss Play Rough on Choice Band Urshifu-SS.

Loss 8: Rotom-Azumarill-Garchomp vs Corviknight-Lanturn-Clefable

This was the most bizarre game I've played in recent memory. Dual screens Corviknight with Cosmic Power / Moonlight / Moonblast / Baton Pass Unaware Clefable and Leftovers Lanturn.

   Clefable dodged the Trick again, and so was able to max out and Moonblast through everything. -20 pts. lost due to the oppinent being almost 100 points below me. Still, can't even be upset about anything here, this was just amazing.

Loss 8.

Not being above 1700 going into day 3 portends disaster.

Some takeways from 30 games: Dragapult got brought 0/15 games today, which effectively means that my team only has four things that can be brought regularly, and that in thinking people would go weather or screens was a massive failure of preparation on my part.

   On the positive side, the mid-1700s should still be in reach, right?

Day 3

Win / Loss: 8 – 7

Gothitelle (games / wins): 4 / 1

Loss 9: Azumarill-Gothitelle-Garchomp vs Dragapult-Cloyster-?

1719 opponent. Azumarill was paralyzed two turns straight against Cloyster after a cripple lead Dragapult. I thought about bringing my own Dragapult into this since one of the things it specifically targets is post-Shell Smash Cloyster, but locked in Garchomp last second. 

   The dubious and greedy Gothitelle pick, intended to remove Azumarill-Garchomp's best switch-in, Porygon2, never came into play.

Loss 9.

Loss 10: Azumarill-Zapdos-Rotom vs Rillaboom-Lapras-Urshifu-SS
Crit Stone Edge from Life Orb (!) Urshifu-SS on 80% Zapdos on its Thunder Wave turn. Down into the mid 1600s after that loss.

Loss 11:  Azumarill-Zapdos-Garchomp vs Rotom-W-Garchomp-?
Basically 3-0'd by lead Rotom-W after switching my most likely win-condition, Garchomp, into a Tricked Choice Scarf, the idea being to take a Volt Switch or scout for burn Lum Berry on a Will-o-Wisp and then going Zapdos. I think this qualifies as a throw.

Peak rating for the event.

Loss 12: Rotom-Zapdos-Gothitelle vs. Dragapult-
I didn't respect the Dragapult lead on stall by bringing a counter-lead, and got 3-0'd by Modest Choice Specs in as close to an autowin match up as something can get. As as hard a throw as they come: all I had to do was not to get blown out from the lead in order to get Gothitelle in on one of the blobs. This one will sting for a long time to come, as well it should.

Loss 12.

Loss 13: Azumarill-Zapdos-Garchomp vs Dracovish-Magnezone-Umbreon
I went for it when I didn't have to, but Earthquake + Rough Skin damage + +2 Earthquake fell just short of KOing Umbreon, which let Magnezone do its slow pivot into Dracovish. 1750 was now out of reach for me.

Loss 14: Rotom-Zapdos-Gothitelle vs Hippowdon-Scizor-Dracozolt

I knowingly brought Gothitelle into a game where its only targets were Hippowdon and Abomasnow and got deservedly beaten. Garchomp would have 3-0'd after tricking Choice Specs onto Hippowdon on turn 1, because it was Substitute Sand Rush Dracozolt and Scizor in the back.

Loss 15: Azumarill-Rotom-Garchomp vs Zapdos-Sylveon-Urshifu-SS
Adamant Choice Band Urshifu-SS 25% high-rolled Azumarill for the game in the final mon 1v1: 252+ Atk Choice Band Urshifu-Single-Strike Poison Jab vs. 220 HP / 4 Def Azumarill: 180-212 (88.6 - 104.4%) -- 25% chance to OHKO.

   Last game of the event and I'm at 1690, a win here would probably have at least put me above 1700, but it was not to be. This was also another -20 point loss because of the intitial rating disparity.

Loss 15. Final game.

Highest-rated finisher I lost to, as best I can tell.

And for good measure, the highest-rated finisher I beat. I don't particularly remember this game, but if memory serves, they were Choice Band Darmanitan.

Losing four out of your last five games does wonders for the good old rating.

Final ranking. Sad. But not mad. Because bad. Me, that is. In case it wasn't clear.

Win / Loss: 30 – 15

Gothitelle (games / wins): 9 / 4

3) In Conclusion

Didn't even finish above 1700, which I consider a disappointment overall. Especially as I got 1750 in the previous one of these, and I trust I am not being too presumptuous in saying this, that was played with the distinctly ramshackled DKC/Series 8 ruleset. So yes, give more non-Dynamax things for us to play in, by all means.

   I made a questionable team, made some even more questionable plays at times, got defenestrated by RNG to the tune of so many imaginary ladder points that I don't even want think about going back and counting them all up, but had a decent time anyway because getting that peek, albeit in limited form due to the Galar-dex restriction, into what a non-Dynamax BSS could have been, was well worth the time.

   In any case, despite effectively only having a four pokemon squad, most games felt perfectly playable. But I'm sure a large part of that was just the power level of Garchomp + defensive Zapdos being what it was.

   In the final analysis, I will admit I was bringing Gothitelle into games it had no business being in the first place, trying to target-kill something like a Porygon2 or alternatively something crippled by Trick or Thunder Wave. Especially so on the final day of play.

   Dragapult, on the other hand, was an unmitigated disaster through and through. Most games it felt like I had better things to bring even when it was playable, and the few times it was relatively safe and effective to whip out (Losses 9, 12, and 14), I found a way to set myself up for defeats instead.

   To conclude, I don't expect to be writing anything extensive on BSS-proper for the season's end. Unless I somehow surprise myself and manage to summon up the intestinal fortitude to grind back into the 1900s Elo wise, that is.

- Tox

SW-0021-9848-8999