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Competitive Team Questions (and Incomplete Team Help)

Garlana

The boy who never grew up.
43
Posts
12
Years
Looking for some advice on a move set for shiny I found yesterday,
I found a Female Machop with a Impish nature, sadly it has Guts rather than no guard. Any suggestions on a moveset? currently playing platinum for the record so gen IV.
 

PlatinumDude

Nyeh?
12,964
Posts
13
Years
Looking for some advice on a move set for shiny I found yesterday,
I found a Female Machop with a Impish nature, sadly it has Guts rather than no guard. Any suggestions on a moveset? currently playing platinum for the record so gen IV.

Impish isn't a good nature for Machoke/Machamp; they're meant to be bulky attackers rather than support/walls. Regardless, No Guard is still the preferred ability to take advantage of DynamicPunch. I'm afraid I can't suggest any potential sets for you to use.
 

11wildy

Me!
678
Posts
14
Years
I would suggest to use a Restalk set for it.

Machamp @Leftovers
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
-Facade/Payback
-Cross Chop

I'm not good with ev spreads for bulky pokemon xP.
 

PlatinumDude

Nyeh?
12,964
Posts
13
Years
I would suggest to use a Restalk set for it.

Machamp @Leftovers
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
-Facade/Payback
-Cross Chop

I'm not good with ev spreads for bulky pokemon xP.

Even then, RestTalk variants would rather have No Guard as the ability because the guaranteed confusion from DynamicPunch prevents Machamp from being setup bait.
 

Garlana

The boy who never grew up.
43
Posts
12
Years
Even then, RestTalk variants would rather have No Guard as the ability because the guaranteed confusion from DynamicPunch prevents Machamp from being setup bait.

Thanks a lot for the responses, however I am merely trying to get the best out of the cards that have been randomly dealt to me. I will be battling via wifi, so me and my friends aren't anywhere near as competitive as shoddy. We typically battle Pokémon we like and then try a basic strategy around them. So the rest talk option in my eyes is a decent option. Surely there's got to be other options in making a tanky guts machamp that doesn't rely on the typical moveset!? Its shiny so its extra important for the bragging factor.
 

PlatinumDude

Nyeh?
12,964
Posts
13
Years
Can a Gentle Cresselia work as a stall/bulk in a team?

Never, ever, ever, ever use a Gentle- or Lax-natured Pokémon in competitive play. They benefit one defensive stat while hindering the other (Gentle hinders Defense and benefits Special Defense and vice-versa for Lax). Both natures don't benefit the Pokémon at all because they potentially lower crucial defensive stats. Stick with Bold/Calm, plz.
 

dreyko

Isolated System.
270
Posts
12
Years
What would be the best set up for Scrafty?

My current setup is:
Careful
4 HP/252 attk/252 special def.
Abiltiy: Moxie
@ muscle band

Fake Out
Ice Punch
Drain Punch
Crunch
 

PlatinumDude

Nyeh?
12,964
Posts
13
Years
What would be the best set up for Scrafty?

My current setup is:
Careful
4 HP/252 attk/252 special def.
Abiltiy: Moxie
@ muscle band

Fake Out
Ice Punch
Drain Punch
Crunch

Given that Scrafty has a Careful nature, a Bulk Up set is ideal; also, you're better off maxing out HP first because this increases overall bulkiness:
-Bulk Up
-Drain Punch
-Crunch/Dragon Tail
-Rest
Nature: Careful
EVs: 252 HP/4 Atk/252 SDef
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Shed Skin
 
50,218
Posts
13
Years
Should Heracross be Jolly or Adamant (A guts one)?

Going by Smogon standards for Heracross with Guts, either nature is recommended so it doesn't matter if you end up choosing Jolly for extra Speed or Adamant for extra Attack. It's all up to whether you want more speed or more power.

You can always check Heracross' Smogon page for recommended movesets to try out.
 
Last edited:

dreyko

Isolated System.
270
Posts
12
Years
What would you all recommend for Tentacruel?

My current set-up for it is:

@ black sludge
calm
liquid ooze
252 HP/ 252 Spec. Def/4 speed

Toxic
Rapid Spin
Scald
Sludge Bomb ( unsure on this slot)
 

PlatinumDude

Nyeh?
12,964
Posts
13
Years
What would you all recommend for Tentacruel?

My current set-up for it is:

@ black sludge
calm
liquid ooze
252 HP/ 252 Spec. Def/4 speed

Toxic
Rapid Spin
Scald
Sludge Bomb ( unsure on this slot)

This is the standard Tentacruel set:
-Scald
-Rapid Spin
-Toxic/Toxic Spikes
-Substitute/Protect
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP/236 Def/20 Spe
Item: Black Sludge
Ability: Rain Dish
 

Blaziken492

Casual Battler
1
Posts
10
Years
  • Age 26
  • USA
  • Seen May 1, 2013
Battle for Fun

So, my friend and I are going to battle with only really weak Pokemon. The rules are: Stat totals 350 or under, no dual-types, and no fire, water, or grass starters. He says that he has a trick that will make it almost impossible for him to lose, and I can't think of what it could be.

Anybody have an idea of what it could be?
 

WingedDragon

Competitive Trainer
1,288
Posts
11
Years
Rotom-W or Rotom-Frost

Question is which one is better for competitions. I have an idea of who I want to use but I want some opinions.
 

Luc-R-io

Unhatched Riolu Egg
27
Posts
10
Years
  • Age 24
  • Seen May 1, 2015
Well, personally I think I like Rotom-W more.

First of all, Hydro Pump has better accuracy. Sure, it isn't the greatest. But 80 accuracy is better than 70 (Blizzard). To guarantee Blizzard hitting every time, you'd have to set up Hail. And you wouldn't even get a boost from the weather. However for Hydro Pump, you can set up a Rain, and get STAB + Rain boost!

Second of all, Rotom-W has better typing.

Third of all, you can teach Rotom-W Thunder. And—as I am sure you know—always hits in Rain. You don't have to settle for just Thunderbolt or Discharge.

It really depends on what kind of team you're aiming for, but... Rotom-W gets all these awesome boosts in the Rain while Rotom-F honestly only gets the 100% accuracy Blizzard. Therefore, Rotom-W is the better choice.
 

dreyko

Isolated System.
270
Posts
12
Years
I would say that Rotom-W is better than F. In general, It resists more types and doesn not have a weakness to entry hazards ( Stealth Rock). Rotom-W gets better STAB moves as well as a more ready wheather abuser. Hail teams are almost non-existent so Rotom-F is not really going to do much good vs weather. It is weak to commonly used pokemon such as Hitmontop, Scizor, Terrakion, where Rotom-W is not.
 
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