Dark Azelf
☽𖤐☾𓃶𐕣
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Ok im posting this mini guide because as of late people seem to be misunderstanding these terms and using them almost interchangeably with each other or just misusing them. This guide should hopefully clarify them in more depth.
There are generally 3 types of ways to deal with threats in the metagame, and will be explained in depth : -
→ Counter
A counter is a Pokémon that can switch into an foe Pokémon at little or no risk to itself and either force said Pokémon to switch or threaten to KO it if it decides to stay in. However they are often inferior to "checks" in such a fast paced and offensive metagame. Counters are often heavily defensively ev'd (see most walls) to take hits against what they are supposed to counter. However because everything hits very hard in DPPt and thus a 100% surefire counters are often hard to find for certain threats. Trying to counter everything is often not a smart way to go about things as you will usually be better off trying to check most threats. By reacting to what the foe does you are not executing a strategy of your own and are quite literally sitting there doing nothing apart from trying to counter them. This is often the reason people end up with teams of 5 walls and 1 sweeper which are doomed to failing because they are too concerned with trying to counter everything and end up with little offensive power or defensive ability themselves and are prone to getting overwhelmed by both foe full out stall and full out offensive teams who do have a central strategy. Although they can still work in some cases especially on full stall teams where countering threats is vital for them to succeed (Also note stall team DO have a central strategy). A counter is (or is supposed to be) a 100% risk free switch in to an opposing threat, for example Hariyama is a Tyranitar counter and Gliscor is a Heracross counter.
→ Check
A check is a Pokémon that can come in on a foe threat to, if you will, "check" to see what the opponents Pokémon does and determines how you deal with said threat from there on out. Checks are often more useful in an offensive metagame than counters as you don't have to go right out of your way to try and find a surefire counter for something so you can still carry on your offensive gameplan without crippling your team offensively (Offensive teams are where you will find checks used most). These are not 100% surefire counters but can switch in on the majority of the threat in questions moves, often its main STAB moves, with ease and again drive the threat in question away or threaten to KO it if it stays in and often outspeed the foe as well. An example of a check is Lucario and Scizor as Tyranitar checks and Salamence as a Lucario check.
→ Revenge Killer
These are also seen mostly on offensive teams. They come in if one of your Pokémon faints to drive the foe away or defeat it if it stays in. There are various forms of revenge killers e.g. Priority (Ice Shard, Bullet Punch, Extremespeed, Sucker Punch etc), Choice Scarfers (Scarf Tran and Scarf Flygon for example) and Trappers (Dugtrio, Magnezone, Trapinch, Wobbuffet etc. and any Pursuit user really). These Pokémon can also make makeshift checks if a threat gets past your actual counter or check so they can serve as great insurance policy and as such gives you as a team builder less pressure to try and counter everything. Here are a few examples of revenge killing : -
→ Lures
A lure is basically a Pokémon that preys on what your opponent expects but does something different to catch them off guard, just as the name says to "lure" them in. What would normally be a great switch in turns into an awful one. Lures are often used on offensive teams to remove threats for other Pokémon on the team to possibly open up a sweep. An example of a lure would be an offensive Suicune with Calm Mind/Ice Beam/Hidden power Electric/Ice Beam with a Life Orb. Normal switch ins to Suicune are often things like Zapdos, Gyarados, Celebi, Vaporeon etc. expecting a defensive normally less offensively threatening set and this Suicune can potentially OHKO all of them. For example if you lure in Zapdos with this set and OHKO it with a Calm Mind Life Orb'd Ice Beam then your Scizor will have a much easier time posing a threat to the opponents team with its primary counter out of the way. Another example of a lure would be a Toxic and Substitute Heatran to "lure" in its normal counters of bulky waters to cripple them from behind a Substitute with Toxic. For example once a Vaporeon is poisoned things like Gyarados are free to rampage alot easier with its counter crippled.
→ Sacrifices/Death Fodder
This is not normally something newer players will do but it can help you win matches when played correctly. A sacrifice is exactly what it says, you switch into a Pokémon that will obviously kill your Pokémon to gift you a free switch in to drive the foe away almost the same effects as a revenge kill. You should NOT do this very often though as losing Pokémon for nothing is never a good thing. A good example of when to use death fodder is say a Salamence has just switched into your Lucario who is at full health and you have an Infernape at around 5hp left and a Mamoswine who is at full health too. Obviously you don't want to lose your Lucario, so the best thing to do would be switch in Infernape to be KO'd by the Salamence because its not going to be of use at that little hp and is going to die anyway regardless. This will also give you a free switch into your Mamoswine unharmed on the revenge kill to threaten to beat or at least drive the foe Salamence away.
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That's it, if you have anything to add or suggest please feel free to say. My wording is also sometimes not very good so you could help with that too. Spotting spelling and grammar typo's would be great in addition . ^^And because Anti didnt reply to my pm, noob learn to mod >=o lol But yeah feedback plox. =]
There are generally 3 types of ways to deal with threats in the metagame, and will be explained in depth : -
→ Counter
A counter is a Pokémon that can switch into an foe Pokémon at little or no risk to itself and either force said Pokémon to switch or threaten to KO it if it decides to stay in. However they are often inferior to "checks" in such a fast paced and offensive metagame. Counters are often heavily defensively ev'd (see most walls) to take hits against what they are supposed to counter. However because everything hits very hard in DPPt and thus a 100% surefire counters are often hard to find for certain threats. Trying to counter everything is often not a smart way to go about things as you will usually be better off trying to check most threats. By reacting to what the foe does you are not executing a strategy of your own and are quite literally sitting there doing nothing apart from trying to counter them. This is often the reason people end up with teams of 5 walls and 1 sweeper which are doomed to failing because they are too concerned with trying to counter everything and end up with little offensive power or defensive ability themselves and are prone to getting overwhelmed by both foe full out stall and full out offensive teams who do have a central strategy. Although they can still work in some cases especially on full stall teams where countering threats is vital for them to succeed (Also note stall team DO have a central strategy). A counter is (or is supposed to be) a 100% risk free switch in to an opposing threat, for example Hariyama is a Tyranitar counter and Gliscor is a Heracross counter.
→ Check
A check is a Pokémon that can come in on a foe threat to, if you will, "check" to see what the opponents Pokémon does and determines how you deal with said threat from there on out. Checks are often more useful in an offensive metagame than counters as you don't have to go right out of your way to try and find a surefire counter for something so you can still carry on your offensive gameplan without crippling your team offensively (Offensive teams are where you will find checks used most). These are not 100% surefire counters but can switch in on the majority of the threat in questions moves, often its main STAB moves, with ease and again drive the threat in question away or threaten to KO it if it stays in and often outspeed the foe as well. An example of a check is Lucario and Scizor as Tyranitar checks and Salamence as a Lucario check.
→ Revenge Killer
These are also seen mostly on offensive teams. They come in if one of your Pokémon faints to drive the foe away or defeat it if it stays in. There are various forms of revenge killers e.g. Priority (Ice Shard, Bullet Punch, Extremespeed, Sucker Punch etc), Choice Scarfers (Scarf Tran and Scarf Flygon for example) and Trappers (Dugtrio, Magnezone, Trapinch, Wobbuffet etc. and any Pursuit user really). These Pokémon can also make makeshift checks if a threat gets past your actual counter or check so they can serve as great insurance policy and as such gives you as a team builder less pressure to try and counter everything. Here are a few examples of revenge killing : -
Here you can see my Cacturne dies and I send in my Scarf Magmortar to threaten to OHKO or at the very least drive Metagross away.
In this example Dugtrio is sent in after a Blissey dies to trap the Tyranitar with its Arena Trap ability and so Tyranitar cant even escape, so gets outsped and KO'd with Earthquake.
And in this last example Wigglytuff dies so I can get in my Mamoswine for free to Ice Shard to thus KO the Salamence.
→ Lures
A lure is basically a Pokémon that preys on what your opponent expects but does something different to catch them off guard, just as the name says to "lure" them in. What would normally be a great switch in turns into an awful one. Lures are often used on offensive teams to remove threats for other Pokémon on the team to possibly open up a sweep. An example of a lure would be an offensive Suicune with Calm Mind/Ice Beam/Hidden power Electric/Ice Beam with a Life Orb. Normal switch ins to Suicune are often things like Zapdos, Gyarados, Celebi, Vaporeon etc. expecting a defensive normally less offensively threatening set and this Suicune can potentially OHKO all of them. For example if you lure in Zapdos with this set and OHKO it with a Calm Mind Life Orb'd Ice Beam then your Scizor will have a much easier time posing a threat to the opponents team with its primary counter out of the way. Another example of a lure would be a Toxic and Substitute Heatran to "lure" in its normal counters of bulky waters to cripple them from behind a Substitute with Toxic. For example once a Vaporeon is poisoned things like Gyarados are free to rampage alot easier with its counter crippled.
→ Sacrifices/Death Fodder
This is not normally something newer players will do but it can help you win matches when played correctly. A sacrifice is exactly what it says, you switch into a Pokémon that will obviously kill your Pokémon to gift you a free switch in to drive the foe away almost the same effects as a revenge kill. You should NOT do this very often though as losing Pokémon for nothing is never a good thing. A good example of when to use death fodder is say a Salamence has just switched into your Lucario who is at full health and you have an Infernape at around 5hp left and a Mamoswine who is at full health too. Obviously you don't want to lose your Lucario, so the best thing to do would be switch in Infernape to be KO'd by the Salamence because its not going to be of use at that little hp and is going to die anyway regardless. This will also give you a free switch into your Mamoswine unharmed on the revenge kill to threaten to beat or at least drive the foe Salamence away.
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That's it, if you have anything to add or suggest please feel free to say. My wording is also sometimes not very good so you could help with that too. Spotting spelling and grammar typo's would be great in addition . ^^
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