Melbourne Battle Association: Weeks Seven and Eight
Week Seven vs Epping Eevees & Week Eight vs Richmond Raikous
Due to issues with being absent from Wifi for large tracts of the last two week, combined with a late battle in week 7 and an early week 8 battle, I'm combining the two reports in to one article here. Not chucking a hissy fit because of my week 6 loss though.
vs Epping Eevee's:
Chris certainly has had a number of surprising tricks up his sleeve so far this season, and I expected to have to deal with some ones I hadn't seen before in this battle. I certainly wanted to bring my own tricks to make this a fun battle though. Here was their squad, and my thought process:
| Sylveon |
| Ninetales |
| Politoed |
| Espeon |
| Dragalge |
| Umbreon |
| Scrafty |
| Banette |
| Bronzong |
| Kabutops |
| Lanturn |
| Leafeon |
Be careful of Trick Room Mode!
Don't underestimate the Eevee's
Be careful not to Hazard in to Magic Bounce
Sub-CM Keldeo is great if Sylveon is out of the way, and Mega Banette isn't there to niggle. Look after it for the end game
Watch out for Priority Destiny Bond – Shuckle it?
Bisharp is really strong.
Arcanine is handy as much because Sylveon exists.
Stealth Rocks are ok but not that needed imo.
Latias is OK for a 2HKO on Sylveon if at +1, Specs only does max of 87.9% at that level.
Shuckle if full health can make 2HKO unlikely, so can switch in and chip away.
Shuckle and Latias need to focus on special bulk
Following that, this is the team I picked
Leon Powalski (Galvantula) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Compound Eyes
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Sticky Web
- Thunder
- Giga Drain
- Bug BuzzViper (Latias) @ Latiasite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 28 Def / 152 SpA / 76 SpD
Bold Nature
- Reflect Type
- Recover
- Dragon Pulse
- PsyshockAndrew Oikonny (Arcanine) @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 20 HP / 252 Atk / 236 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Wild Charge
- Flare Blitz
- Extreme Speed
- Close CombatAndross (Togetic) @ Eviolite
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 148 Def / 12 SpA / 96 SpD
Bold Nature
- Roost
- Nasty Plot
- Dazzling Gleam
- Baton PassPigma Dengar (Bisharp) @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Knock OffWolf O'Donnell (Keldeo-Resolute) @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Scald
- Secret Sword
I took a StarFox bad guys name theme so Chris could be StarFox good guys and we could have a bit of name synergy.
Keldeo, Galvantula were pretty plain, with Galvantula running three attacks to match its sticky web in case it got further chance to be useful during the battle.
I ran Reflect Type on Latias for the chance to completely wall some people who thought they might be able to otherwise hit me hard, like Kabutops, Politoed, Sylveon, as well as others that might switch in afterwards like Bannette, Scrafty and Dragalge.
As Latias had no means to boost attack after dropping Calm Mind, I ran a Baton Pass Togetic to attempt a set up pass should the opportunity arise, with Dazzling Gleam on there are offense which could also stop things like Scrafty, and Umbreon, and Roost to stall out damage if need be. I also knew that Galvantula and Keldeo could benefit from being Baton Passed +2 SpA.
Arcanine was a fully offensive Wallbreaker as it hit a lot of opposing mons really hard and could switch in to attacks if need be.
I ran Bisharp with Swords Dance in case it got the opportunity to set up, as at +2 with the right field conditions, Bisharp could easily run through the entire Eevees lineup.
I guess there weren't too many tricks but I hoped there were enough to keep the game entertaining without me jeapordising my overall team structure.
vs Richmond Raikous:
| Volcarona |
| Heracross |
| Scolipede |
| Porygon-2 |
| Suicune |
| Cloyster |
| Rotom-Mow |
| Durant |
| Camerupt |
| Dusclops |
| Cradily |
| Zangoose |
Richmond has always been scary as a hyper offensive team, and they were fresh off of a 6-0 victory with their Volcarona, and picked up Scolipede in trade week, adding a crucial speed control dimension to their attacking threat. I had to be very careful about stopping Scolipede and Volcarona, as those two bugs (I love bugs) had great potential to rip through my team, or set up a rip in Scolipede's case if I gave them even half a chance. However, being rather one dimensional like that, as well as really fire weak and Bug-heavy did seem to make Richmond rather one dimensional, so I knew what I had to teambuild against with a lot of certainty.
Here were my notes:
Has solid set up threats. Scolipede has worrying ability to pass speed boosts though
CM Keldeo does a good job here.
Such bugs.
Rocks does really well here, hasn't got a great way to clear them.
Boosting Latias does decent here.
Shuckle can set up both hazards and threaten encore, has decent defences I guess.
Arcanine stronk for wallbreaking.
Togetic is not good. Aromatisse can tank some hits I guess, Trick Room to neuter speed boosts.
Bisharp is capable of hitting hard but only neutrally – wallbreaking?.
Aim to slow up Volcarona somehow.
From that, here is what I came up with:
Eat the Stiffness (Keldeo-Resolute) @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Scald
- Secret SwordMegashinka (Latias) @ Latiasite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 104 Def / 76 SpA / 4 SpD / 72 Spe
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Psyshock
- Dragon PulseTama Life (Arcanine) @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 64 HP / 252 Atk / 192 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Flare Blitz
- Extreme Speed
- Wild ChargeRam Only (Shuckle) @ Leftovers
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 SpD
Bold Nature
- Encore
- Sticky Web
- Stealth Rock
- Shell SmashLumpy Met (Aromatisse) @ Leftovers
Ability: Aroma Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Toxic
- Wish
- Protect
- Trick RoomGood Headband (Bisharp) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Sucker Punch
- Knock Off
- Taunt
Although I could have tried to match and beat speed boosting tactics with my own newly traded in Ninjask, I decided to opt for Trick Room Aromatisse as my main method of speed control to stop the Speed Pass shenanigans, with Sticky Web Shuckle also featuring in order to keep a lid on opposing speed passing efforts.
Shuckle also ran Encore so that I could buy some free turns against things like Scolipede, or perhap Volcarona, or anything else wishing to set up, in order to put up my own hazards, or earn a favourable switch. Shell Smash was mostly filler just to add bulk if I needed to stall out pokemon that Aromatisse had used Toxic on.
Bisharp also ran Taunt so that it could stop potential set up shenanigans. If any mon would have been dropped for Ninjask, it would have been Bisharp, but with the benefit of hinsight I think Bisharp did its job just fine. I gave it a Focus Sash for more survivability anyway
Arcanine had Wild Charge to help me hit Suicune hard, and Will-O-Wisp to stop some of the many physical attackers my opponent had if given the time, or to punish switches.
Latias and Keldeo were run basically as standard for me, although this Latias was a bit faster than usual to outspeed 252 Adamant Heracross, should the need arise.
This has probably been my favourite team build of the season because of the methods I had to employ to keep from being run over by speed, especially given all the options I had at my disposal as well as what I didn't use.
Team Caps: 8 - Latias, Keldeo, Arcanine; 7 - Bisharp; 6 - Galvantula; 5 - Shuckle; 3 - Aromatisse; 2 - Claydol, 1 - Togetic
Week 7: 2-0 WIN (Replay)
Well, not long in to this battle, the server wanted to shutdown, so as we were both kicked when the score was 3-3, we finished off the battle with two Smeargles recreating the battle conditions. I saved the transcript of the first half of the battle, but this replay only shows the end stages.
The battle started with Chris leading his Bronzong, setting up Rocks and Trick Room, then Exploding. I sacrificed my Galvantula at that point, then used my Arcanine to (on a crit) take out Sylveon to quickly bring the game to 4-4.
Epping's Politoed was frustrating to my Latias with Perish Song, a neat tech to stop me setting up, and after some switching around, it took out my Togetic on a critical hit, stopping me from getting any use out of it after a planned Roost and Nasty Plot set up.
Following that, my Keldeo finished off his Politoed after a couple of Secret Swords and tanking a Psychic, before the server gave out on us after I switched out Keldeo to Latias on a Kabutops Rapid Spin.
In trying to recreate the end game, my Latias and Keldeo gained some HP, as did Epping's Banette, which also had to re-mega evolve. This may have altered outcomes a little, though I don't think it mattered terribly much.
From there, my attempt to Reflect Type backfired as Kabutops Brick Breaked my Latias, after doing big Knock Off damage. However, Keldeo was able to take the battle from there, using Calm Mind to set up big damage against Banette, tank a Scarf Energy Ball from Ninetales and KO back, then finish off Kabutops, with Bisharp sitting unused in the back ready to finish things off if need be
Week 8: 2-0 WIN (Replay)
I loved my own turn one play as I encored Scolipede's substitute here, allowing me to set up Stealth Rocks, Trick Room, and put in Bisharp to do work. Focus Sash immediately came in handy as I KO'd Volcarona thanks to it. I was a little wasteful with Bisharp in not Sucker Punching Scolipede or switching out after showing Taunt, but alas, this allowed me to send in Aromatisse again, set up a Trick Room, and then use Arcanine as intended to get big damage on a Calm Mind Suicune, which wasn't Crocune because it lacked Rest and Toxic, instead running Roar and Ice Beam. While Suicune got my Arcanine, and Aromatisse, it went down to Toxic damage from Aromatisse, which set up Latias to come in for free.
Richmond then sent in their Rotom to duel with my Latias, but this allowed my Shuckle to come in and set up Sticky Web, a crucial part of my plan now that my Trick Roomer had departed. Somehow, my Latias at neutral outspeed Richmond's neutral Scolipede, picking up a KO that locked up the match. While Durant picked up a hustling KO Shuckle for its troubles, it was set to be OHKO'd by Keldeo after Rocks damage. Heracross went down in two hits after switching in trying to shield Durant, and risked Scald burns anyway, but it only delayed the inevitable as I won 2-0. This battle could still have gone the other way late on despite my best efforts, showing the threat Richmond can pose, but it is pretty well stopped by a number of methods, given that I ran no Phasing moves and no Speed Pass of my own, which might have made the result a bit more one-sided now that I think about it. That said, a win is a win, and I'll take consistent 2-0 wins if that is what it takes to keep winning and be near the top
I was really happy with how I played most of this, but feel I could have saved myself some scary moments by using Ninjask, in hindsight. However, I couldn't have done it without Shuckle and Aromatisse, two crucial pins in a team where the offensive mons are more used to taking the credit. I felt like every Pokemon in my team pulled its weight in this battle.
MVP Votes (Week 7)
3 - Keldeo, 2 - Arcanine, 1 - Galvantula
MVP Votes (Week 8)
3 – Shuckle; 2 – Aromatisse; 1 - Latias
Overall MVP Tally
10 – Latias; 9 – Bisharp; 8 - Arcanine, Keldeo; 7 – Shuckle; 3 – Aromatisse; 2 – Galvantula; 1 - Claydol
Golden Fist Week 7
4 - Keldeo; 1 - Arcanine
Golden Fist Week 8
2 - Keldeo, Latias; 1 - Aromatisse, Bisharp
Overall Golden Fist
13 - Keldeo; 10 - Latias; 9 - Bisharp; 8 - Arcanine; 2 - Aromatisse; 1 - Shuckle
Art from Smogon.com
Season Results: (7-1; +15 Differential, 2nd)
Week 8: 2-0 WIN vs Richmond Raikous (Replay)
Week 7: 2-0 WIN vs Epping Eevees (Replay)
Week 6: 0-3 LOSS vs East Side Excadrill (Replay)
Week 5: 2-0 WIN vs Tottenham Espurr (Replay)
Week 4: 3-0 WIN vs Tullamarine Auras (Replay)
Week 3: 2-0 WIN vs New York Klefkis (Replay)
Week 2: 4-0 WIN vs Blackburn (Replay)
Week 1: 3-0 WIN vs Wildwood (Replay)
This team will certainly be tough to beat. While I 6-0'd them in a preseason battle, that was with Miami not bringing Gardevoir, Rotom-W, or Trevenant. They've had an indifferent season, but the matchup here is pretty even, and will be dependent on whether early leads can be hammered home, or how well each of us manages our resources and overall board position.
| Terrakion |
| Gardevoir |
| Rotom-W |
| Milotic |
| Zoroark |
| Entei |
| Trevenant |
| Flygon |
| Braviary |
| Weezing |
| Regirock |
| Hariyama |
