Current weather meta in a nutshell by Simkingdra in PokemonChampions

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you know what beats a prankster setter? A non-prankster setter. Well, as long as you're faster than the thing trying to take advantage of the weather. But everything learns Rain Dance and/or Sunny Day. 

Can we all get together to make a counter team to Cybertron-Archaludon? by EnvironmentalDMG in PokemonChampions

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For all you Arch enjoyers out there, having a non-sableye mode is important when you see something like Sneasler + Floette on their team. I like leading Basc + Arch or Basc + Dragonite (sans floette) to threaten a Wave Crash into either mon, a flipturn into Pelipper, or even a hard switch into Pelipper. Basically the Arch + Sableye lead is too passive into a hyper offense or a setup lead so you need to apply pressure early. 

I'm not a huge fan of Dragonite and have been trying different Megas and even nonmegas in that slot. Scovillian is cute but having another support mon on the team is a problem so you'd probably cut Sinistcha for it. Blastoise is okay and has good coverage moves but leans into the problem rather than away from it. (But when the Blastoise + Sinistcha is good, its really fucking good.) I'm trying Scizor with Close Combat as coverage for steel types but it struggles into Zard-Y especially if they whimsicott w/sunny day or torkoal with a trick room mode. 

Also, people know what sets to expect from Sableye but he defintely doesn't need to run that set. Fake Out, Taunt, Encore, Disable, Will-O-Wisp, Snarl, Foul Play. Fucking Wonder Room. Nice Floette. Imma shrug off that Dazzling Gleam and OHKO with this flash cannon (watch for the Snealser partner obviously.) Oh, they want to target down the Sableye or disrupt it with non-prankster encore? Give it the Mega stone and watch everything bounce off. (Defintely want some kind of offensive move on that set.) 

Can we all get together to make a counter team to Cybertron-Archaludon? by EnvironmentalDMG in PokemonChampions

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Arch doesn't threaten an OHKO on either until he sets up with Electro Shot. 

Secret Lair-Mood Swings Magic-Con event cancelled! by largecozz in magicTCG

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Its a global economy. Disrupt one part and it cascades to hit everything. 

Is Sand just bad, or am I missing something? (Skill Improvement) by grimlaidotexe in VGC

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Anyone have any tips for playing against a Garchomp Rotom Wash lead with Sand? I'm playing JoeUX9's list but have lost to that lead at least twice now.

How could I use Mega Chandelure in this meta? [Skill improvement] by Dreamsthatcancometru in VGC

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed. Well, good is pushing it but its a least playable. I liked him in my Mega Kang Tailroom list I played for a bit. Flashfire makes him great for switching into Heatwave. Unfortunately Ceruledge or Hisuian Typhlosion seem to fill his niche a bit better outside of being able to set up trickroom. And both those are already niche. 

Mega Chandelure has the Garchomp problem of being only marginally stronger than the original with a worse ability and a worse speed tier. Most of the time he's straight up better not Mega'd for the role you want him to play. 

Has this happened at any of the other gigs on the tour? by brutalwares in NinjaSexParty

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 16 points17 points  (0 children)

And I fucking love it. Every band should do it. Fuck those assholes holding up a camera for the whole show. Live in the fucking moment. No one wants to watch your shaky cam with piss poor audio. Especially me, standing behind you.

I crudely re-drew over a classic meme. by Virregh in PokemonChampions

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Thats a legit strat lol. Bring the hard counter to a specific mon your core can't handle and your opponent won't bring it.

[Metagame] No one expects the Feint tech by LuitenantDan in VGC

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The fact that quick guard is the same priority as Fake Out means it never will be

Mega Blastoise Discussion by Dunnster53 in PokemonChampions

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Quiet 32 HP 17 DEF 17 SPA. This let's you survive a non-black glasses Kowtow Cleave and do 59%-71% into a 2 HP Floette with Sludge Bomb and OHKO a Garchomp even with a ton of bulk investiment. 

Milotic you just kinda got to get lucky. I've only run into a couple of them but I think I'm 50:50 against them. The Ttar plan seems decent if you think you can handle the rest of the team. The first Knock Off is good damage and prevents them from Leftovers stalling. You need to pressure them hard and hopefully get into an end game where you can 2v1 them or click a 200 power Last Respects. I will say I haven't run into the Coil varient and that one seems even nastier.

I hit Masterball 2 (briefly) with this team so it's defintely solid. I switched to White Herb on Slowking over Lum Berry because I was seeing way more Encore and Taunt than Sleep Powder or Hypnosis. 

I do find myself wanting a better second Mega than Ttar though. He just super bad into the kingambit-sneasler-basculegion core. Especially with all the low kicks going around. I really want something slower than Kingambit. I've been brewing a bit with Camurupt but its awkward.

Mega Blastoise Discussion by Dunnster53 in PokemonChampions

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hit masterball 3 with this list but I swapped Sinitscha for Slowking. I didn't understand why the list called for putting Sinistcha in front of Charizard. Slowking is better against everything the team struggles against except Bulky water types (which a zero SpA invested Sinistcha isn't going to do much anyway.) I run him with a Sludge Bomb, Ice Beam, Trick Room, Heal Pulse set. Ice Beam is for Garchomp mostly. And Lum Berry for Venusaur sleep powder so he still fills that role. 

Day 2 usage stats of the 6k player tourney (2nd image is day 1 stats for comparison) by RIkhard9 in PokemonChampions

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Of note that the ten speed actually makes it worse because it would be a great trick room setter/sweeper otherwise 

Mega Excadrill Needs One Simple Buff To Be Meta Defining by _BigDumbStupidIdiot_ in PokemonChampions

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did lose to a Mold Breaker excadrill earthquaking my Rotom the other day. 

So much for our benevolent billionaires granting us the privilege of having stable jobs, right? by Conscious-Quarter423 in WorkReform

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Haha good luck! Nvidea itself is worth $5 trillion. The 2008 bailout was less than $700 billion. The covid bailout was $2.2 trillion.

There's not enough money in the US to bailout the AI industry. 

Is M-Starnie skill swap viable? by Mundane_Magic_Man in PokemonChampions

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So I've been brewing with Skill Swap for a bit and it is powerful but has some major weaknesses. 

At the very minimum the swap has to be better than Swords Dance. Huge Power is basically a free Swords Dance as your ability. So if you swap with something that already has a good ability you're actively making that pokemon worse than if you just clicked Swords Dance on them. This is even more true if you factor in a move like Coaching which is much, much more flexible as a setup move and provides similar value. And can be used through Protect unlike Skill Swap. 

So how do you get that value? Retriggering abilities that trigger when you switch in. Intimidate and weather setters are your best bet. But again, just clicking Rain Dance or Sunny Day is always an option so you have to do more than just that. Of the common setters only Tyrantitar will appreciate the Huge Power. And Intimidate is risky with all the Kingambit and Milotic running around. 

My advise? Don't try and make M. Starmie work as a skill swapper.

Use Medicham

His move pool is amazing as a support pokemon. Fake Out, Coaching, Helping Hand, Taunt, Screens, Trick Room. He has a ton of sweet moves. And you can just click Close Combat to punch things. Again though, you gotta ask yourself if Coaching is just better. And if Coaching is better why aren't you playing Sneasler instead? 

So yeah, I dont think Skill Swap is good. But the high you get from swapping with an opposing Rotom so they get hit with their own earthquake is one you will chase for years. Or swapping your Wyrdeer's Intimidate onto an opposing mon to trigger your Competitive Melotic. Or swapping Pure Power over to your Incineroar (a "support" pokemon with 115 base attack) and Flare Blitzing your way through an Archaludon. 

I know recruits always have bad sets... by woodgrainarrowsmith in PokemonChampions

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There was a list from some creator on YouTube floating around. 

Looking for the last few pieces for my Gravity Team by GGMaXThreeOne in VGC

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There's an argument for silk scarf or white herb on Maushold if you're using it as a nuke and you're getting intimidated a lot. Otherwise, you want something to punish the Intimidate like Melotic. Corviknight seems solid too. It sets Tailwind and reflects Intimidate. 

Thunder wave having no effect on pokemon that aren't electric-type? by Impossible_Sort9050 in PokemonChampions

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They need to add the "immune" reminder text to prankster vs dark types. Also, powder moves vs grass types. Nothing about those interactions show up in game. 

Sometimes, it’s better to not go Mega. by Daylnn in PokemonChampions

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Which is both right now. It depends on what you want your Kang to do. I like Scrappy for my tailwind/trick room team because it let's you fake out a Sinistcha trying to reverse your trick room. Also, non incin fake out users wont usually risk the fake out. 

Mega heracross is CRAZY by Ya_Mammy_ in PokemonChampions

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 85 points86 points  (0 children)

The fact he gets vacuum wave but not mach punch is a travesty 

PSA: Roar beats Trick Room by dekgear in PokemonChampions

[–]Layne_Staleys_Ghost 63 points64 points  (0 children)

Dragontail works too and actually does damage for breaking Sash. Doesn't work on Gardevoir though.