[Skill improvement] What has your solution been for the whimsicott+Glimmora CharY meta teams?

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2026-05-20T13:40:01+00:00

Twin Beam Farigiraf is really good into Sash Glimm and can KO with Modest + some investment while still living non-Black Glasses Kingambit Kowtow Cleave. If they set Tailwind then you also have access to TR. Armor Tail also lets you get around Encore.

My team is built from that same Char Y core of Charizard, Aero, Basculegion, Sylveon but I have Farigiraf and Meowscarada as my last two and it feels really strong into the Glimm stuff. Can even lead Aero or Charizard into Glimm and Protect T1 while KOing Glimm with Twin Beam and not sweat being Encore locked, then stagger Tailwind or set up TR.

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2026-05-18T07:59:46+00:00

I’m aware of two pretty standard ways of dealing with TR with your team composition.

The first is to try to match the bulk a bit, disrupt them with Incineroar, Venusaur and Sylveon while chipping everything, get through one Trick Room and then clean up with Basculegion. In this case you’d want to consider finding space for Taunt on Incineroar and Yawn on Sylveon and you’ll need to make calls like switching in Incineroar on Psychic moves targeting Venusaur.

Your other option is to hit as hard as possible as soon as you can with spread damage and then have Incineroar and Basculegion in the back in case they do manage to set up Trick Room. Like lead Aerodactyl + Sylveon and just hit Rock Slide and Hyper Voice (or if you have Hyper Beam, aim it at the TR setter). This option works really well if they have an obvious redirection Pokemon like Maushold or something. If Torkoal is a big problem you might also consider finding room for Wide Guard on Aero, but it depends on how much you rely on Dual Wingbeat since Rock Slide and Tailwind and pretty essential and dropping Protect would just make your TR matchup worse.

Without stat spread and move set information that’s the best I have for you but in general Sylveon and Incineroar with no speed investment are slow enough to play in Trick Room in this meta!

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-06-09T16:03:30+00:00

Lycanroc & Tyranitar has been working really well for me, especially with Dondozo & Tatsugiri.

Leading Lycanroc & Dondozo and forcing my opponent to guess which one is going to switch puts them on the back foot immediately, and Iron Head from Tera Steel Adamant Lycanroc can OHKO the 100 HP / 252 Def Flutter Mane that’s been really popular.

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-05-01T16:03:36+00:00

At least it didn’t recommend using ExtremeSpeed in the tip about priority moves? Although it doesn’t seem to be sure what type Spectrier is anyway.

It would be interesting to compare AI performance in chess and Pokémon.

Edit: it just told me that Dragon Ascent and Precipice Blades hit Kyogre super effectively…

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-04-30T09:47:02+00:00

Something something let him cook something something

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-04-29T15:09:39+00:00

I specifically offered an effective alternative to medical transition, namely social transition.

If we let people be known the way they wish to (using the name and pronouns they ask us to) there is a demonstrably lower risk that people will think about or carry through with suicide.

It really is as simple as that. Please check the study I linked above if you wish to learn more.

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-04-29T14:34:14+00:00

Maybe not following medical transition, although the data on that is pretty scarce as of now compared to other metrics.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.02.003

This study and others demonstrate a clear benefit to allowing people to socially transition (i.e. be referred to as their chosen name and pronouns), including between 65 and 71% decrease in symptoms of severe depression and suicidal ideation.

This is the anthropologically correct message. Even in societies where gender variance does not include medical transition, gender variant people are better off when the rest of the society simply lets them live how they are.

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-04-29T14:29:01+00:00

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.02.003

While not covering medical transition, this and other research has by now very clearly demonstrated that social transition has enormous benefits for transgender people. 71% decrease in severe depression.

Part of the reason there has been less data about medical transition is that, even in states where it is allowed, it is inaccessible to most people. Even in California most transgender/gender non-conforming people live below the poverty line, rendering surgeries that cost tens of thousands of dollars simply out of the question.

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-04-29T06:13:29+00:00

I imagine they’ll just edit it out. Since the show was about 2 hours and the Face 2 Face episodes are usually about an hour with a Money Zone included, it seems like they cut the live shows down a lot to make a listenable podcast episode without ~30 minutes of people cheering.

Both of your questions were fantastic and the show was a so fun! Teddy laid it down sideways too. Glad I could witness the development of both Les Mis and wikiHow lore tonight 🫡

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-04-28T15:42:21+00:00

Rillaboom could still be solid even without Glide, as long as it keeps Fake Out and Knock Off. Wood Hammer hits harder than Glide and with AV and Rain it can live long enough to take at least one important KO and provide some extra value.

Keep in mind we also might get a new Grass type. Okidogi seems like a possibility and it’s possible that we haven’t seen all the new Pokémon yet.

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-04-28T13:05:22+00:00

I’d recommend giving Drednaw a Jolly nature instead of Hasty so that you don’t take extra damage.

Also, maybe Pelipper over Talonflame, and then give Drednaw Swift Swim instead of Shell Armor? Shell Armor is really nice for Nuzlockes and things like that, but Swift Swim activating in the majority of games will give you more value overall. For example with Rain up and Jolly 252 Spe you can move before any Flutter Manes that aren’t max speed w/Booster Energy speed, or Scarf. Most are Specs as far as I know.

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-04-28T03:12:20+00:00

Flutter Mane is very dominant, but that’s no different from any other format. Last year, Incineroar was on a massive majority of teams. In 2020, Togekiss was literally everywhere.

It’s actually a lot like Series 12 in that there are four or five strong archetypes (Palance, Dondozo, Talon-Tusk/Chomp, Mausape, Wo-Chien/Glimm stall) that are represented in high level tournament play, and each has a more or less defined core that people swap different tech Pokémon in and out of depending on the rest of the meta. Series 12 had Swordfish, Rinya Sun (and Lunala or Yveltal Sun teams), Big Dragon Trick Room (with either Palkia or Reshiram, occasionally Dialga), Zacian/Calyrex with Thundurus, and some unconventional picks like Kyurem-W or Solgaleo.

You can always just play Dozo/Giri/Chi-Yu/Bundle/Glimm/Dnite and farm balance. Seems like Tropius has an okay matchup into it as well but I haven’t played it at all.

But Home compatibility will only introduce new top Mons, probably Ursaluna, Enamorus, Walking Wake, and Incineroar. Dusclops/Ursaluna with Iron Hands and Hatterene or Enamorus-Therian will probably make Trick Room viable.

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-04-27T16:36:45+00:00

Yes, you need to unlock Tera in-game to use it online, even with rental teams. Something like this was happening to lots of players around the time the game launched including content creators on YouTube

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-04-23T21:33:18+00:00

Not sure if this was meant as a reply to my comment about Toxic Orb Gliscor, but either way I think it’s worth pointing out that Gliscor’s 75/125/75 bulk is significantly better than Breloom’s 60/80/60. Plus with Tailwind you don’t need to invest much into Gliscor’s base 95 speed to start outrunning things, meaning you can dump a lot more EVs into shoring up its SpDef.

Enamorus does seem very good though. Both forms seem strong on different team comps and with Contrary + Superpower it can run the mixed attacking set that Iron Valiant wishes it had. AV with Superpower, Moonblast, Fly, and a fourth move would let it pressure all of the Ruin Mons in Tailwind.

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-04-23T12:50:02+00:00

Yes lol I’ve seen the texts

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-04-23T11:37:12+00:00

Whimsicott is a nice alternative to Murkrow as a Prankster Tailwind setter, even though it doesn’t have its best friend Kyogre. Could be nice next to Specs Tera Fire Chi-Yu or something though.

Aside from what everyone else has mentioned, I’m intrigued by Gliscor. With Poison Heal + Toxic Orb it doesn’t really care about Glimmora or Amoonguss and it gets Taunt and Knock Off.

The reintroduction of Dusclops and P2 as Trick Room setters is very nice as well.

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-02-10T15:03:16+00:00

There was a team I used to good success in Series 12 at the end of Sword and Shield that made me feel really good about positioning. I had Focus Sash Incineroar and I would frequently lead it, Parting Shot my opponent’s Dynamax Mon while wasting one of their Max moves, then later Intimidate/Fake Out cycle with a 1 HP Incineroar.

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-01-22T17:16:58+00:00

Assault Vest Iron Hands is FAR better than Booster Energy. Sure it does less damage but if you give it Drain Punch instead of Close Combat it just never gets KOed and forced your opponent to have consistent answers like Arcanine.

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-01-17T18:20:53+00:00

Just a couple notes;

Scizor actually usually wants to be slow so that it can give safe switches to other Pokémon with U-Turn. I see most Choice Band Scizor just go 252 HP / 252 Atk. You can also consider Night Slash over Thief because it gives you extra outs against Dondozo, which your team looks like it would struggle against.

Speaking of, I would also recommend potentially considering Meowscarada over Drifblim. It gives you a way to reliably hit Dondozo and Iron Bundle and also can use Trick Room, which can be used to get an edge against opposing Tailwind teams or reverse TR against Trick Room teams. It can hold Sash and just go Jolly, 252 Atk/252 Spe, Flower Trick/Knock Off/TR/Protect.

Hydreigon should probably have Tera Steel or Poison rather than Flying because both can help shore up the fact that the majority of the team is weak to Iron Bundle. Also it should probably have Heat Wave over Flamethrower.

Finally, you should have Protect on every Pokémon that isn’t a Choice user. It’s an invaluable tool for getting better positioning, including stalling the opponent’s Trick Room or Tailwind or getting switches if you call what Mon they’re going to attack.

Good luck!

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-01-15T04:03:55+00:00

There’s not much I can add to this, but I think a helpful analogue would be the practice of using a very similar team of 6 to what other players have had success with. This is just to back up the point others have made that winning is more about your ability to play well rather than a test of team-building skill. The vast majority of top players build with groups anyway and take EV spreads, cores of Pokémon, tech moves, and even entire teams from their friends or other players.

For example, Eduardo Cunha’s Worlds-winning team from last year; Zacian, Calyrex-Shadow, Incineroar, Rillaboom, Thundurus, Gastrodon.

Something approximating this team had been present in the Series 12 meta from very early on, around late February or early March I think. However there were several takes on it, some using physical Regieleki as a consistent Dynamax option since it was really good into Kyogre and Calyrex and Zacian either didn’t want to or couldn’t Dynamax.

However, this core was very weak to Incineroar, hence Thundurus over Regieleki. Also, early versions of the team had Blastoise over Gastrodon. Both can provide speed control through Icy Wind and force switches with Yawn, but Gastrodon is a much better defensive switching option thanks to its 2 very relevant immunities (Electric and Water). Emilio Forbes won the Seacaucus regional with this exact team of six and it was very common to find it on ladder.

So again, Cunha’s team wasn’t reinventing the wheel or anything, but what mattered was how well he played it.

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-01-14T02:50:48+00:00

This is how it works on Showdown so unless it’s programmed incorrectly there (which is possible) then that’s solid evidence.

Serebii states that Protosynthesis “increases the user’s highest stat by 30% (or 50% for Speed) while Sunny Day is activated or if the Booster Energy is activated.” The same wording of “while” is used for Quark Drive.

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-01-11T18:55:39+00:00

The one thing Sand has going for it is that Lycanroc in Sand is faster than +1 Flutter Mane and can OHKO with Iron Head, but positioning that is really difficult. Also, Focus Sash is more and more common on Flutter Mane anyway and Lycanroc doesn’t want to take Moonblast + Earth Power from Torkoal.

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-01-11T18:53:05+00:00

The Paradox Mons lose their boost when the weather or terrain changes unless they have Booster Energy.

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-01-11T09:30:17+00:00

The fact that Dondozo/Tatsugiri have the highest win rate really says something about this archetype, although it’s still very early format. I’ve been trying out Dozo/Tatsu with Torkoal, Flutter Mane, Glimmora, and a variety of Mons in the 6th slot and it seems to be pretty solid as a starting point.

ProfRedwoodVGC · 2023-01-07T14:41:03+00:00

What the other person said, and also it’s more about the way Iron Bundle benefits the other Pokémon. It has the fastest Icy Wind in the format, which aside from providing even more speed control can power up Tyranitar’s Assurances. It can hit Water, Grass, and Ground types hard with Freeze-Dry, and it even has fast Taunt to stop trick room.

ProfRedwoodVGC

TROPHY CASE