Double Battle Strategies - Overview for VGC Rules

[Red5bv06]

So yes, Smeargle can use Dark Void.
Simple. When you go to battle Darkrai, save beforehand just in case, like you always would with a legendary.
Give Smeargle a Chesto Berry so he can immediately wake up from Dark Void, then use Sketch.

When do you battle Darkrai? They haven't given out the Member Pass yet. Have they in Japan? Either way, I doubt we will get it in the next month.

 

[PkmnManiac]

When do you battle Darkrai? They haven't given out the Member Pass yet. Have they in Japan? Either way, I doubt we will get it in the next month.

That's EASY.......he has the Toys R Us OOOOR the Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia Darkrai.

Also, can anybody please answer my question? What are some easy double team pkmn to get together?

 

[Red5bv06]

That's EASY.......he has the Toys R Us OOOOR the Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia Darkrai.

Also, can anybody please answer my question? What are some easy double team pkmn to get together?

I didn't know you battled it.

Well, given the Pokémon you listed as what you want to use, you have the beginnings of a rain dance team. Let Vaporeon and Gyarados be your Rain Dance setups. Then use accurate thunders with Metagross and Magnezone. Couple Gyarados with Metagross so it can use EQ freely. Feel free to come up with your own strategies based on the article.

 

[PkmnManiac]

1. Yea, say you do a Double Team w/Smeargle and Aipom in PBR or in a free fight. That way you can Sketch.
2. I like the sound of that idea...

 

[Magic_Umbreon]

Very helpful guide. You are missing a few cruicial points that may also help players prepare for the VGS.

Shedinja

Saw some use in Japan. 4 pokémon and protect as a common move together with weather moves / trick room heavily limit the attack variety present on teams. If only one of your pokémon can stop Shedinja, you are taking a big gamble.

Shedinja tactic is to keep it secret and focus on KOing their pokémon that may have the moves to beat it. Many popular pokémon do not have anti-Shedinja moves, such as Kingdra and Lati@s, so you may well get a clean sweep just with Shedinja.


Level 50 EVs

EVs work differently to how they do in L100 battles. Instead of 4 EVs = 1 stat point, 8 EVs = 1 stat point. As 504 is a multiple of 8, 6 of your EVs are useless, much like 2 of the EVs in L100 pokémon.

In each stat, you are restricted to 255 max EVs. In L100 battles, the last 3 are redundant. In L50 battles, it is the last 7. Putting more than 248 EVs in a stat is waste, like putting more than 252 in L100.

If you are aiming to max out two stats like the 252/252/4 spreads in L100, you will need to use 248/248/8. If you put 252 into the stats, the 8 EVs you waste mean you lose out on the final stat point.

OK that's a wall of text for a single stat point, but I think it's important to know. And for people who wish to put 4 EVs into speed to outspeed the same pokémon... you need 8 not 4!.


L1 Kangaskhan

Very similar to Smeargle, but Kangaskhan's Scrappy ability allows it to use Fake Out and Endeavour on the ghosts that counter Smeargle. Kangaskhan and Smeargle share the same minimum speed of 5 points.

Kangaskhan doesn't get the sleep moves and every move in the game, but it gets enough to be very useful.

Swinub does the same but has snow cloak. the advantages of each need to weighed up if this is a strategy you are considering.


Anti-setup

Crobat and/or Weavile can get a fast Taunt in to stop Rain Dancers. Anything with Taunt can stop Trick Room because is it is a low priority move. Your taunter may be fake out'd though. Jolteon is a good choice for setting up Rain Dance due to its speed, but it has its own share of vulnerabilities too.


Psych Up

Share your stat boosts or steal your opponent's. Useful for calm mind and belly drum, or perhaps with swagger. Swagger is a very useful move in Doubles, as little switching occurs and soon they have nothing to switch to anyway. You can swagger your own pokémon that has a persim/lum berry too.


Weather bluffing

You can put Thunder, Solarbeam, fire moves, water moves on pokémon in a team without weather. Those moves can be used after they set up weather but you didn't have to wait the turn. One team from Japan had a sunny day / solarebeam Ludicolo, that can get the best of either weather.


Common Sense

Just my opinion here about a few of the points being made. Switching should only occur if you have clear reasons for it, I don't think there is any advantage to entry hazards. That turn you spend on doing very minimal not even instant damage allows them to setup.

 

[Red5bv06]

Very helpful guide. You are missing a few cruicial points that may also help players prepare for the VGS.

Thanks a ton for all your input. Like I said, I'm just a novice at this, so I probably missed a lot of strategies. Let me talk about the ones you posted.

Shedinja - very good point. I need to put him in somewhere, but I really don't know where. I guess a new section might be in order.

EV points - awesome point. This is a must in the basics section. Expect to see it soon.

Kanga - I feel like the strategy has been covered, but I may expand on it more, since I explained the strategy mainly with Smeargle. Good points all around.

Anti-setup - I need to make the Taunter's list more complete.

Psych Up - A noted strategy. Maybe a new section "Setup" would be warrented. But it would probably be remarkable similar to Single Battles with the exception being Psych Up and Helping Hand. And LS/Reflect mentioned earlier up in the thread.

Bluffing - Good point, I'll make a note.

Switching - Thanks for backing me up

Can I "reword" some of your ideas and put them in the guide? (esp. EVs, Kanga, etc.) These are the types of ideas I need. Keep 'em coming, they're great! On a side note, I haven't had much time to update lately, but I'll add these and a few other changes soon. And I still haven't built any teams! Post those ideas/rates, too.

 

[Agent Kadabra]

I didn't know you battled it.

You...don't.
._.

I really doubt items like member card or azure flute will be released because of the risk of killing the pokemon. *Shrugs*

 

[PkmnManiac]

You...don't.
._.

I really doubt items like member card or azure flute will be released because of the risk of killing the pokemon. *Shrugs*

Let me re-illiterate, Darkrai was released from Toys R Us and Pokemon Ranger 2: Shadows of Almia.

 

[Agent Kadabra]

Let me re-illiterate, Darkrai was released from Toys R Us and Pokemon Ranger 2: Shadows of Almia.

Chill dude, I was correcting the other guy.


Anyway, to the topic at hand:

I found this site that goes way into detail about VG battles, from what move set to use to strategies for each kind of set up with a particular team, it's been helping my group out a lot for their teams for this weekend's tournament. Google ****** for it, I'm guessing there's a link filter on here so I'm not posting it.

(Don't kill me, mods?)

 

[PkmnManiac]

Ok...I forgives ya.

Secondly, it's funny how I'm building this team up and I don't know if I'll get in or not.
But when do they give you Milotic? Before registration or after?

 

[Red5bv06]

Let me re-illiterate, Darkrai was released from Toys R Us and Pokemon Ranger 2: Shadows of Almia.

I didn't even THINK of Sketching your ally's move in an in-game double battle. Shows how dense I am. I get it now.

 

[Magic_Umbreon]

Can I "reword" some of your ideas and put them in the guide? (esp. EVs, Kanga, etc.)

Yes, I'm glad they helped. :thumb:

 

[Seank240]

i am trying to set up a couple of db teams and ill list what is in them
rain dance> ludicolo, electivire, jolteon, vaporeon, rhyperior, kingdra
skill swap> blissey, slaking, regigigas, dunsparce, shuckle, cradily
what do you think of these teams

Back to back posts merged. The following information has been added:

there are a few acceptable pokemon in any double battle teams
alakazam, mr.mime, and blissey

Back to back posts merged. The following information has been added:

The only thing is, it's hard to do with doubles, since you'll then risk your incoming Pokemon to damage, maybe even a KO. Not very viable here as it was in singles (even isn't that viable in singles anymore due to the buttload of damage SR and/or Spikes can do).

Well if you run baton pass you want someting else to take the hit while powering up
pokemon good for this are, furret, clefable, togekiss, blissey...

Back to back posts merged. The following information has been added:

Golduck isn't commonly used in Rain dance, although Ludicolo is, and Lapras, especially for DB's. Also look into Obi mode.

Not to mention you could even add commonly used DB pokemon, such as Smeargle, who are usually staples in DBs.

golduck, has never been a rain dance user because of it cloud nine, there are now better pokemon for rain dance > mantine, floatzel (the fastest pokemon in the game with rain dance out), luminion...