VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 3
The Delta Articles
Issue Written By: TheQuantumJumper, Legyro and Phlygone
Introduction
Written by TheQuantumJumper
Yo, champ in the making! Hope you’re pumped for the third installment of The Delta Articles. Starting this week I’ll be covering team archetypes over in The Metagame, so fire up your teambuilder client. This issue’s Pokémon Spotlight will be illuminating the ever prominent Bisharp from OU, courtesy of Legyro. Meanwhile, head to the Battle Arcade for your daily dose of potassium--and salt. o Also, don’t forget about the chance to show off your team in the Team Spotlight by submitting it in forums page; we eagerly await your creative lineup and merciless strategies!
The Metagame: Team Archetypes 1
Written by TheQuantumJumper
Over the next few issues of The Metagame I’ll be alternating between team archetypes and other topics - if there’s one in particular you’d like to see, let me know and I might get to it sooner rather than later!
Part 1: Balance In All Things
Balance Badge. We are so witty Not only is this one of the first types of teams trainers will make, balance teams also tend to be one of the most common you’ll run into. Achieving the right blend of hard hitting, fast offensive Pokémon, and sturdier ones can be tricky, but hopefully after all is said and done you will be able to tip the scales in your favor.
Balance teams strive to maintain flexibility throughout the game, and capable of adapting to different paces and playstyles. What this means is a good balance team won’t get plowed over by a hyper offensive team, or slowly ground into dust by stall teams. Ideally, you should have a clear and easy answer to anything your opponent might throw at you--though this is easier said than done. Typically, you will have a pair of sweepers and walls, one physical and special for either role. You should make sure that your Pokémon can cover each other’s weaknesses; if your sweeper is threatened you should have a wall that can tank the incoming attack or such. Your fifth Pokémon will usually be your first one onto the field, used primarily to set the battlefield up for you or prevent the opponent from doing so (known as a lead and anti-lead, respectively. This Pokémon can also be a weather setter if you want to build a balanced weather team-more on that in future articles). You’ve got a lot of leeway with the final member of your team; the role it takes will depend on the specific Pokémon on your team. Perhaps you need a supportive Pokémon to round out your team, or a revenge killer. Maybe there’s a Pokémon that would otherwise wall your team that you need to get around, or a Pokémon that can handle any wall you throw at it. The long and short of it is your last slot is your flex spot, and should nicely round off your team.
NOTE: While team building, consider starting with a core: a set of Pokémon that cover each other’s weaknesses extremely well (typically coming in groups of 3)~
As a general rule, you always want to be in control of the tempo of the battle. Balance teams, as I’ve previously mentioned, are adaptable above all else, and no exception to the rule. They are, however, different from other teams in that you adapt to your opponent's playstyle and try to shut it down rather than force your own. Your goal should be to put the brakes on teams that want to keep the tempo up and blast aside those that would rather wait you out. To achieve this, it is critical you identify their style of play from the moment you see their team. Identify key threats: what Pokémon might stop your offensive Pokémon, what Pokémon might threaten to roll through your team? Knowing your enemy will go a long way in securing victory, just as it did when you faced down gym leaders. During the battle always try to ensure that you have the favorable matchup--don’t be afraid to switch your Pokémon. If you see a rotom-wash come in on your Talonflame, it probably won’t do you much good to stay in. Switching out to a Pokémon like Chansey to absorb the probable hydro pump will all but waste their turn, and give you the upper hand.
You might be wondering how you can benefit from this switching--after all, your opponent could just do the same. This is where you begin to run into trying to out-predict your opponent. If you know your opponent has a bad matchup and wants to switch out of it, you can answer by guessing what Pokémon they will likely switch into, and, instead of having your move get absorbed with little effect, continue to pressure them. This strategy works best when you have entry hazards out to discourage them from switching to gain the upper hand. Alternatively, instead of switching, opt for a move that will be useful regardless of what they switch into. They might be afraid of getting hit by your Scizor’s bullet punch and switch, but you can still use the turn to clear entry hazards with defog. Additionally, many status condition inducing moves can be effective against certain teams, especially after you remove certain Pokémon from battle. Netting free turns like this is one of the best ways to edge closer to victory.
Balance teams strive to maintain flexibility throughout the game, and capable of adapting to different paces and playstyles. What this means is a good balance team won’t get plowed over by a hyper offensive team, or slowly ground into dust by stall teams. Ideally, you should have a clear and easy answer to anything your opponent might throw at you--though this is easier said than done. Typically, you will have a pair of sweepers and walls, one physical and special for either role. You should make sure that your Pokémon can cover each other’s weaknesses; if your sweeper is threatened you should have a wall that can tank the incoming attack or such. Your fifth Pokémon will usually be your first one onto the field, used primarily to set the battlefield up for you or prevent the opponent from doing so (known as a lead and anti-lead, respectively. This Pokémon can also be a weather setter if you want to build a balanced weather team-more on that in future articles). You’ve got a lot of leeway with the final member of your team; the role it takes will depend on the specific Pokémon on your team. Perhaps you need a supportive Pokémon to round out your team, or a revenge killer. Maybe there’s a Pokémon that would otherwise wall your team that you need to get around, or a Pokémon that can handle any wall you throw at it. The long and short of it is your last slot is your flex spot, and should nicely round off your team.
NOTE: While team building, consider starting with a core: a set of Pokémon that cover each other’s weaknesses extremely well (typically coming in groups of 3)~
As a general rule, you always want to be in control of the tempo of the battle. Balance teams, as I’ve previously mentioned, are adaptable above all else, and no exception to the rule. They are, however, different from other teams in that you adapt to your opponent's playstyle and try to shut it down rather than force your own. Your goal should be to put the brakes on teams that want to keep the tempo up and blast aside those that would rather wait you out. To achieve this, it is critical you identify their style of play from the moment you see their team. Identify key threats: what Pokémon might stop your offensive Pokémon, what Pokémon might threaten to roll through your team? Knowing your enemy will go a long way in securing victory, just as it did when you faced down gym leaders. During the battle always try to ensure that you have the favorable matchup--don’t be afraid to switch your Pokémon. If you see a rotom-wash come in on your Talonflame, it probably won’t do you much good to stay in. Switching out to a Pokémon like Chansey to absorb the probable hydro pump will all but waste their turn, and give you the upper hand.
You might be wondering how you can benefit from this switching--after all, your opponent could just do the same. This is where you begin to run into trying to out-predict your opponent. If you know your opponent has a bad matchup and wants to switch out of it, you can answer by guessing what Pokémon they will likely switch into, and, instead of having your move get absorbed with little effect, continue to pressure them. This strategy works best when you have entry hazards out to discourage them from switching to gain the upper hand. Alternatively, instead of switching, opt for a move that will be useful regardless of what they switch into. They might be afraid of getting hit by your Scizor’s bullet punch and switch, but you can still use the turn to clear entry hazards with defog. Additionally, many status condition inducing moves can be effective against certain teams, especially after you remove certain Pokémon from battle. Netting free turns like this is one of the best ways to edge closer to victory.
Pokemon Spotlight: Bisharp
Written by Legyro
Actual Bisharp (Not to scale) What’s going on guys! Welcome back to yet another wonderful article in which yours truly gets to brainwash you into using amazing Pokémon with amazing movesets. OBVIOUSLY you couldn’t get enough of me last time, which is most DEFINITELY why you are back for more; and who can blame you? I’m too dashingly handsome to ignore… wait… what’s that? You can’t see me? You don’t know what I look like? Oh please, like I would EVER believe that NONSENSE. What’s that you say? You don’t care about all that? You just want to see the sets? Well fine then… killjoys….
Anyway, without further ado, I give you the Pokémon of the issue: Bisharp!
Base Stats:
HP: 65
Atk: 125
Def: 100
Sp. Atk: 60
Sp. Def: 70
Speed: 70
Abilities:
Defiant
When a stat of a Pokémon with this Ability is lowered by an opponent, its Attack is increased by two stages. Defiant will not activate if the Pokémon with this Ability lowers its own stats (such as with Close Combat) or if its stats are lowered by an ally.
If the Pokémon with this Ability is holding a White Herb, if a stat other than Attack is lowered, Defiant will trigger before the White Herb, so the user will receive the Attack boost and then the lowered stat will be restored. If its Attack is lowered, Defiant will activate first, increasing its Attack so that the White Herb cannot activate.
Inner Focus
Inner Focus prevents the Pokémon from flinching. Pokémon with this Ability can still flinch due to a Pokémon with Mold Breaker, Teravolt or Turboblaze.
While some descriptions state that the user flinches, Focus Punch failing due to taking damage is not flinching, so the move is unaffected by Inner Focus.
Pressure
When a Pokémon with Pressure is targeted by a foe's move, one additional PP is deducted upon execution. Consequently, extra PP is deducted even if the foe's move misses, has multiple targets, or is rendered ineffective due to immunity.
If the move of a Pokémon targets several foes with Pressure, one additional PP will be deducted for each one.
Pressure is not affected by Mold Breaker, Teravolt, and Turboblaze.
Synopsis:
Bisharp is probably one of the Top 10 best Pokémon in the OU tier at the current time, in my opinion, of course. Sporting an amazing ability in Defiant, as well as a strong priority STAB move in Sucker Punch, it is easy enough to see just how much of a threat it is to the majority of the OU tier. Unfortunately for Bisharp, it has a relatively low Speed stat, and is therefore often reliant on Sucker Punch to get the job done. However, it still has other moves in its arsenal too. Sometimes, a single misplay by the opponent can guarantee you a win with Bisharp, assuming, of course, that you have it in. Any kind of stat drop the opponent incurs on Bisharp will immediately raise its Attack stat by two stages, which can spell doom for the enemy if they don’t have a way to counter Bisharp. Come in on a Sticky Web, get +2 Attack; come in on a predicted Defog, get +2 Attack; get hit with an Intimidate, end up with +1 Attack [-1 Attack (Intimidate) + 2 Attack(Defiant) = +1 Attack (Outcome)]. There are so many ways to make your opponent drop a deuce in their trousers with Bisharp, I encourage you to find all of them. Now, you might be thinking: “Hey Legyro, shouldn’t you be worried about those stat drops you get on Bisharp?” Well, my fine friends, I think that it is never a good idea to ignore them completely, but there are ways that Bisharp gets around them. For the most part, Sucker Punch is your best friend. It gets around the speed drop of Sticky Web with priority (just be wary of other priority users). It gets around the Attack drop by way of Defiant, so you always end up on the plus side of the Attack spectrum, and evasion drops from Defog are not too important, just be wary that Fire Blast might be hitting more often, but you still outspeed and probably kill with Sucker Punch anyway.
Alright! Time for some movesets!
Standard Sets:
These sets are the norm, what you will normally see throughout your laddering career on Pokémon Showdown, as well as in-game PvP. They work really well with most standard laddering teams and are what make this Pokémon so viable in its tier.
SD + Three Attacks
Bisharp @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Low Kick
This is the Standard of Standards in terms of Bisharp sets, and the most common one that you will see. Sporting the all too scary Swords Dance (SD), Bisharp can become a team sweeping threat without even needing Defiant. Of course, after the SD, Sucker Punch is going to maim anything that tries to attack Bisharp, which will ultimately lead to its utter annihilation. It should be noted that this set actually uses Knock Off over Low Kick, but I put Low Kick on here because it deals with one of Bisharp’s main counters: Ferrothorn. At +2 Attack, a Low Kick from Bisharp will have a high chance of OHKOing Phys Def Ferrothorn. If you already have better ways to deal with Ferrothorn on your team, then by all means, run Knock Off. Life Orb is used as the held item due to its power boost, but Black Glasses can be used too if you don’t want the recoil. Also, you can run Lum Berry instead, because chances are, you opponent will probably try to burn you, since Bisharp’s real redeeming feature is its high Attack. Without the Attack stat that it has, it becomes little more than “death fodder” (a Pokémon switched in to be KOed immediately so that another Pokémon may get a free switch in).
Anyway, without further ado, I give you the Pokémon of the issue: Bisharp!
Base Stats:
HP: 65
Atk: 125
Def: 100
Sp. Atk: 60
Sp. Def: 70
Speed: 70
Abilities:
Defiant
When a stat of a Pokémon with this Ability is lowered by an opponent, its Attack is increased by two stages. Defiant will not activate if the Pokémon with this Ability lowers its own stats (such as with Close Combat) or if its stats are lowered by an ally.
If the Pokémon with this Ability is holding a White Herb, if a stat other than Attack is lowered, Defiant will trigger before the White Herb, so the user will receive the Attack boost and then the lowered stat will be restored. If its Attack is lowered, Defiant will activate first, increasing its Attack so that the White Herb cannot activate.
Inner Focus
Inner Focus prevents the Pokémon from flinching. Pokémon with this Ability can still flinch due to a Pokémon with Mold Breaker, Teravolt or Turboblaze.
While some descriptions state that the user flinches, Focus Punch failing due to taking damage is not flinching, so the move is unaffected by Inner Focus.
Pressure
When a Pokémon with Pressure is targeted by a foe's move, one additional PP is deducted upon execution. Consequently, extra PP is deducted even if the foe's move misses, has multiple targets, or is rendered ineffective due to immunity.
If the move of a Pokémon targets several foes with Pressure, one additional PP will be deducted for each one.
Pressure is not affected by Mold Breaker, Teravolt, and Turboblaze.
Synopsis:
Bisharp is probably one of the Top 10 best Pokémon in the OU tier at the current time, in my opinion, of course. Sporting an amazing ability in Defiant, as well as a strong priority STAB move in Sucker Punch, it is easy enough to see just how much of a threat it is to the majority of the OU tier. Unfortunately for Bisharp, it has a relatively low Speed stat, and is therefore often reliant on Sucker Punch to get the job done. However, it still has other moves in its arsenal too. Sometimes, a single misplay by the opponent can guarantee you a win with Bisharp, assuming, of course, that you have it in. Any kind of stat drop the opponent incurs on Bisharp will immediately raise its Attack stat by two stages, which can spell doom for the enemy if they don’t have a way to counter Bisharp. Come in on a Sticky Web, get +2 Attack; come in on a predicted Defog, get +2 Attack; get hit with an Intimidate, end up with +1 Attack [-1 Attack (Intimidate) + 2 Attack(Defiant) = +1 Attack (Outcome)]. There are so many ways to make your opponent drop a deuce in their trousers with Bisharp, I encourage you to find all of them. Now, you might be thinking: “Hey Legyro, shouldn’t you be worried about those stat drops you get on Bisharp?” Well, my fine friends, I think that it is never a good idea to ignore them completely, but there are ways that Bisharp gets around them. For the most part, Sucker Punch is your best friend. It gets around the speed drop of Sticky Web with priority (just be wary of other priority users). It gets around the Attack drop by way of Defiant, so you always end up on the plus side of the Attack spectrum, and evasion drops from Defog are not too important, just be wary that Fire Blast might be hitting more often, but you still outspeed and probably kill with Sucker Punch anyway.
Alright! Time for some movesets!
Standard Sets:
These sets are the norm, what you will normally see throughout your laddering career on Pokémon Showdown, as well as in-game PvP. They work really well with most standard laddering teams and are what make this Pokémon so viable in its tier.
SD + Three Attacks
Bisharp @ Life Orb
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Low Kick
This is the Standard of Standards in terms of Bisharp sets, and the most common one that you will see. Sporting the all too scary Swords Dance (SD), Bisharp can become a team sweeping threat without even needing Defiant. Of course, after the SD, Sucker Punch is going to maim anything that tries to attack Bisharp, which will ultimately lead to its utter annihilation. It should be noted that this set actually uses Knock Off over Low Kick, but I put Low Kick on here because it deals with one of Bisharp’s main counters: Ferrothorn. At +2 Attack, a Low Kick from Bisharp will have a high chance of OHKOing Phys Def Ferrothorn. If you already have better ways to deal with Ferrothorn on your team, then by all means, run Knock Off. Life Orb is used as the held item due to its power boost, but Black Glasses can be used too if you don’t want the recoil. Also, you can run Lum Berry instead, because chances are, you opponent will probably try to burn you, since Bisharp’s real redeeming feature is its high Attack. Without the Attack stat that it has, it becomes little more than “death fodder” (a Pokémon switched in to be KOed immediately so that another Pokémon may get a free switch in).
Bisharp Set in Action The Dark Knight
Bisharp @ Black Glasses
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 52 SpD / 204 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Pursuit
This set uses three Dark-type moves and a Steel-type move to get save the day. Pursuit is a great move, as it allows Bisharp to do lots of damage to Pokémon that don’t want to stay in against it. The idea here is to switch into a Pokémon that doesn’t like facing Bisharp, scare them into switching, and dealing mondo damage to them as they switch out; Pokémon like Latios (or Latias). We run Black Glasses here, because ¾ of our move set is of the Dark-typing, so they get the 1.2x boost from it. If you really want all your moves to be boosted, you can run Life Orb, at the expense of taking recoil damage, so keep that in mind. I put more EVs into Sp. Def than usual so it can take special attacks a little bit better, and put the rest into Speed.
He’s Tanky?
Bisharp @ Assault Vest
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Foul Play
- Iron Head
- Low Kick
Ok, I have a confession to make. There is a part of me that really wanted to put this into the “Fun Sets” category, but in truth, it is actually a legitimate set. It lacks the power that the previous two sets have, but in return, it gives Bisharp the ability to tank some nasty Special Attacks that come its way; things like Latios’ Hidden Power Fire. On top of this, I also decided to showcase the move Foul Play, which is a nice move to have on Bisharp. If you read the past 2 issues of The Delta Articles, then you know what Foul Play is. If you don’t know what it is, then here is my brief description of it: a Dark-Type attack that deals damage based on the recipient’s Attack stat. Feel free to substitute Knock Off and Pursuit into this set if you want, as both of those moves are viable as well. Also, just a quick note: notice that I gave this Bisharp 8 Sp. Def EVs. If you so choose to, you may want to consider putting those 8 EVs into Speed, which will allow Bisharp to outspeed other base 70 Speed Pokémon that are uninvested or have 4 EVs. Again, your choice, but I am putting it out there to give you options.
Lead Rocker
Bisharp @ Focus Sash
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Knock Off
This set is most definitely the rarest of the standard sets I have talked about today. It is based around Bisharp getting up a guaranteed Stealth Rocks(SR) and then being relatively useless the rest of the match. If you want, you can put Swords Dance(SD) on this set (making it SD, SR, and two offensive moves), which will make it more threatening. It is important to note that having SR may put pressure on your opponents Defogger to use said Defog, and I’m sure you know what that means for Bisharp (*wink, wink*). Other than that, this set follows the same rules as the previous ones.
Fun Sets:
These sets are not meant to be serious, however, they can still work with the right play style and teammates. I would suggest not using these to raise your ELO, but rather just to mess around and have fun with. Enjoy!
CS OH NO!
Bisharp @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Low Kick
- Foul Play/Night Slash/Sucker Punch
Choice Scarf is always a fun item, especially when it’s on a Pokémon that doesn’t really need it. But alas, here we have such a set. Sucker Punch is still a fine choice here because you still don’t outspeed priority without it. Go nuts with this set. This is pretty much the same as the Assault Vest set, just faster and less bulky, otherwise, same rules apply.
Jamba Juice
Bisharp @ Chople Berry
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Night Slash
This set is the same as the first set, but it sports the ever elusive Chople Berry, which halves the damage of an incoming super effective Fighting-type move. Considering that Bisharp is 4x weak to Fighting-types, I thought it might be a nice item to try. If you find yourself more afraid of Fire-type moves, you can use Occa Berry instead. Also I slapped on Night Slash, but you can use any of the previously stated moves.
Playing Against Bisharp:
Three things stand in Bisharps way of sweeping everything: Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Garchomp; specifically Physically Defensive Ferrothorn and Skarmory, and Tankchomp (Phys Def Garchomp). Running Rocky Helmet on these guys is optimal, because you will be dealing enemy Bisharps 17% of their health each time they land a hit. Also, if you are running Rough Skin (on Garchomp) or Iron Barbs (on Ferrothorn) as well, that’s an extra 12%. So, all together, that’s a whopping 29% to Bisharp every time it attacks. It may not seem like much, but it puts damage on Bisharp, which is crucial if you want to have any chance at revenge killing it. Bisharp, as a rule of thumb, needs to stay relatively healthy as much as possible so it can still live after Life Orb recoil + unexpected hits from priority Pokémon. The more you whittle it down, the easier it will be to deal with. Ferrothorn is a very nice counter in that it easily tanks any hits from Bisharp, of course barring Low Kick, in which Ferrothorn will get annihilated by that. Keep that in mind and try to scout for a Low Kick with Protect if possible. Skarmory seems like a better option because it’s not that heavy (in comparison to Ferrothorn) and Low Kick is neutrally effective towards it. Bisharp can’t do that much against Skarmory, but sadly, Skarm can’t do much to Bisharp either. The best thing that Skarmory can do is use Whirlwind to stop any potential set up from Bisharp. Brave Birds and Iron Heads from Skarm will do next to nothing against Bisharp, and you can’t Toxic the Bisharp because it’s Steel-type. The best way to counter Bisharp is with Tankchomp. With Tankchomp’s Defense and HP stats, it can easily sponge whatever Bisharp throws at it, deal damage with Rough Skin + Rocky Helmet, and retaliate with a super effective Earthquake. Another Pokémon that you might want to consider using against Bisharp is the ever prevalent Keldeo. Keldeo resists all of Bisharp’s STAB moves and OHKOs it with a Secret Sword or burns it with a Scald. It’s a nice Pokémon to have that utterly destroys Bisharp (Whitney's Miltank, anyone?).
Something else to keep in mind is the low PP of the move Sucker Punch, which is Bisharp’s main way to sweep teams. It only has 8 PP (4 if your Pokémon has Pressure), and only deals damage if the opponent is using an attacking move. So using set-up moves, hazard moves, or any other non-attacking moves will cause Sucker Punch to fail. Of course, if you continue to use non-attacking moves over and over, your opponent might catch on and switch to a different move, so as to not waste PP. Thus begins something I call “Mind Games.” At this point, the match comes down to who can predict who in order to take down the opposition. You will have to make a prediction as to when to use an attacking move to kill Bisharp, while they will try to predict when is the best time to use Sucker Punch. It may come down to luck in the end, or it may be skill, but I will leave that up to you to decide that factor.
There is one final way to make Bisharp easier to deal with, and that is simply to burn it. Pokémon with Wil-o-Wisp do nicely versus Bisharp, and Pokémon that can use Scald or Lava Plume are also in a great position. Remember, Bisharp’s main trait that makes it a threat is its high attack stat, and burning it will cripple that attack stat, and make Bisharp next to worthless. Just be wary of the occasional Lum Berry!
And with that, you all should be experts on how to use and play against the all powerful threat that is Bisharp. I wish you the best in the days to come as you work your way up the ladder. Who knows, maybe you might see me there? Well, anyway, good luck on your laddering!
Bisharp @ Black Glasses
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 52 SpD / 204 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Knock Off
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Pursuit
This set uses three Dark-type moves and a Steel-type move to get save the day. Pursuit is a great move, as it allows Bisharp to do lots of damage to Pokémon that don’t want to stay in against it. The idea here is to switch into a Pokémon that doesn’t like facing Bisharp, scare them into switching, and dealing mondo damage to them as they switch out; Pokémon like Latios (or Latias). We run Black Glasses here, because ¾ of our move set is of the Dark-typing, so they get the 1.2x boost from it. If you really want all your moves to be boosted, you can run Life Orb, at the expense of taking recoil damage, so keep that in mind. I put more EVs into Sp. Def than usual so it can take special attacks a little bit better, and put the rest into Speed.
He’s Tanky?
Bisharp @ Assault Vest
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Foul Play
- Iron Head
- Low Kick
Ok, I have a confession to make. There is a part of me that really wanted to put this into the “Fun Sets” category, but in truth, it is actually a legitimate set. It lacks the power that the previous two sets have, but in return, it gives Bisharp the ability to tank some nasty Special Attacks that come its way; things like Latios’ Hidden Power Fire. On top of this, I also decided to showcase the move Foul Play, which is a nice move to have on Bisharp. If you read the past 2 issues of The Delta Articles, then you know what Foul Play is. If you don’t know what it is, then here is my brief description of it: a Dark-Type attack that deals damage based on the recipient’s Attack stat. Feel free to substitute Knock Off and Pursuit into this set if you want, as both of those moves are viable as well. Also, just a quick note: notice that I gave this Bisharp 8 Sp. Def EVs. If you so choose to, you may want to consider putting those 8 EVs into Speed, which will allow Bisharp to outspeed other base 70 Speed Pokémon that are uninvested or have 4 EVs. Again, your choice, but I am putting it out there to give you options.
Lead Rocker
Bisharp @ Focus Sash
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Knock Off
This set is most definitely the rarest of the standard sets I have talked about today. It is based around Bisharp getting up a guaranteed Stealth Rocks(SR) and then being relatively useless the rest of the match. If you want, you can put Swords Dance(SD) on this set (making it SD, SR, and two offensive moves), which will make it more threatening. It is important to note that having SR may put pressure on your opponents Defogger to use said Defog, and I’m sure you know what that means for Bisharp (*wink, wink*). Other than that, this set follows the same rules as the previous ones.
Fun Sets:
These sets are not meant to be serious, however, they can still work with the right play style and teammates. I would suggest not using these to raise your ELO, but rather just to mess around and have fun with. Enjoy!
CS OH NO!
Bisharp @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Low Kick
- Foul Play/Night Slash/Sucker Punch
Choice Scarf is always a fun item, especially when it’s on a Pokémon that doesn’t really need it. But alas, here we have such a set. Sucker Punch is still a fine choice here because you still don’t outspeed priority without it. Go nuts with this set. This is pretty much the same as the Assault Vest set, just faster and less bulky, otherwise, same rules apply.
Jamba Juice
Bisharp @ Chople Berry
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Night Slash
This set is the same as the first set, but it sports the ever elusive Chople Berry, which halves the damage of an incoming super effective Fighting-type move. Considering that Bisharp is 4x weak to Fighting-types, I thought it might be a nice item to try. If you find yourself more afraid of Fire-type moves, you can use Occa Berry instead. Also I slapped on Night Slash, but you can use any of the previously stated moves.
Playing Against Bisharp:
Three things stand in Bisharps way of sweeping everything: Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Garchomp; specifically Physically Defensive Ferrothorn and Skarmory, and Tankchomp (Phys Def Garchomp). Running Rocky Helmet on these guys is optimal, because you will be dealing enemy Bisharps 17% of their health each time they land a hit. Also, if you are running Rough Skin (on Garchomp) or Iron Barbs (on Ferrothorn) as well, that’s an extra 12%. So, all together, that’s a whopping 29% to Bisharp every time it attacks. It may not seem like much, but it puts damage on Bisharp, which is crucial if you want to have any chance at revenge killing it. Bisharp, as a rule of thumb, needs to stay relatively healthy as much as possible so it can still live after Life Orb recoil + unexpected hits from priority Pokémon. The more you whittle it down, the easier it will be to deal with. Ferrothorn is a very nice counter in that it easily tanks any hits from Bisharp, of course barring Low Kick, in which Ferrothorn will get annihilated by that. Keep that in mind and try to scout for a Low Kick with Protect if possible. Skarmory seems like a better option because it’s not that heavy (in comparison to Ferrothorn) and Low Kick is neutrally effective towards it. Bisharp can’t do that much against Skarmory, but sadly, Skarm can’t do much to Bisharp either. The best thing that Skarmory can do is use Whirlwind to stop any potential set up from Bisharp. Brave Birds and Iron Heads from Skarm will do next to nothing against Bisharp, and you can’t Toxic the Bisharp because it’s Steel-type. The best way to counter Bisharp is with Tankchomp. With Tankchomp’s Defense and HP stats, it can easily sponge whatever Bisharp throws at it, deal damage with Rough Skin + Rocky Helmet, and retaliate with a super effective Earthquake. Another Pokémon that you might want to consider using against Bisharp is the ever prevalent Keldeo. Keldeo resists all of Bisharp’s STAB moves and OHKOs it with a Secret Sword or burns it with a Scald. It’s a nice Pokémon to have that utterly destroys Bisharp (Whitney's Miltank, anyone?).
Something else to keep in mind is the low PP of the move Sucker Punch, which is Bisharp’s main way to sweep teams. It only has 8 PP (4 if your Pokémon has Pressure), and only deals damage if the opponent is using an attacking move. So using set-up moves, hazard moves, or any other non-attacking moves will cause Sucker Punch to fail. Of course, if you continue to use non-attacking moves over and over, your opponent might catch on and switch to a different move, so as to not waste PP. Thus begins something I call “Mind Games.” At this point, the match comes down to who can predict who in order to take down the opposition. You will have to make a prediction as to when to use an attacking move to kill Bisharp, while they will try to predict when is the best time to use Sucker Punch. It may come down to luck in the end, or it may be skill, but I will leave that up to you to decide that factor.
There is one final way to make Bisharp easier to deal with, and that is simply to burn it. Pokémon with Wil-o-Wisp do nicely versus Bisharp, and Pokémon that can use Scald or Lava Plume are also in a great position. Remember, Bisharp’s main trait that makes it a threat is its high attack stat, and burning it will cripple that attack stat, and make Bisharp next to worthless. Just be wary of the occasional Lum Berry!
And with that, you all should be experts on how to use and play against the all powerful threat that is Bisharp. I wish you the best in the days to come as you work your way up the ladder. Who knows, maybe you might see me there? Well, anyway, good luck on your laddering!
Battle Arcade: K. + Spooky Cup Winners
Written by Phlygone
Case and Point Hello, welcome back to the Battle Arcade! Spooky Cup was quite a success - I have to say it was a much less of a challenge than last time! However we did get less submissions this time, which made picking a winner significantly easier.
Here are this week’s results:
# of Battle Arcade Winners: 2
Usernames of the Winners: NuclearTogekiss & JoyceRodgers
So without further ado, our Spooky Cup winner is…
Forum Username: JoyceRodgers
Alternate Username: joyce rodgers
Ladder Opponent: FlygonIsMyFavorite
Replay: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-287703560
Using the rubric given last week, let’s see how JoyceRodgers fairs:
Before I announce this week's Battle Arcade, I’d like to give a little explanation/story on why I chose this particular Battle Arcade in the first place. As you all know, certain people get extremely salty when they lose. I had a guy who lost when I was playing as a guest (I forgot to log in) against a top level player on an alt. My Sylveon and his Reuniclus had a Calm Mind duel, where he had Psyshock. I was pretty much screwed until I crit, ignoring his Special Defense boosts. It’s a 12.5% chance, and I’ve gotten them against me as well. However this guy wasn’t happy at all, and basically called my team trash, especially the Sylveon’s set (which has Calm Mind for a reason, mind you). I kinda egged him on a bit, and you can watch the results here. (If you like other crit/hax here is a replay of me “being good” in Battle Arcade: OU Stinks)
Battle Arcade tends to get people even more pissed, as the teams you are using are usually going to be pretty bad, at least according to most people’s standards. So I came up with a good way to troll the players even more. I got the idea from a friend of mine at my university. He has a joke that whenever someone gives you a long and heartfelt (or rage filled) speech, text or email, to just give the single letter response: “K.” For some reason, this is really funny to me, and I decided that would be the theme of our Battle Arcade!
Here are this week’s results:
# of Battle Arcade Winners: 2
Usernames of the Winners: NuclearTogekiss & JoyceRodgers
So without further ado, our Spooky Cup winner is…
Forum Username: JoyceRodgers
Alternate Username: joyce rodgers
Ladder Opponent: FlygonIsMyFavorite
Replay: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-287703560
Using the rubric given last week, let’s see how JoyceRodgers fairs:
- Adherence to rules: JoyceRodgers indeed only used Pokémon from the specified list which can be found here.
- Number of submissions: 3, which is the maximum. See his post here.
- The quality of the users team: "Sigiglyph is cancer don't use it" - TheQuantumJumper
- The quality of the opponent's team: "Transform Mew is cancer don't use it" - Legyro
- Jokes aside, both teams were well built. JoyceRodgers was able to build a really balanced team around Sigiglyph, which is hard to do considering most options were between Dark, Ghost and Psychic types. His 3 Dark Type mons all accomplished different roles (Weavile revenge, Sharpedo set-up, Umbreon wall) and the fighting weakness was neutered by a quad-resist (Sig) and an immunity to Fighting (Gengar). Gengar serves more than just an immunity however, as it is one of the best special attackers in the OU metagame. Tangela rounds out the team as another wall to take whatever Nintendon’t *cough* I mean Umbreon. The opponent has a hyper offensive team that thrives on being able to threaten
- The strength of play from both players: Both players did what they needed to do to win. JoyceRodgers thoroughly outplayed FlygonIsMyFavorite however, accurately predicting switches. The inability to kill Sig and the lack of balance on FlygonIsMyFavorite team ruined him from the start.For anyone who was paying attention, FlygonIsMyFavorite had a Sharpedo in the back the whole game. His only chance to win was to bring in Sharpedo in on Sig and threaten it out (as Sig couldn’t hit it, just toxic it) and/or crit. The crit would have ignored the stat bonuses that JoyceRodgers gained.
- For anyone who was paying attention, FlygonIsMyFavorite had a Sharpedo in the back the whole game. His only chance to win was to bring in Sharpedo in on Sig and threaten it out (as Sig couldn’t hit it, just toxic it) and/or crit. The crit would have ignored the stat bonuses that JoyceRodgers gained.
Before I announce this week's Battle Arcade, I’d like to give a little explanation/story on why I chose this particular Battle Arcade in the first place. As you all know, certain people get extremely salty when they lose. I had a guy who lost when I was playing as a guest (I forgot to log in) against a top level player on an alt. My Sylveon and his Reuniclus had a Calm Mind duel, where he had Psyshock. I was pretty much screwed until I crit, ignoring his Special Defense boosts. It’s a 12.5% chance, and I’ve gotten them against me as well. However this guy wasn’t happy at all, and basically called my team trash, especially the Sylveon’s set (which has Calm Mind for a reason, mind you). I kinda egged him on a bit, and you can watch the results here. (If you like other crit/hax here is a replay of me “being good” in Battle Arcade: OU Stinks)
Battle Arcade tends to get people even more pissed, as the teams you are using are usually going to be pretty bad, at least according to most people’s standards. So I came up with a good way to troll the players even more. I got the idea from a friend of mine at my university. He has a joke that whenever someone gives you a long and heartfelt (or rage filled) speech, text or email, to just give the single letter response: “K.” For some reason, this is really funny to me, and I decided that would be the theme of our Battle Arcade!
Here are the rules for this week's Battle Arcade: K.
Remember, abide by these rules closely. Remember the rubric also applies this week:
- Specific Rules: You have to follow the following Battle Arcade Specific Rules explicitly. Any violation will not merit a feature.
- You may only play Pokémon that start with the letter K.
- Kabuto, Kabutops, Kadabra, Kakuna, Kangaskhan, Karrablast, Kecleon, Kingdra, Kingler, Kirlia, Klang, Klefki, Klink, Klinklang, Koffing, Krabby, Kricketot, Kricketune, Krokorok, Krookodile, Kyurem & Kyurem-Black.
- Every Pokémon nickname must be “K”, “Kk”, “Ok”, “Okay”, "Okie" or "Okie Dokie", or any repeated instance of those letters, other than “KKK”. You are allowed to use any punctuation or capitalization.
- The only thing you can say in chat is “K”, “Kk”, “Ok”, “Okay”, "Okie" or "Okie Dokie" or any repeated instance of those letters, other than “KKK”. You are allowed to use any punctuation you feel is necessary to convey meaning.
- You have to play a ranked game on the OU ladder.
- You have to win!
- You may only play Pokémon that start with the letter K.
- General Rules: You have to play on the ladder in the selected tier. You do not have to be on your main account, I just request that the person you are playing against is a total stranger. Also avoid toxicity in chat/Pokémon names. Any excessive toxicity will not merit a feature. REMEMBER: 3 submission maximum!
- Again, this issue’s Battle Arcade will again be played in OU.
- CAN’T BE TOXIC CAUSE ALL YOU SAY IS K. LOL GOT ‘EM
- No issues last time: keep it up!
- Bonus Points: Follow these “extra rules” to get yourself some bonus points in my eyes! Remember, not every week will have bonus points.
- Pissed off opponents. The more they try and communicate with you and the more you respond with “K.”, the better.
- Use moves that start with the letter K or have words that start with the letter K. It only counts if it gets used in that battle!
- Karate Chop, Kinesis, King’s Shield, Knock Off, Blaze Kick, Double Kick, High Jump Kick, Jump Kick, Low Kick, Mega Kick, Rolling Kick, Triple Kick, Draining Kiss, Lovely Kiss, Sweet Kiss.
- Use items that start with the letter K or have words that start with the letter K. It only counts if it gets used/seen in that battle (Knocked Off items and Trick/Switcharoo count)!
- Destiny Knot, Elevator Key, Honor of Kalos, Kebia Berry, Kelpsy Berry & Kings Rock
Remember, abide by these rules closely. Remember the rubric also applies this week:
- Adherence to rules: How closely they followed the Battle Arcade rules.
- Number of submissions: I will only take a maximum of 3 submissions per person.
- The quality of the users team: How well constructed your team is.
- The quality of the opponent's team: How well constructed their team is.
- The strength of play from both players: How well both players played
- Note: You get rewarded by going against good opponents who you outplayed.
- Bonus Points: Get these by following Bonus Criteria
Kermit drawing K for y'all
K. Submit your glorious replays here. Hope I get some quality rage-filled submissions! Okay? This is where you submit them: To the Delta Forum!
Team Spotlight
Written by Legyro
Welcome back everyone! For those of you who are new to this article, this is Team Spotlight, where we showcase one user submitted team each issue that we think is the best. Please note that your team can be from any of the following Smogon tiers: Ubers, OU, UU, RU, NU & PU or even VGCs, Doubles UU, OU & Ubers. So how does your team be “the best?” Well, we look at a few different criteria:
Occasionally, we might make special criteria for a certain issue, but otherwise, the above rules apply. When you submit your team, make sure to include (Please label them so we can tell what is what):
Please submit all info to Team Spotlight: Issue 3 post in The Delta Articles section on The Delta Forum. To do this, please click the link next to the banner labeled “Article Submissions.” Alternatively, you may click here to get to the forum page for this issue’s Team Spotlight submissions. The due date is Friday 11/20 @ 11:59pm PST. Remember, we will feature one team each issue, and, after that issue comes out, we will stream us playing with the featured team and honorable mentions live that following Wednesday. SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Get to building your teams right now!
Without further ado, the winner of last issue’s Team Spotlight is: The Great Kazzoo!
Team Name: That Thug Main Yaak
Smogon Tier: RU
- How well does your team work together? Does it have Pokémon that compliment each other? Or is it just a bunch of random Pokémon slapped together at the last minute?
- How creative are your movesets? Is your team a boring, standard OU team? Or does it have unconventional Pokémon with unconventional moves that still somehow gets you to 1500 ELO? Not all your sets have to be super weird, and you don’t have to break the meta with your team, but make it different.
- Nicknames are not a necessity, but they do sometimes give a Pokémon a different image, so get creative with those too! (No profanity or you will not be featured!) Themed Pokémon (and teams) are awesome!
Occasionally, we might make special criteria for a certain issue, but otherwise, the above rules apply. When you submit your team, make sure to include (Please label them so we can tell what is what):
- Your team’s name
- Your Name (so we can recognize you if you win)
- The Tier that your team belongs in (if you have banned Pokémon in that tier, you cannot be featured)
- Your Team (Please only submit in the Showdown Import Format, other entries will not be accepted)
- A brief description of how your team works
- (Optional) Tell us about your thought process as you made the team. What was going through your head as you chose your Pokémon. It can be as simple as “I really wanted to use Donphan,” or it can even be “I was eating an ice cream sandwich, and I suddenly had the urge to make a team based around Vanilluxe.” The choice is yours, but just don’t say “I did it for Team Spotlight,” because that is just lame.
Please submit all info to Team Spotlight: Issue 3 post in The Delta Articles section on The Delta Forum. To do this, please click the link next to the banner labeled “Article Submissions.” Alternatively, you may click here to get to the forum page for this issue’s Team Spotlight submissions. The due date is Friday 11/20 @ 11:59pm PST. Remember, we will feature one team each issue, and, after that issue comes out, we will stream us playing with the featured team and honorable mentions live that following Wednesday. SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Get to building your teams right now!
Without further ado, the winner of last issue’s Team Spotlight is: The Great Kazzoo!
Team Name: That Thug Main Yaak
Smogon Tier: RU
| Steelix @ Steelixite Ability: Sturdy EVs: 252 HP / 96 Atk / 76 SpD / 84 Spe Adamant Nature - Heavy Slam - Earthquake - Stealth Rock - Roar Sigilyph @ Flame Orb Ability: Magic Guard EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 Spe Modest Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Psycho Shift - Cosmic Power - Stored Power - Roost Emboar @ Choice Band Ability: Reckless EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Spe Adamant Nature - Flare Blitz - Head Smash - Wild Charge - Sucker Punch Hitmonlee @ Choice Scarf Ability: Unburden EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe Adamant Nature - Close Combat - Facade - Poison Jab - Rock Slide Togetic @ Eviolite Ability: Serene Grace EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 SpD Calm Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Dazzling Gleam - Defog - Roost - Encore Virizion @ Life Orb Ability: Justified EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe Timid Nature - Calm Mind - Giga Drain - Focus Blast - Hidden Power [Ice] |       |
Here is his “explanation” for the team:
“Listen main, Yung Kazzoo gon tell ya a story. We got the mad Virizion with Life Orb cause we need that special attacker. Togetic just makes people want to die. Scarf Hitmonlee is a threat, man, fo sho. Standard af Banded Emboar for power up the Wazzoo. Cancer Sigilyph and Mega Lix round off the team. Im gonna win this time, ye.”
Unfortunately, we at The ΔA were not quite able to understand all of what he wrote, but aside from that, the team itself is well made. It is a balance team from what we can see, with an offensive-ish Mega Steelix, an annoying Sigilyph, a powerful Physical Emboar, a threatening Choice Scarfed Hitmonlee, Specially Defensive Togetic, and Special Sweeper Virizion to round off the team. Legyro has actually faced a Choice Scarf Hitmonlee before and can say from experience that it is hard to deal with. Good job on your team Kazzoo!
Thank you to all who submitted your teams for issue 2! Since we got only one submission, we will be playing with it, along with possibly a few others that we made, at the stream on Wednesday! Also, just because you did not win this time does not mean you won’t win next time; inversely if you won this time, you can still win next time, so don’t stop submitting your teams. Be sure to tune in to the Showcase on Phlygone’s Stream this Wednesday! Until next time, keep the team ideas coming! See ya!
“Listen main, Yung Kazzoo gon tell ya a story. We got the mad Virizion with Life Orb cause we need that special attacker. Togetic just makes people want to die. Scarf Hitmonlee is a threat, man, fo sho. Standard af Banded Emboar for power up the Wazzoo. Cancer Sigilyph and Mega Lix round off the team. Im gonna win this time, ye.”
Unfortunately, we at The ΔA were not quite able to understand all of what he wrote, but aside from that, the team itself is well made. It is a balance team from what we can see, with an offensive-ish Mega Steelix, an annoying Sigilyph, a powerful Physical Emboar, a threatening Choice Scarfed Hitmonlee, Specially Defensive Togetic, and Special Sweeper Virizion to round off the team. Legyro has actually faced a Choice Scarf Hitmonlee before and can say from experience that it is hard to deal with. Good job on your team Kazzoo!
Thank you to all who submitted your teams for issue 2! Since we got only one submission, we will be playing with it, along with possibly a few others that we made, at the stream on Wednesday! Also, just because you did not win this time does not mean you won’t win next time; inversely if you won this time, you can still win next time, so don’t stop submitting your teams. Be sure to tune in to the Showcase on Phlygone’s Stream this Wednesday! Until next time, keep the team ideas coming! See ya!
Preview
Thank you guys, as always, for reading through another issue of The Delta Articles. Make sure to check out the forums to submit your teams and replays for this issue’s user submitted content. Be sure to look forward to next issue, where TheQuantumJumper will be bringing you the forecast in The Metagame. Legyro will teach you all there is to know about the mystical and universal move user Mew in Pokémon Spotlight. Phlygone will reveal the winners of Battle Arcade, as well as its next category. The winner of this issue’s Team Spotlight will be announced, as well as the future of Team Spotlight. Also, make sure to tune in to Phlygone’s stream Wednesday (11/11/15) at 8 pm PST/10 pm CST for the biweekly Delta Articles Showcase. Note that this is later than usual, as Phlygone has a night exam and class registration that night. So, until next time, stay tuned and stay excited everyone!
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