Disclaimer: Smogon won't let me keep aesoft's auto generated pictures.
The replay
Welcome one and all to a rarity in the warstory scene, a Challenge Cup warstory. Challenge Cup is notorious for its intense randomness, a factor that often leads to overpower NFE’s or weak legendaries. Once in a while however, you come across two teams that are evenly matched, without any real powerhouses to dominate. The ability to strategize in a matter of seconds become highly prized, and can make or break a battle here. This battle that I had with Morty was one of the most exciting Challenge Cup matches I have ever had, with a nail-biting turn of events that had me on the edge until the final blow.
This is not only a Challenge Cup warstory, but also my first warstory, and also my 2k post. Hope you enjoy!
Every battle in Challenge Cup starts in a form similar to the original 4 series of Pokemon games, Wi-Fi Clause not being present. This adds a significant level of mind games to a match, of hiding Pokémon that could be dangerous. I scan my team and I see the following: Snorlax, Musharna, Kabuto, Bulbasaur, Excadrill and Buneary. I decide to lead with my Special Attacking Snorlax, as its movepool makes it unlikely to be of particular ability late game, but its bulk and versatility can possibly net me an early KO, something that I find very critical in the mind games of Challenge Cup.
Battle between Texas Cloverleaf and Morty started!
Tier: Challenge Cup
Rule: Unrated
Rule: Sleep Clause
Rule: Freeze Clause
Rule: Challenge Cup
Rule: Species Clause
Rule: Self-KO Clause
Morty sent out Uxie!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Snorlax!
So he leads with an Uxie. This pixie is a threat with its natural bulk and varies movepool, and could hinder the efforts of my weaker team members later on. I feel that the best course of action here is to get as much damage on it as quickly as possible.
Turn 1
The foe's Uxie used Psyshock!
Snorlax lost 30% of its health!
Snorlax used Flamethrower!
The foe's Uxie lost 20% of its health!
The foe's Uxie was burned!
The foe's Uxie is hurt by its burn!
Flamethrower is my strongest attack against the Psychic type, making it the obvious choice here. Uxie having Psyshock is unfortunate, as it hits on my weaker Defense stat, but the burn from Flamethrower was a timely aid for, ensuring that Snorlax can cripple the Psychic legendary. None of my team members will particularly enjoy a Psyshock at this point with the exception of Musharna and Excadrill, however, I want to preserve the health of those two for the later stages of the game; Snorlax is the most expendable member of my team at this point.
Turn 2
The foe's Uxie used Psyshock!
Snorlax lost 27% of its health!
Snorlax used Flamethrower!
The foe's Uxie lost 22% of its health!
The foe's Uxie is hurt by its burn!
Psyshock leaves Snorlax’s health in a state where he cannot defeat Uxie one on one. However I see a way to bring it down with burn damage in conjunction with Snorlax. Switching to Musharna seems to be a good idea at this point, as the initial attack will do only a little bit of damage.
Turn 3
Texas Cloverleaf called Snorlax back!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Musharna!
The foe's Uxie used Psyshock!
It's not very effective... Musharna lost 11% of its health!
The foe's Uxie is hurt by its burn!
That worked beautifully, now to return to Snorlax to eke some more burn damage off of that Uxie, setting it up to fain the following turn.
Turn 4
Texas Cloverleaf called Musharna back!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Snorlax!
The foe's Uxie used Frustration!
Snorlax lost 10% of its health!
The foe's Uxie is hurt by its burn!
Excellent. Snorlax’s utility has run its course at this point, so it will act as the sacrificial lamb to bring Uxie down. With both Pokemon having fainted, we now face a moment of uncertainty, neither side able to exploit an advantage. I choose to bring in Musharna. As it is the only other member of my team revealed so far it is the best choice for the chance to abuse the later stages of the game while also having a strong moveset that will enable it to handle most things Morty could send out.
Turn 5
The foe's Uxie used Psyshock!
Snorlax lost 31% of its health!
Snorlax fainted!
The foe's Uxie is hurt by its burn!
The foe's Uxie fainted!
Morty sent out Shellos-East!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Musharna!
Shellos is a fairly neutral Pokemon to be facing at this point; it lacks any Super Effective coverage on Musharna bar the rare Hidden power while Musharna can dent it in return with its STAB Psychic. There is no way to know what moves it could have at this point so the best course of action is to simply attack and respond next turn.
Turn 6
The foe's Shellos-East used Muddy Water!
Musharna lost 28% of its health!
Musharna used Psychic!
The foe's Shellos-East lost 33% of its health!
So he had a STAB attack, unfortunately one that carries a fairly hefty Base Power behind it. Musharna is too valuable at the moment to be spent trading blows with this Shellos, so with the STAB attack revealed the clear choice is to switch to my Water resist, Bulbasaur.
Turn 7
Texas Cloverleaf called Musharna back!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Bulbasaur!
The foe's Shellos-East used Muddy Water!
It's not very effective... Bulbasaur lost 22% of its health!
With no coverage moves having been revealed, the safest course of action is to simply power away with my own STAB attack. It is quite likely that he will switch against the obvious type disadvantage, but Bulbasaur lacks any coverage moves of note, and would be disadvantaged were Shellos to stay in.
Turn 8
Morty called Shellos-East back!
Morty sent out Torkoal!
Bulbasaur used Magical Leaf!
It's not very effective... The foe's Torkoal lost 18% of its health!
The switch to Torkoal tells me two things, first that Shellos lacks the ability to damage things effectively outside of Muddy Water, and that if Bulbasaur is to be effective, Torkoal must be worn down. With the score only at 5-5, I cannot afford to leave Bulbasaur in to weaken Torkoal with the risk of it carrying a Fire move. Although in Challenge Cup STAB moves are not guaranteed on every Pokemon, the risk is sufficient enough to warrant a switch. Fortunately I have Kabuto, a perfect switch in to almost any move Torkoal could carry.
Turn 9
Texas Cloverleaf called Bulbasaur back!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Kabuto!
The foe's Torkoal used Headbutt!
It's not very effective... Kabuto lost 13% of its health!
Beautiful, the lack of a STAB Fire move is excellent news for Bulbasaur who now has less to fear from the Fire turtle. A switch now is obvious, however, with two super effective STAB options to choose from, Morty is now in a difficult spot, as a switch in could take a hard hit on a wrong prediction. Kabuto however, carries only Water Pulse as a STAB move, hopefully striking something for strong damage.
Turn 10
Morty called Torkoal back!
Morty sent out Tangrowth!
Kabuto used Water Pulse!
It's not very effective... The foe's Tangrowth lost 17% of its health!
That’s unfortunate; Tangrowth will wall Kabuto all day, threatening it with its Stab options. The only positive here was that I was able to hit it on its weaker defensive stat. It seems to me to be quite likely Tangrowth carries a Grass move due to the shallow movepools accompanying Grass-type Pokemon which is a bit of a problem. My only Grass resist is Bulbasaur, who lacks any significant way to beat Tangrowth and will only invite Torkoal in again. This Tangrowth seems to be detrimental to my endgame plan, which at point is looking to be an Excadrill clean, so I will switch to Musharna to dent it with Psychic, trusting its natural bulk to tank whatever attack comes its way.
Turn 11
Texas Cloverleaf called Kabuto back!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Musharna!
The foe's Tangrowth used Power Whip!
The attack of the foe's Tangrowth missed!
That was an extremely fortunate miss for me, saving Musharna from a significant amount of health. Although in CC one can never be sure of damage outputs due to varying EV and IV spreads, I believe the Musharna would not have been 2HKOed as this incarnation had a fairly significant defense stat. Regardless, that miss places me in a favourable position, able now to dent the troublesome plant with Psychic.
Turn 12
Morty called Tangrowth back!
Morty sent out Shellos-East!
Musharna used Psychic!
The foe's Shellos-East lost 35% of its health!
Although the switch thwarted my attempts of killing the Tangrowth, I am still in a favourable position, now being able to kill the Shellos. I think he has likely realized that Musharna is a threat to his team and wants it gone but in my experiences playing CC the one irrefutable tenet I have learned is that if you have a chance to kill something, you take it. Team members are incredibly critical in a game that lacks the ability to outright OHKO things most of the time.
Turn 13
The foe's Shellos-East used Muddy Water!
Musharna lost 23% of its health!
Musharna's Accuracy fell!
Musharna used Psychic!
The foe's Shellos-East lost 30% of its health!
The foe's Shellos-East fainted!
Morty sent out Cinccino!
The Shellos went down after taking some health off of Musharna and a new member is revealed to me, a Cincinno. Musharna is still in good enough health to take another attack before fainting and he likely wants it dead so it seems fairly obvious that he will go for Cincinno’s strongest attacking option, which seems likely to be a STAB Normal attack. Therefore, the best option here is to switch in Kabuto, who resists Cincinno’s main attacks and can chip away at it once in.
Turn 14
Texas Cloverleaf called Musharna back!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Kabuto!
The foe's Cinccino used Facade!
It's not very effective... Kabuto lost 19% of its health!
As predicted, Cincinno did indeed go for the STAB attack doing unfortunately a bit more damage than I had hoped. Regardless this is now a good time to weaken that Cincinno for later in the match.
Turn 15
The foe's Cinccino used Charm!
Kabuto's Attack sharply fell!
Kabuto used Water Pulse!
The foe's Cinccino lost 28% of its health!
Interesting. Charm is an unexpected move, perhaps intending to soften the physical attacks that Kabuto’s evolution is known for. Its use grants me a free attack to damage the Cincinno, and Kabuto could likely come out of this encounter on the winning end at this point. I see no reason not to continue the attack and so will do so.
Turn 16
The foe's Cinccino used Protect!
The foe's Cinccino protected itself!
Kabuto used Water Pulse!
The foe's Cinccino protected itself from the attack!
Interesting choice, I suppose there’s no reason not to take off a PP if you have the chance. I imagine a switch to Tangrowth is forthcoming but Water Pulse is still my best choice for damage.
Turn 17
Morty called Cinccino back!
Morty sent out Tangrowth!
Kabuto used Water Pulse!
It's not very effective... The foe's Tangrowth lost 16% of its health!
As expected, Tangrowth comes into the battle taking minor damage from Water Pulse. Seeing a lack of Regenerator is heartening, as it greatly lessens the damage this can do. Musharna isn’t strong enough to come into Tangrowth again so a switch to Bulbasaur seems the best choice here, hopefully I can cause some shenanigans that can weaken Tangrowth further.
Turn 18
Texas Cloverleaf called Kabuto back!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Bulbasaur!
The foe's Tangrowth used Power Whip!
It's not very effective... Bulbasaur lost 16% of its health!
Bulbasaur come in relatively unharmed and will now attempt to punish Tangrowth for being a physical attacker. I’ve said it many time but Swagger is the most broken move in Challenge Cup. Hopefully the luck will be with me this time.
Turn 19
The foe's Tangrowth used Confusion!
It's super-effective! Bulbasaur lost 37% of its health!
Bulbasaur used Swagger!
The foe's Tangrowth's Attack sharply rose!
The foe's Tangrowth became confused!
Ooh, that’s painful to see, Confusion is a terrible move for Bulbasaur to take, and another one will finish it off. On the plus side, the Spaghetti monster is confused, giving me the potential to cause it some serious damage.
Turn 20
The foe's Tangrowth is confused!
The foe's Tangrowth used Confusion!
It's super-effective! Bulbasaur lost 23% of its health!
Bulbasaur fainted!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Buneary!
Crap. It broke through the Confusion, and KOed Bulbasaur. I am now left with Musharna and Kabuto, neither of which can take a Power Whip, Excadrill who can take one, but poorly, and Buneary, who has a pretty shitty moveset. However, it does have Swift which can prey upon Tangrowth’s lesser Special Defense stat, outspeeding it as well. Bring on the fodder!
Turn 21
Morty called Tangrowth back!
Morty sent out Torkoal!
Buneary used Swift!
The foe's Torkoal lost 20% of its health!
Morty chooses to save Tangrowth for a later point, correctly perceiving the value to his team. Torkoal comes in to take the Swift, losing a fifth of its health in the process. Buneary is the most expendable member of my team right now, and is the best option I feel to weaken Morty’s team. I choose to Protect the following turn to scout for Morty’s move choice, in case there was a particular reason he brought Torkoal in to face Buneary.
Turn 22
Buneary used Protect!
Buneary protected itself!
The foe's Torkoal used Headbutt!
Buneary protected itself from the attack!
Headbutt means there is likely little risk in keeping Buneary in to attack. Keeping the pressure on and weakening Torkoal with Swift is the best choice here.
Turn 23
Buneary used Swift!
The foe's Torkoal lost 20% of its health!
The foe's Torkoal used Clear Smog!
Buneary lost 29% of its health!
Buneary's stat changes were eliminated!
Clear Smog did far more damage than I had hoped, but Buneary was still able to weaken Torkoal to the point where two more attacks will finish it. With the Fire Pig gone that’s one less opponent for Excadrill to have to deal with.
Turn 24
Morty called Torkoal back!
Morty sent out Gurdurr!
Buneary used Swift!
The foe’s Gurdurr lost 25% of its health!
Gurdurr presents a problem for me. If it carries a Stab attack I could very well be screwed, as he can hit 3 of my remaining four team members for super effective coverage. Recapping the remaining Pokemon, He has Gurdurr, Cincinno, Torkoal and Tangrowth against my Buneary, Musharna, Kabuto and hidden Excadrill. With the threat Gurdurr poses to my team, the switch to Musharna is obvious.
Turn 25
Texas Cloverleaf called Buneary back!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Musharna!
The foe's Gurdurr used Rock Tomb!
Musharna lost 20% of its health!
Musharna took a hefty hit from the Rock Tomb, leaving it in KO range. However, the lack of a Speed drop after the attack clues me into the fact that this Gurdurr carries Sheer Force, and that my Musharna can likely outspeed for the kill. I gleefully prepare my Psychic attack with the knowledge that something is going to die.
Turn 26
Morty called Gurdurr back!
Morty sent out Torkoal!
Musharna used Psychic!
The foe's Torkoal lost 41% of its health!
The foe's Torkoal fainted!
Morty sent out Cinccino!
Torkoal takes the blow for Gurdurr, stealing away one KO but gifting me with another. I have the score advantage, 4-3, at this point, but Cincinno threatens to reclaim the tie score immediately. I feel that Musharna will still be necessary to deal with Gurdurr so I choose to go to Kabuto to check this Cincinno, in preparation for the final onslaught to come from Excadrill.
Turn 27
Texas Cloverleaf called Musharna back!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Kabuto!
The foe's Cinccino used Facade!
It's not very effective... Kabuto lost 18% of its health!
Kabuto is looking a little haggard now, but it’s still in good enough condition to take down the Cincinno. The onslaught of damage cannot stop now.
Turn 28
The foe's Cinccino used Protect!
The foe's Cinccino protected itself!
Kabuto used Water Pulse!
The foe's Cinccino protected itself from the attack!
He scouts my move with Protect. Fine, I have no change in strategy as a result of it. The onslaught continues!
Turn 29
Morty called Cinccino back!
Morty sent out Gurdurr!
Kabuto used Water Pulse!
The foe's Gurdurr lost 31% of its health!
And Gurdurr rears its ugly head taking heavy damage in the process. Now seems an opportune time to remove the threat against my team.
Turn 30
Kabuto used Water Pulse!
The foe's Gurdurr lost 27% of its health!
The foe's Gurdurr burrowed its way under the ground!
Gurdurr is on its last legs and wants to take Kabuto out. Kabuto has proven itself useful this match so I think it should be around to finish something else off. I’ll switch to Buneary, who is best placed to take the Dig and finish Gurdurr off.
Turn 31
Texas Cloverleaf called Kabuto back!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Buneary!
The foe's Gurdurr used Dig!
Buneary lost 37% of its health!
As expected, Buneary survives the attack and can now either kill the Gurdurr or weaken one of Morty’s remaining FE’s. The final stages are nearing their conclusion!
Turn 32
Buneary used Swift!
The foe's Gurdurr lost 15% of its health!
The foe's Gurdurr fainted!
Morty sent out Cinccino!
Gurdurr had run its course and goes down. Now to weaken Cincinno for the final time. First, let’s check the move Morty will use.
Turn 33
Buneary used Protect!
Buneary protected itself!
The foe's Cinccino used Facade!
Buneary protected itself from the attack!
Cincinno Façade’s in the attempt to kill Buneary. Buneary shall gladly sate the bloodlust, knowing her time has come.
Turn 34
The foe's Cinccino used Facade!
Buneary lost 33% of its health!
Buneary fainted!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Kabuto!
Kabuto enters the fray for the final time, knowing it must weaken something once more before it rests.
Turn 35
Morty called Cinccino back!
Morty sent out Tangrowth!
Kabuto used Water Pulse!
It's not very effective... The foe's Tangrowth lost 16% of its health!
Tangrowth loses more health on the switch in, Kabuto being contented in its final act of the match.
Turn 36
The foe's Tangrowth used Power Whip!
It's super-effective! Kabuto lost 48% of its health!
Kabuto fainted!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Musharna!
Musharna returns for the final time, waiting in the back since the middle of the game to get one final attack off before leaving the finale to Excadrill.
Turn 37
Morty called Tangrowth back!
Morty sent out Cinccino!
Musharna used Psychic!
The foe's Cinccino lost 60% of its health!
The foe's Cinccino's Special Defense fell!
Cincinno takes a heavy hit in its quest to kill Musharna. Musharna is now fodder that provides Excadrill with the final switch in before the end.
Turn 38
The foe's Cinccino used Facade!
Musharna lost 16% of its health!
Musharna fainted!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Excadrill!
Excadrill tastes the blood of victory in the air but the shadow of Tangrowth looms large. I’ll set up a Substitute before finishing off the Cincinno.
Turn 39
The foe's Cinccino used Charm!
Excadrill's Attack sharply fell!
Excadrill used Substitute!
Excadrill made a substitute!
Well…that’s annoying, I’m really glad I set up that Sub now. Cincinno shall die now leaving the final face-off to be Excadrill and Tangrowth.
Turn 40
The foe's Cinccino used Facade!
It's not very effective... Excadrill's substitute took the damage!
Excadrill used Brick Break!
It's super-effective! The foe's Cinccino lost 10% of its health!
The foe's Cinccino fainted!
Morty sent out Tangrowth!
-2 Excadrill behind a Sub versus a half health Tangrowth. All the manoeuvring through the match has come down to this.
Turn 41
Excadrill used Poison Jab!
It's super-effective! The foe's Tangrowth lost 27% of its health!
The foe's Tangrowth was poisoned!
The foe's Tangrowth used Power Whip!
Excadrill's substitute faded!
The foe's Tangrowth is hurt by poison!
And Excadrill reveals its trump card against the violent spaghetti, getting a useless Poison before the finish.
Turn 42
Excadrill used Poison Jab!
It's super-effective! A critical hit! The foe's Tangrowth lost 9% of its health!
The foe's Tangrowth fainted!
Texas Cloverleaf won the battle!
Excadrill ends the match with one final jab, bringing this battle of epic proportions to a close.
Texas Cloverleaf wins 1-0
Props
· Musharna, for being critical to the weakening of much of Morty’s team, the definite MVP
· Tangrowth, for being a huge threat to my team, centralising my decisions around it
· Excadrill, for finishing the endgame off with its nicely tailored moveset
· The strategic planning both sides showed in attempting to set up the end result
· Morty for being an awesome opponent
· Me for writing this J
· Aesoft for having the amazing ability to make a warstory formatter that meant I actually wrote this.
Honorary prop for me not warstorying my 128 turn CC match taht took 99 turns of a 1v1 stallwar before the first kill.
Slops
- The early hax with the Power Whip miss could have changed the outcome of the match.
- That’s it!
That concludes this warstory, the first warstory I’ve ever written, and a Challenge Cup Warstory. I hope you enjoyed reading it!
But that’s not all! This is also my 2k post, and an opportunity for me to express my gratitude to those who have supported me in my time here.
Scramblers: Detroitlolcat, zdrup15, TalkingLion, TM13IceBeam, Dummy007, ObsidianRanger, BiGGiE, Vratix, Son_Of_Shadoo, auramaster, Galladiator, Dark Ray, Athenodoros, Treadshot A1, anyone I forgot.
You guys are the reason I came to the Smogon forums in the first place, I used Smogon’s info but never contributed, you guys are the reason I’m here and I owe you a debt of gratitude.
Pokemon Online people: Yamata no Orochi, Blarajan, Limi(niac), Focus, Delko, Pokemaniac Bill, Professor Layton, Blue Star, Prem, Zacchaeus, ShinyAzelf, Kefka palazzo, TropiOUs, Solace, elDino, Lady Salamence, Lesser Smaug, everyone else I forgot :)
You guys are all amazing people and people I’m proud to consider my friends. Many of you have been moving up in the Smogon world and I couldn’t be prouder.
Haunter: You get a special shout out for being one of the few who showed legitimate confidence in me. That small action meant a lot to me, Thank you.
Doomvendingmachine: Once you were my best friend on Smogon, we had some good times. But you’ve become aloof since being server modded. I miss the old days. HE’S USING HYPNOSIS!
The replay
Welcome one and all to a rarity in the warstory scene, a Challenge Cup warstory. Challenge Cup is notorious for its intense randomness, a factor that often leads to overpower NFE’s or weak legendaries. Once in a while however, you come across two teams that are evenly matched, without any real powerhouses to dominate. The ability to strategize in a matter of seconds become highly prized, and can make or break a battle here. This battle that I had with Morty was one of the most exciting Challenge Cup matches I have ever had, with a nail-biting turn of events that had me on the edge until the final blow.
This is not only a Challenge Cup warstory, but also my first warstory, and also my 2k post. Hope you enjoy!
Every battle in Challenge Cup starts in a form similar to the original 4 series of Pokemon games, Wi-Fi Clause not being present. This adds a significant level of mind games to a match, of hiding Pokémon that could be dangerous. I scan my team and I see the following: Snorlax, Musharna, Kabuto, Bulbasaur, Excadrill and Buneary. I decide to lead with my Special Attacking Snorlax, as its movepool makes it unlikely to be of particular ability late game, but its bulk and versatility can possibly net me an early KO, something that I find very critical in the mind games of Challenge Cup.
Battle between Texas Cloverleaf and Morty started!
Tier: Challenge Cup
Rule: Unrated
Rule: Sleep Clause
Rule: Freeze Clause
Rule: Challenge Cup
Rule: Species Clause
Rule: Self-KO Clause
Morty sent out Uxie!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Snorlax!
So he leads with an Uxie. This pixie is a threat with its natural bulk and varies movepool, and could hinder the efforts of my weaker team members later on. I feel that the best course of action here is to get as much damage on it as quickly as possible.
Turn 1
The foe's Uxie used Psyshock!
Snorlax lost 30% of its health!
Snorlax used Flamethrower!
The foe's Uxie lost 20% of its health!
The foe's Uxie was burned!
The foe's Uxie is hurt by its burn!
Flamethrower is my strongest attack against the Psychic type, making it the obvious choice here. Uxie having Psyshock is unfortunate, as it hits on my weaker Defense stat, but the burn from Flamethrower was a timely aid for, ensuring that Snorlax can cripple the Psychic legendary. None of my team members will particularly enjoy a Psyshock at this point with the exception of Musharna and Excadrill, however, I want to preserve the health of those two for the later stages of the game; Snorlax is the most expendable member of my team at this point.
Turn 2
The foe's Uxie used Psyshock!
Snorlax lost 27% of its health!
Snorlax used Flamethrower!
The foe's Uxie lost 22% of its health!
The foe's Uxie is hurt by its burn!
Psyshock leaves Snorlax’s health in a state where he cannot defeat Uxie one on one. However I see a way to bring it down with burn damage in conjunction with Snorlax. Switching to Musharna seems to be a good idea at this point, as the initial attack will do only a little bit of damage.
Turn 3
Texas Cloverleaf called Snorlax back!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Musharna!
The foe's Uxie used Psyshock!
It's not very effective... Musharna lost 11% of its health!
The foe's Uxie is hurt by its burn!
That worked beautifully, now to return to Snorlax to eke some more burn damage off of that Uxie, setting it up to fain the following turn.
Turn 4
Texas Cloverleaf called Musharna back!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Snorlax!
The foe's Uxie used Frustration!
Snorlax lost 10% of its health!
The foe's Uxie is hurt by its burn!
Excellent. Snorlax’s utility has run its course at this point, so it will act as the sacrificial lamb to bring Uxie down. With both Pokemon having fainted, we now face a moment of uncertainty, neither side able to exploit an advantage. I choose to bring in Musharna. As it is the only other member of my team revealed so far it is the best choice for the chance to abuse the later stages of the game while also having a strong moveset that will enable it to handle most things Morty could send out.
Turn 5
The foe's Uxie used Psyshock!
Snorlax lost 31% of its health!
Snorlax fainted!
The foe's Uxie is hurt by its burn!
The foe's Uxie fainted!
Morty sent out Shellos-East!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Musharna!
Shellos is a fairly neutral Pokemon to be facing at this point; it lacks any Super Effective coverage on Musharna bar the rare Hidden power while Musharna can dent it in return with its STAB Psychic. There is no way to know what moves it could have at this point so the best course of action is to simply attack and respond next turn.
Turn 6
The foe's Shellos-East used Muddy Water!
Musharna lost 28% of its health!
Musharna used Psychic!
The foe's Shellos-East lost 33% of its health!
So he had a STAB attack, unfortunately one that carries a fairly hefty Base Power behind it. Musharna is too valuable at the moment to be spent trading blows with this Shellos, so with the STAB attack revealed the clear choice is to switch to my Water resist, Bulbasaur.
Turn 7
Texas Cloverleaf called Musharna back!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Bulbasaur!
The foe's Shellos-East used Muddy Water!
It's not very effective... Bulbasaur lost 22% of its health!
With no coverage moves having been revealed, the safest course of action is to simply power away with my own STAB attack. It is quite likely that he will switch against the obvious type disadvantage, but Bulbasaur lacks any coverage moves of note, and would be disadvantaged were Shellos to stay in.
Turn 8
Morty called Shellos-East back!
Morty sent out Torkoal!
Bulbasaur used Magical Leaf!
It's not very effective... The foe's Torkoal lost 18% of its health!
The switch to Torkoal tells me two things, first that Shellos lacks the ability to damage things effectively outside of Muddy Water, and that if Bulbasaur is to be effective, Torkoal must be worn down. With the score only at 5-5, I cannot afford to leave Bulbasaur in to weaken Torkoal with the risk of it carrying a Fire move. Although in Challenge Cup STAB moves are not guaranteed on every Pokemon, the risk is sufficient enough to warrant a switch. Fortunately I have Kabuto, a perfect switch in to almost any move Torkoal could carry.
Turn 9
Texas Cloverleaf called Bulbasaur back!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Kabuto!
The foe's Torkoal used Headbutt!
It's not very effective... Kabuto lost 13% of its health!
Beautiful, the lack of a STAB Fire move is excellent news for Bulbasaur who now has less to fear from the Fire turtle. A switch now is obvious, however, with two super effective STAB options to choose from, Morty is now in a difficult spot, as a switch in could take a hard hit on a wrong prediction. Kabuto however, carries only Water Pulse as a STAB move, hopefully striking something for strong damage.
Turn 10
Morty called Torkoal back!
Morty sent out Tangrowth!
Kabuto used Water Pulse!
It's not very effective... The foe's Tangrowth lost 17% of its health!
That’s unfortunate; Tangrowth will wall Kabuto all day, threatening it with its Stab options. The only positive here was that I was able to hit it on its weaker defensive stat. It seems to me to be quite likely Tangrowth carries a Grass move due to the shallow movepools accompanying Grass-type Pokemon which is a bit of a problem. My only Grass resist is Bulbasaur, who lacks any significant way to beat Tangrowth and will only invite Torkoal in again. This Tangrowth seems to be detrimental to my endgame plan, which at point is looking to be an Excadrill clean, so I will switch to Musharna to dent it with Psychic, trusting its natural bulk to tank whatever attack comes its way.
Turn 11
Texas Cloverleaf called Kabuto back!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Musharna!
The foe's Tangrowth used Power Whip!
The attack of the foe's Tangrowth missed!
That was an extremely fortunate miss for me, saving Musharna from a significant amount of health. Although in CC one can never be sure of damage outputs due to varying EV and IV spreads, I believe the Musharna would not have been 2HKOed as this incarnation had a fairly significant defense stat. Regardless, that miss places me in a favourable position, able now to dent the troublesome plant with Psychic.
Turn 12
Morty called Tangrowth back!
Morty sent out Shellos-East!
Musharna used Psychic!
The foe's Shellos-East lost 35% of its health!
Although the switch thwarted my attempts of killing the Tangrowth, I am still in a favourable position, now being able to kill the Shellos. I think he has likely realized that Musharna is a threat to his team and wants it gone but in my experiences playing CC the one irrefutable tenet I have learned is that if you have a chance to kill something, you take it. Team members are incredibly critical in a game that lacks the ability to outright OHKO things most of the time.
Turn 13
The foe's Shellos-East used Muddy Water!
Musharna lost 23% of its health!
Musharna's Accuracy fell!
Musharna used Psychic!
The foe's Shellos-East lost 30% of its health!
The foe's Shellos-East fainted!
Morty sent out Cinccino!
The Shellos went down after taking some health off of Musharna and a new member is revealed to me, a Cincinno. Musharna is still in good enough health to take another attack before fainting and he likely wants it dead so it seems fairly obvious that he will go for Cincinno’s strongest attacking option, which seems likely to be a STAB Normal attack. Therefore, the best option here is to switch in Kabuto, who resists Cincinno’s main attacks and can chip away at it once in.
Turn 14
Texas Cloverleaf called Musharna back!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Kabuto!
The foe's Cinccino used Facade!
It's not very effective... Kabuto lost 19% of its health!
As predicted, Cincinno did indeed go for the STAB attack doing unfortunately a bit more damage than I had hoped. Regardless this is now a good time to weaken that Cincinno for later in the match.
Turn 15
The foe's Cinccino used Charm!
Kabuto's Attack sharply fell!
Kabuto used Water Pulse!
The foe's Cinccino lost 28% of its health!
Interesting. Charm is an unexpected move, perhaps intending to soften the physical attacks that Kabuto’s evolution is known for. Its use grants me a free attack to damage the Cincinno, and Kabuto could likely come out of this encounter on the winning end at this point. I see no reason not to continue the attack and so will do so.
Turn 16
The foe's Cinccino used Protect!
The foe's Cinccino protected itself!
Kabuto used Water Pulse!
The foe's Cinccino protected itself from the attack!
Interesting choice, I suppose there’s no reason not to take off a PP if you have the chance. I imagine a switch to Tangrowth is forthcoming but Water Pulse is still my best choice for damage.
Turn 17
Morty called Cinccino back!
Morty sent out Tangrowth!
Kabuto used Water Pulse!
It's not very effective... The foe's Tangrowth lost 16% of its health!
As expected, Tangrowth comes into the battle taking minor damage from Water Pulse. Seeing a lack of Regenerator is heartening, as it greatly lessens the damage this can do. Musharna isn’t strong enough to come into Tangrowth again so a switch to Bulbasaur seems the best choice here, hopefully I can cause some shenanigans that can weaken Tangrowth further.
Turn 18
Texas Cloverleaf called Kabuto back!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Bulbasaur!
The foe's Tangrowth used Power Whip!
It's not very effective... Bulbasaur lost 16% of its health!
Bulbasaur come in relatively unharmed and will now attempt to punish Tangrowth for being a physical attacker. I’ve said it many time but Swagger is the most broken move in Challenge Cup. Hopefully the luck will be with me this time.
Turn 19
The foe's Tangrowth used Confusion!
It's super-effective! Bulbasaur lost 37% of its health!
Bulbasaur used Swagger!
The foe's Tangrowth's Attack sharply rose!
The foe's Tangrowth became confused!
Ooh, that’s painful to see, Confusion is a terrible move for Bulbasaur to take, and another one will finish it off. On the plus side, the Spaghetti monster is confused, giving me the potential to cause it some serious damage.
Turn 20
The foe's Tangrowth is confused!
The foe's Tangrowth used Confusion!
It's super-effective! Bulbasaur lost 23% of its health!
Bulbasaur fainted!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Buneary!
Crap. It broke through the Confusion, and KOed Bulbasaur. I am now left with Musharna and Kabuto, neither of which can take a Power Whip, Excadrill who can take one, but poorly, and Buneary, who has a pretty shitty moveset. However, it does have Swift which can prey upon Tangrowth’s lesser Special Defense stat, outspeeding it as well. Bring on the fodder!
Turn 21
Morty called Tangrowth back!
Morty sent out Torkoal!
Buneary used Swift!
The foe's Torkoal lost 20% of its health!
Morty chooses to save Tangrowth for a later point, correctly perceiving the value to his team. Torkoal comes in to take the Swift, losing a fifth of its health in the process. Buneary is the most expendable member of my team right now, and is the best option I feel to weaken Morty’s team. I choose to Protect the following turn to scout for Morty’s move choice, in case there was a particular reason he brought Torkoal in to face Buneary.
Turn 22
Buneary used Protect!
Buneary protected itself!
The foe's Torkoal used Headbutt!
Buneary protected itself from the attack!
Headbutt means there is likely little risk in keeping Buneary in to attack. Keeping the pressure on and weakening Torkoal with Swift is the best choice here.
Turn 23
Buneary used Swift!
The foe's Torkoal lost 20% of its health!
The foe's Torkoal used Clear Smog!
Buneary lost 29% of its health!
Buneary's stat changes were eliminated!
Clear Smog did far more damage than I had hoped, but Buneary was still able to weaken Torkoal to the point where two more attacks will finish it. With the Fire Pig gone that’s one less opponent for Excadrill to have to deal with.
Turn 24
Morty called Torkoal back!
Morty sent out Gurdurr!
Buneary used Swift!
The foe’s Gurdurr lost 25% of its health!
Gurdurr presents a problem for me. If it carries a Stab attack I could very well be screwed, as he can hit 3 of my remaining four team members for super effective coverage. Recapping the remaining Pokemon, He has Gurdurr, Cincinno, Torkoal and Tangrowth against my Buneary, Musharna, Kabuto and hidden Excadrill. With the threat Gurdurr poses to my team, the switch to Musharna is obvious.
Turn 25
Texas Cloverleaf called Buneary back!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Musharna!
The foe's Gurdurr used Rock Tomb!
Musharna lost 20% of its health!
Musharna took a hefty hit from the Rock Tomb, leaving it in KO range. However, the lack of a Speed drop after the attack clues me into the fact that this Gurdurr carries Sheer Force, and that my Musharna can likely outspeed for the kill. I gleefully prepare my Psychic attack with the knowledge that something is going to die.
Turn 26
Morty called Gurdurr back!
Morty sent out Torkoal!
Musharna used Psychic!
The foe's Torkoal lost 41% of its health!
The foe's Torkoal fainted!
Morty sent out Cinccino!
Torkoal takes the blow for Gurdurr, stealing away one KO but gifting me with another. I have the score advantage, 4-3, at this point, but Cincinno threatens to reclaim the tie score immediately. I feel that Musharna will still be necessary to deal with Gurdurr so I choose to go to Kabuto to check this Cincinno, in preparation for the final onslaught to come from Excadrill.
Turn 27
Texas Cloverleaf called Musharna back!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Kabuto!
The foe's Cinccino used Facade!
It's not very effective... Kabuto lost 18% of its health!
Kabuto is looking a little haggard now, but it’s still in good enough condition to take down the Cincinno. The onslaught of damage cannot stop now.
Turn 28
The foe's Cinccino used Protect!
The foe's Cinccino protected itself!
Kabuto used Water Pulse!
The foe's Cinccino protected itself from the attack!
He scouts my move with Protect. Fine, I have no change in strategy as a result of it. The onslaught continues!
Turn 29
Morty called Cinccino back!
Morty sent out Gurdurr!
Kabuto used Water Pulse!
The foe's Gurdurr lost 31% of its health!
And Gurdurr rears its ugly head taking heavy damage in the process. Now seems an opportune time to remove the threat against my team.
Turn 30
Kabuto used Water Pulse!
The foe's Gurdurr lost 27% of its health!
The foe's Gurdurr burrowed its way under the ground!
Gurdurr is on its last legs and wants to take Kabuto out. Kabuto has proven itself useful this match so I think it should be around to finish something else off. I’ll switch to Buneary, who is best placed to take the Dig and finish Gurdurr off.
Turn 31
Texas Cloverleaf called Kabuto back!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Buneary!
The foe's Gurdurr used Dig!
Buneary lost 37% of its health!
As expected, Buneary survives the attack and can now either kill the Gurdurr or weaken one of Morty’s remaining FE’s. The final stages are nearing their conclusion!
Turn 32
Buneary used Swift!
The foe's Gurdurr lost 15% of its health!
The foe's Gurdurr fainted!
Morty sent out Cinccino!
Gurdurr had run its course and goes down. Now to weaken Cincinno for the final time. First, let’s check the move Morty will use.
Turn 33
Buneary used Protect!
Buneary protected itself!
The foe's Cinccino used Facade!
Buneary protected itself from the attack!
Cincinno Façade’s in the attempt to kill Buneary. Buneary shall gladly sate the bloodlust, knowing her time has come.
Turn 34
The foe's Cinccino used Facade!
Buneary lost 33% of its health!
Buneary fainted!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Kabuto!
Kabuto enters the fray for the final time, knowing it must weaken something once more before it rests.
Turn 35
Morty called Cinccino back!
Morty sent out Tangrowth!
Kabuto used Water Pulse!
It's not very effective... The foe's Tangrowth lost 16% of its health!
Tangrowth loses more health on the switch in, Kabuto being contented in its final act of the match.
Turn 36
The foe's Tangrowth used Power Whip!
It's super-effective! Kabuto lost 48% of its health!
Kabuto fainted!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Musharna!
Musharna returns for the final time, waiting in the back since the middle of the game to get one final attack off before leaving the finale to Excadrill.
Turn 37
Morty called Tangrowth back!
Morty sent out Cinccino!
Musharna used Psychic!
The foe's Cinccino lost 60% of its health!
The foe's Cinccino's Special Defense fell!
Cincinno takes a heavy hit in its quest to kill Musharna. Musharna is now fodder that provides Excadrill with the final switch in before the end.
Turn 38
The foe's Cinccino used Facade!
Musharna lost 16% of its health!
Musharna fainted!
Texas Cloverleaf sent out Excadrill!
Excadrill tastes the blood of victory in the air but the shadow of Tangrowth looms large. I’ll set up a Substitute before finishing off the Cincinno.
Turn 39
The foe's Cinccino used Charm!
Excadrill's Attack sharply fell!
Excadrill used Substitute!
Excadrill made a substitute!
Well…that’s annoying, I’m really glad I set up that Sub now. Cincinno shall die now leaving the final face-off to be Excadrill and Tangrowth.
Turn 40
The foe's Cinccino used Facade!
It's not very effective... Excadrill's substitute took the damage!
Excadrill used Brick Break!
It's super-effective! The foe's Cinccino lost 10% of its health!
The foe's Cinccino fainted!
Morty sent out Tangrowth!
-2 Excadrill behind a Sub versus a half health Tangrowth. All the manoeuvring through the match has come down to this.
Turn 41
Excadrill used Poison Jab!
It's super-effective! The foe's Tangrowth lost 27% of its health!
The foe's Tangrowth was poisoned!
The foe's Tangrowth used Power Whip!
Excadrill's substitute faded!
The foe's Tangrowth is hurt by poison!
And Excadrill reveals its trump card against the violent spaghetti, getting a useless Poison before the finish.
Turn 42
Excadrill used Poison Jab!
It's super-effective! A critical hit! The foe's Tangrowth lost 9% of its health!
The foe's Tangrowth fainted!
Texas Cloverleaf won the battle!
Excadrill ends the match with one final jab, bringing this battle of epic proportions to a close.
Texas Cloverleaf wins 1-0
Props
· Musharna, for being critical to the weakening of much of Morty’s team, the definite MVP
· Tangrowth, for being a huge threat to my team, centralising my decisions around it
· Excadrill, for finishing the endgame off with its nicely tailored moveset
· The strategic planning both sides showed in attempting to set up the end result
· Morty for being an awesome opponent
· Me for writing this J
· Aesoft for having the amazing ability to make a warstory formatter that meant I actually wrote this.
Honorary prop for me not warstorying my 128 turn CC match taht took 99 turns of a 1v1 stallwar before the first kill.
Slops
- The early hax with the Power Whip miss could have changed the outcome of the match.
- That’s it!
That concludes this warstory, the first warstory I’ve ever written, and a Challenge Cup Warstory. I hope you enjoyed reading it!
But that’s not all! This is also my 2k post, and an opportunity for me to express my gratitude to those who have supported me in my time here.
Scramblers: Detroitlolcat, zdrup15, TalkingLion, TM13IceBeam, Dummy007, ObsidianRanger, BiGGiE, Vratix, Son_Of_Shadoo, auramaster, Galladiator, Dark Ray, Athenodoros, Treadshot A1, anyone I forgot.
You guys are the reason I came to the Smogon forums in the first place, I used Smogon’s info but never contributed, you guys are the reason I’m here and I owe you a debt of gratitude.
Pokemon Online people: Yamata no Orochi, Blarajan, Limi(niac), Focus, Delko, Pokemaniac Bill, Professor Layton, Blue Star, Prem, Zacchaeus, ShinyAzelf, Kefka palazzo, TropiOUs, Solace, elDino, Lady Salamence, Lesser Smaug, everyone else I forgot :)
You guys are all amazing people and people I’m proud to consider my friends. Many of you have been moving up in the Smogon world and I couldn’t be prouder.
Haunter: You get a special shout out for being one of the few who showed legitimate confidence in me. That small action meant a lot to me, Thank you.
Doomvendingmachine: Once you were my best friend on Smogon, we had some good times. But you’ve become aloof since being server modded. I miss the old days. HE’S USING HYPNOSIS!
