Metagame Partners in Crime

I feel like Trick Room with proper support to deal with sleep is the most reliable strategy right now, but I feel like the potential in the team I posted earlier could possibly surpass it. Too bad I kinda suck and need to get ghosted by my DOU player friend to make any actual plays.
Your team is kinda dirty, but without M-Garde you lack raw firepower imo. You can't Fake Out forever. That said, I don't want to face you in the ladder at all, or I'll get a cancer right away :^)


Dark Void is banned in DOU that's why nobody uses it
 
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7partnersincrime-670679620

So I've been messing around with a couple ideas, and Buzzwole or any other high offense pokemon with draining moves paired with Comfey's Triage seems very strong.

In the replay Buzzwole has AV but Life Orb could provide even more damage, although it may be a bit unnecessary. Having priority, high damage, and recovery makes this mon a huge threat. Plus the Beast Boost bonuses provide strong momentum after just one KO. Threats to this would be other forms of priority, especially on mons with Aerilate from Megamence or M-Pinsir

Buzzwole @ Life Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Leech Life
- Rock Slide
- Superpower
 
Alright, here's my opinions:

Sleep Clause please. Sure there's some counters, but it's extremely uncompetitive and annoying to deal with. It's not fun at all to face.

Also please keep Smeargle in mind for a suspect. I don't think it's overwhelming atm, but it has the potential to become a huge problem.

Intimidate might also need to be looked at in the future as it shuts down an entire class of Pokémon. Maybe add an intimidate clause (one intimidate mon per team)?

I feel like Trick Room with proper support to deal with sleep is the most reliable strategy right now, but I feel like the potential in the team I posted earlier could possibly surpass it. Too bad I kinda suck and need to get ghosted by my DOU player friend to make any actual plays.

Also, why is no one using Dark Void on Darkrai to counter Follow Me strategies?
Dark Void itself is banned, so that's why.
 
Farthest I've been able to get with my regigigas + diance + anger point team was around 1450 points, but I think I'm going to be stuck between 1300 and 1400 on my test account.
I've been able to win some games against people with over 1400 points.
So here is my team:
https://pokepast.es/b54372205459f3e9

Skill Swap wars were stressful to me. Maybe I should try to make a more trickroom heavy team idk.

Also, should slow start go away off of my teammate after I skill swap it onto the opponent? I think someone mentioned something similar involving slaking. I'm not sure what's happening with skill swap.
 
Dumping my okay-ish team

lando (Landorus-Therian) @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- U-turn
- Knock Off
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide

hippo (Hippowdon) @ Leftovers
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Slack Off
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide
- Protect

gayninja (Greninja) @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Mat Block
- Protect
- Dark Pulse
- Hydro Pump

ez pz (Porygon-Z) @ Normalium Z
Ability: Adaptability
EVs: 8 Def / 252 SpA / 248 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Discharge
- Conversion
- Ice Beam
- Shadow Ball

stakakakakakakakakaka (Stakataka) @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Earthquake
- Protect
- Rock Slide
- Gyro Ball

what a bish (Bisharp) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Stone Edge
- Knock Off

PROTECT IS IMPORTANT. I cant count how many clutches I had just because of it.
Lead with Lando-Hippo at all times unless you sense Competitive/Defiant/Contrary. Does a good Job killing weather.
PZ + Greninja is just so Awesome. Mat Block, let PZ Boost; Sweep with Protean + Adapt. PROTECT IS AGAIN GREAT, with the fact that you can immidiately use it after Mat Block.
Stakataka is great, with Good defenses and a decent attack. With a great ability. Amazing in sand.
Bish is for Intim, Icy Wind etc. Sucker Punch, Knock off, Stone edge are all great moves. You could replace assvest with something else for Protection.

Until now I've had a lot of fun playing PiC, the only problem I see is sleep abuse. I hope a Sleep Clause is implemented soon.
 
Just want to ditch my team too:
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Groundium Z
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Return
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Superpower

Salamence-Mega @ Salamencite
Ability: Aerilate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dragon Dance
- Roost
- Tailwind
- Hyper Voice

Serperior @ Wiki Berry
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Leaf Storm
- Glare
- Knock Off
- Protect

Victini @ Mago Berry
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Taunt
- V-create
- Bolt Strike
- Overheat

Gastrodon @ Wiki Berry
Ability: Storm Drain
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Earth Power
- Recover
- Substitute

Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Taunt
- Protect
- Moonblast
- Calm Mind


This team is built around a special Mega Mence with Hyper Voice as its main attack and a contrary corewith Victini and Serperior.
While Noivern would provide Boomburst, I opted for a more balance-orientated build; and Noivern doesn't do much besides that, while I like to have a very flexible team with multiple good and usable pairings. I also had good results against various playstyles:
  • Against TR just taunt the setter. If you see a hardcore TR team and suspect a Mental Herb, you can even double-taunt the setter thanks to two taunt users being available. Also you have Gastrodon, which is very slow and provides recovery for the other mons.
  • Against Sun, I had best results when leading Victini and Serperior, so that Victini can go for the nasty sun-boosted Contrary V-create, which usually scores a kill. Another option is to immediately set up a tailwind with Salamence or its partner to outspeed even Chlorophyll users, but the matchup is very tough.
  • Against rain, Gastrodon does them job thanks to bulk + Storm Drain.
 
Any way we can change Hidden Powers types being based on IVs instead of the original type? Or is this just a visual issue?
Hidden Power's type is always based on the user's IVs, whether you get it naturally or call it (e.g. via Me First or Copycat). If you put a specific hidden type in your moveset, then the server will choose a set of IVs for you if you don't do it yourself, otherwise the server will give you the IVs for Hidden Power Dark. Transform, Mimic or Sketch are banned from PiC due to coding limitations but normally if you use of of them to obtain Hidden Power then it will show up as the type given by your IVs, whatever type the original user was using. If you want your partner to have a particular set of HP IVs without having a specific type of Hidden Power in their moveset then I think you'll need to set their IVs manually.
 
Hidden Power's type is always based on the user's IVs, whether you get it naturally or call it (e.g. via Me First or Copycat). If you put a specific hidden type in your moveset, then the server will choose a set of IVs for you if you don't do it yourself, otherwise the server will give you the IVs for Hidden Power Dark. Transform, Mimic or Sketch are banned from PiC due to coding limitations but normally if you use of of them to obtain Hidden Power then it will show up as the type given by your IVs, whatever type the original user was using. If you want your partner to have a particular set of HP IVs without having a specific type of Hidden Power in their moveset then I think you'll need to set their IVs manually.
True, but in gen 7 you can hyper train, and thus the old IV system is (mostly) irrelevant. Though I get if there are coding limitations, and it can probably be used to a players advantage by someone way better at team building than myself.
 
Just a weird Malamar Team I like using.


Malamar @ Leftovers
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 152 HP / 164 Atk / 192 Spe - Outspaces Greninja at +1 Speed if you get off a V-Create
Jolly Nature
- Superpower
- Knock Off
- Rock Slide
- Substitute

Victini @ Assault Vest - To live random special attacks so I can get off a V-Create
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- V-create
- Bolt Strike
- Quick Attack - Priority is good in this metagame
- Zen Headbutt

Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe - Physical pairs up great with Deo-A & Malamar
Jolly Nature
- Shadow Sneak - Priority is good in this metagame
- Gunk Shot
- Ice Punch - Mega Salamence & Landorus
- Rock Slide - Mega Pinsir, Mega Charizard Y, Talonflame, & Dragonite

Deoxys-Attack @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Extreme Speed - Useful for Mega Pinsir + Dragonite E-Speed Shenanigans.
- Fire Punch - Good Coverage for Greninja & Malamar
- Ice Punch - Good for Salamence & Lando
- Rock Slide - Good for the Flying Spam

Seismitoad @ Leftovers - Just useful for Rain Teams
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Scald
- Earth Power
- Protect

Whimsicott @ Pixie Plate
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Memento - Easy for letting team mates in if useless
- Encore - Good for Dancer Teams
- Giga Drain
- Dazzling Gleam - Just useful for hitting both enemies if teammate's hit fails the KO
 
So, being the first to break 1600 and the current top player in this month's Partners in Crime ladder, Soul Dew Latias, it is a prime time to demonstrate how I believe I have been so successful. I present to you my team.

The Mastermind (Alakazam) @ Alakazite
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Dazzling Gleam
- Protect
- Skill Swap
Right off the bat, we start with Mega Alakazam. First off, it's one of the fastest Pokemon in Doubles OU, tying with Deoxys Attack and only being outsped by Pheromosa, Ninjask, and Deoxys Speed. This, in itself, is a very important part of the team, often being paired with Greninja as the lead for the team. Psychic is good for STAB (and deals great damage to Tapu Koko, which I have no direct super effective moves for), Dazzling Gleam takes a chunk out many of the top Dragons like Noivern and Salamence, as well as Pokemon like Kommo-O and Scrafty in a single blow. Protect is essential on at least a few mons, but in particular it's good on Alakazam with Protean Gren as a partner to prevent opposing Marshadow from Shadow Sneaking and picking up the KO with Psychic. Skill Swap is great because it helps to do a few things. One, Trace has the chance to copy the foe's weather speed ability, but you can outright steal it if it doesn't work as intended. Two, it helps to beat meme strats like Normalize or Traunt in a pinch. And three, if Krook is on the field, or the foe has a Lando, Skill Swap Intimidate can be very useful. Magic Guard is also very useful if the need to Mega Evolve doesn't arise.

The Spy (Greninja) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Ice Beam
- Water Shuriken
- Hydro Pump
- U-turn
Next up, Greninja. Its main purpose is to provide others with coverage, but in particular Water Shuriken plays a huge role. Faster opponent that can use a super effective move on you? Water Shuriken Protean fixes that problem with ease. More importantly, Water Shuriken pairs with Cloyster's Skill Link and Marshadow's Technician for some great damage. In particular, 5 hits from Water Shuriken OHKOs things like Pheromosa, Deoxys-Attack when not under Psychic Terrain, Excadrill, and deals massive damage to threats like Landorus-T and Heatran. Crucially, though, Mega Camerupt doesn't like it, even under Trick Room. While most teams with it pair it with Volcanion to prevent Water type damage, Greninja can decide it doesn't care thanks to Kyurem-Black, and take it down in just three hits of Water Shuriken. Stakataka needs to be worn down a bit beforehand, but it still takes a solid chunk either way. The amount of priority on this team definitely contributes to its success, and so Tapu Lele is a big threat, especially when it's Scarfed. Gren pairs best with Alakazam, which can use each other's coverage hand in hand to great success.

The Bruiser (Krookodile) (M) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Knock Off
- Stone Edge
- Power Trip
Intimidate mon, check. Why not Lando? Besides having no exploitable 4x weakness, Krook also blocks Prankster moves. Gren does as well for Turn 1, but that's much less reliable. EQ, Knock Off, and Stone Edge provide some standard Krook power, but Power Trip is where it gets interesting. When paired with Cloyster, Shell Smash brings up this move's power to very high levels. Although, it is very niche in that sense, and Protect could be better in some cases. Other than that, it's the same old bulky Krook we all know and love.

The Enforcer (Kyurem-Black) @ Electrium Z
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 24 HP / 248 Atk / 236 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Fusion Bolt
- Dragon Claw
- Protect
- Iron Head
Now this is one of the two Pokemon with seemingly bizarre EVs, but those points in Speed are there to outspeed Dragonite. Other than that, it's just a pretty standard Electrium Z Kyurem. Teravolt is great for things like Sturdy Skarm, but in particular, this is my main answer to Celesteela and Volcanion. When paired with Cloyster, though, this powerhouse can set up a Shell Smash and run through entire teams. Protect is here to have another Protect mon, since there is no reason for another move. Iron Head pairs well with the faster Pokemon of the team (mostly Gren and Marshadow), because it allows them to deal with top-level threats like Diancie-Mega and Tapu Lele before they can hit Kyurem. Unless Lele is Scarfed.

The Tactician (Marshadow) @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Spectral Thief
- Shadow Sneak
- Substitute
- Force Palm
Another priority user, Marshadow is also useful in dealing with setup users, thanks to Substitute and Spectral Thief. Force Palm is there over Close Combat because it doesn't drop the defenses, which helps when delaing with things like Bisharp and Tyranitar. Leftovers helps Marshadow to take a bit more punishment, as it is one of the most crucial members of the team. Often, if Marshadow steals some good boosts, it can make it nightmarish to deal with.

The Bomb (Cloyster) (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Skill Link
EVs: 220 Atk / 36 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast
- Ice Shard
Finally, the panic button. Shell Smash automatically allows it or any of its teammates to become massive threats, calling most of the attention to them, which can lead to Protect mindgame shenanigans that put you in an advanageous position or straight up result in victory. It also helps getting over Intimidate in a pinch, but in the end, Cloyster is mostly used for Ice Shard. The strange investment into SpA allows it to deal moderate damage with Water Shuriken if it needs to, as well as Ice Beam and Hydro Pump from Greninja once it gets off a Shell Smash.

The main threats to this team are Triage Comfey and Scarfed Lele. Because those guys can do some damage if the opponent is competent. Other than that, it deals very well with all sorts of playstyles, such as weather, mono-flying, Trick Room, Contrary, Dancer, and setup, provided you know what you're doing.
 
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I have to say that Liepard + Smeargle are a nice anti-meta pair. Smeargle with Glare/Spore, Magic Coat/Aurora Veil, Follow Me, Parting Shot. Liepard with Taunt, Fake Out, Foul Play/Encore, U-Turn. Glare is great for Chlorophyll Venusaur/Shiftry, Swift Swim Mega Swampert/Ludicolo, Serperior, Deo-A, Talonflame, Dancer Team (Including Dragonite + Pinsir-Mega). Magic Coat is for Spore Thundurus + Smeargle and hazards. Aurora Veil is a niche tech for hail teams. Follow Me is good for Set-Up mons. Parting Shot is great for exiting out against any mons that don't have Contrary, Defiant, or Competitive. Liepard's encore can be good for trick room teams and other set-up teams. This is definitely an annoying pair that does great against many teams.
 
It is dumb and dickish but not that strong. Prankster, Trick Room, weathers etc are good and common ways to counter that.
It's really uncompetitive though. If your opponents gets enough flinches, Trick Room isn't even likely to go up due to its -6 priority. Weathers can work, sometimes, but I've seen a lot of Ttar Exca Shaymin-S teams that don't even care about weather if it's not hard rain.
Prankster TWind teams can work their way out I guess
 
As a TR player that is top ladder atm, I have to say: thank God flinch exists. If it didn't, Trick Room would be even more powerful and overwhelming, so it would get probably suspected at some point, and eventually banned as most people dislike TR. And without TR, I would be stupidly bad at this game.

As a side note, you have Inner Focus that prevents flinch spam. Priority moves do well too: Ice Shard gets Skymin and Lando-T, Mach Punch and Water Shuriken say hi to Ttar and Excadrill... Also, redirection is good too, with M-Blastoise for example that can give its teammate Follow Me if you play TR.
 
As a TR player that is top ladder atm, I have to say: thank God flinch exists. If it didn't, Trick Room would be even more powerful and overwhelming, so it would get probably suspected at some point, and eventually banned as most people dislike TR. And without TR, I would be stupidly bad at this game.

As a side note, you have Inner Focus that prevents flinch spam. Priority moves do well too: Ice Shard gets Skymin and Lando-T, Mach Punch and Water Shuriken say hi to Ttar and Excadrill... Also, redirection is good too, with M-Blastoise for example that can give its teammate Follow Me if you play TR.
Inner focus mon are pretty restrictive though. The only decent ones that come to mind are Entei and Raikou, both of which are pretty bad. I can somewhat see AV raikou to conter discharge spam, but even that is a really little niche tbh.
Being an avid TR user myself I tryed some Snorlax Goth Perish song wak shenanigances along with the Stakataka Dhelmise team, but if they skillfully flinch you to death if you have a slower team you are probably going to lose.
 

Champion Leon

Banned deucer.
Inner focus mon are pretty restrictive though. The only decent ones that come to mind are Entei and Raikou, both of which are pretty bad. I can somewhat see AV raikou to conter discharge spam, but even that is a really little niche tbh.
Being an avid TR user myself I tryed some Snorlax Goth Perish song wak shenanigances along with the Stakataka Dhelmise team, but if they skillfully flinch you to death if you have a slower team you are probably going to lose.
Use a ghost type to avoid Fake-Out. Wide Guard stops Rock Slide. You can have partners alternate between using Wide Guard for gaurantee protection each turn.
 

Lcass4919

The Xatu Warrior
Use a ghost type to avoid Fake-Out. Wide Guard stops Rock Slide. You can have partners alternate between using Wide Guard for gaurantee protection each turn.
you actually don't need to alternate. wide guard is the sole exception to the "fails the more you use it" rule protection moves usually have.
 

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