Explosion, The "Noob Tube" of PBR

[The Outcast]

It has become quite clear to me that there has been an increase of the usage of the move known as Explosion. Don't get me wrong, im OK with the move on some standards but this one has become quite different.

During a normal match up, you might come across some signs of the user. A number of ghost type pokemon, some pokemon that are steel typed and are tough to kill such as Metagross or Bronzong, most of the time, a Zapdos is a sure sign.

You will think nothing of this, until the first move.

The first few pokemon will be the one exploding and something fast, normally to use either, Fake out, Protect, Detect or substitute. Your first instinct might be to target or set up something but what you get in the end are two fainted pokemon and three more healthy pokemon to take down, victories are quite tough.

There isn't much we can do at the moment, but we can watch out for signs of them, and refuse to fight them.

One sign is normally in the beginning it seems Metagross and Zapdos are the most popular combinations. Be forwarned about those.

Another sign of them is they MOST COMMONLY use the little girl model for there character, this isn't to say however, that they are in fact little girls. But this does tell one that they honestly could care less about the game.

Another sign includes the use of masterballs on commonly caught pokemon

One last sign includes how quickly they pick there pokemon, if its so immediate, just keep an eye out for them.

Remember, these people make Uber users actually look good. So if you run into one. Watch out.

 

[Will-powered Spriter]

Why not just keep one or two pokemon with protect/detect/substitute/focus sash/ghost typing. It's not particulary hard to predict and explosion, and if you predict sucessfully, you end up with an advantage when they blow up themselves and no-one else.

It's annoying, yes, but a valid and limited tactic, that can often be quite useful against ubers.

 

[hitoshura0]

Also, this just seems like a Doubles tactic in which case:
1) If you see it coming, why don't you throw up the Protect bariers.
2) If you really are annoyed by that, play singles. They can't "double up" on you there with explosions.

 

[sikorski]

i hate when this happens to me. i plaed a game with a kid where every pokemon was ev'd in speed and their first move was explosion, then his last pokemon was a sleep talk/rest snorlax. i wanted to cry

 

[Baton Passer]

Wait a sec. i've done that before...
i dont flaunt it, or use zapdos or metagross, but I' have used explosion strategies before.
Does that mean that a real trainer who cares, and uses a non-foolproof explosion strategy shouldn't use it?

 

[Hikari Paradise]

The most dreaded move in the game. Suicide bombers are not appreciated IRL and they are not appreciated in pokemon. Although using explosion doesn't neccessarily mean you're a n00b. I think hyper beam is more noobish.

 

[sizida]

hyper beam is easier to avoid then explosion. unless you have protect on, or in a safe bet, a damp pokemon.

yes i agree there are more radioactive explosion pokemon. but i don't seem to care about it. it just make the battle end faster that's all.

 

[SkittyOnWailord]

Another sign of them is they MOST COMMONLY use the little girl model for there character, this isn't to say however, that they are in fact little girls. But this does tell one that they honestly could care less about the game.

Another sign includes the use of masterballs on commonly caught pokemon

One last sign includes how quickly they pick there pokemon, if its so immediate, just keep an eye out for them.

Remember, these people make Uber users actually look good. So if you run into one. Watch out.

I'll point out a few things about your post. I'll also note that I hardly ever use Explosion.

1: I've used only the little girl model since I started playing PBR back in 2006.

2: While Master Balls are sometimes a sign of hacked Pokemon, don't underestimate the Emerald cloning glitch or the Lottery. I won 3 Master Balls from the Lottery in a 6 month time span.

3: I use the same 3 (4 for doubles) Pokemon over and over for a few hours at a time. And I chose them very fast too. Usually when I'm testing a new team and want to see it's weaknesses.

Also, this just seems like a Doubles tactic in which case:
1) If you see it coming, why don't you throw up the Protect bariers.
2) If you really are annoyed by that, play singles. They can't "double up" on you there with explosions.

^This. If you don't like it then don't play Doubles. And if you are playing Doubles then half of your Pokemon should know Protect anyway.
It's pretty much the old saying. If people keep beating you with the same old stratagy, then change yours to beat theirs.

 

[Jikkle]

I have explosion on my Metagross but I really only use it when going up against Ubers or as a means to end a battle that I've clearly won more quickly as the primary use for my Metagross is to set up Reflect and Light Screen.

While it's no fun to be on the receiving end of one it doesn't bother me all to much because it is a legit tactic that carries some risk to the user and you can usually tell when it's about to happen and be able to brace yourself for it. But I also agree with you that it is pretty noobish if 100% of the tactics the player employs is just to get off Explosion and nothing else.

I just think there are far more annoying things in the game than Explosion. Kyogre coming in firing off Water Sprout boosted Rain Dance with it's awesome Special Attack is more devastating than Explosion. And don't even get me started with Darkrai and Dark Void...........

 

[SHINY CATCHER]

I've made a joke Explosion pass before with all the Pokemon knowing Explosion. It worked really well. I don't think it's that bad a move if you're prepared though and I hardly ever run into Zapdos/Metagross pairs in doubles.

 

[The Outcast]

I'll point out a few things about your post. I'll also note that I hardly ever use Explosion.

1: I've used only the little girl model since I started playing PBR back in 2006.

2: While Master Balls are sometimes a sign of hacked Pokemon, don't underestimate the Emerald cloning glitch or the Lottery. I won 3 Master Balls from the Lottery in a 6 month time span.

3: I use the same 3 (4 for doubles) Pokemon over and over for a few hours at a time. And I chose them very fast too. Usually when I'm testing a new team and want to see it's weaknesses.



^This. If you don't like it then don't play Doubles. And if you are playing Doubles then half of your Pokemon should know Protect anyway.
It's pretty much the old saying. If people keep beating you with the same old stratagy, then change yours to beat theirs.

I have currently adapted my strategies,

Empoleon (If lucky) can take an explosion and live

I have given magnezone protect to survive Heat waves and earthquakes

 

[mattj]

I could get banned for posting this

Ha, I love explosion teams. I used one at Nats this year and made top 16 and got an invitation to the Pokemon World Championships (for the VGCs).

They're fun to use, but you really can shut them down pretty easily. Just look for the obvious turn to explode on, and protect on that turn, or fake them out.

I remember in Round 5 at Nats I went up against another explosion team, knew exactly when he was going to explode, and took his Azelf out before he could do it. Just as an example for everybody else, it went something like this.

Me: Groudon (Brave, 0spd, Iron Ball) and Shiftry (Adamant, 252 Spd, Focus Sash)
Him: Gira A (somethin yeah) Azelf (probably Jolly, Focus Sash)

Turn 1: I Target his Azelf with a Fake Out from Shiftry and Switch in my Scarfed Ho-Oh from the back. He protects with Azelf (knowing I would Fake Elf Out) and Calm Minds or something with Gira A.
Turn 2: I target his Zelf with Brave Bird from Ho-oh and Sucker Punch from Shiftry.

Sucker Punch Hits. He gets a smirk and says "Thank God for the Focus Sash. Heh."
Then Ho-oh attacks with Brave Bird and I say "Thank God for the Choice Scarf. Heh." I won 4/1 (I blew up my Shiftry later).

Just wanted to point that out to show that 99% of Explosion teams can be shut down fairly easily as long as you have Protect and some fast powerful mons. They're really not invincible.

 

[pokemonmasterhustler]

Well it's a strategy your gonna have to prepare for either way if your foe is a noob or not. It just advances the meta game. Just think ahead and prepare for the worst and you'll be good. IMO complaining about noobs just makes your self a noob. Do something about the noob and show your professionalism.

 

[Swiftrz & Milotic]

Explosion trainers are annoying, but if you suspect Explosion might be the chosen tactic (I look for Metagross, Bronzong, Shiftry, Azelf, etc) then just plan ahead. Me for example, I send out Metagross and Froslass if I see the aforementioned Pokemon on my opponent's team. They can explode all they want then, isn't going to give them an edge.

 

[TR_Jessie]

Yeah, explosion teams can be a pain, but they sure are really fun to use! I mean, who wouldn't want to blow up in someone's face? [/joke]
Taking them down requires either speed+power, super defence, rock types, steel types, ghost types or just protect. I love the looks on people's faces when I predict their explosion and protect against it. ;P

 

[BadIntent]

Yeah, explosion teams can be a pain, but they sure are really fun to use! I mean, who wouldn't want to blow up in someone's face? [/joke]

HAHAHAHAHAHA! I took that a different way than you intended I'm sure.

Anyway, yeah what mattj and TR Jessie said is true. If you can't handle Explosion teams, then I don't think you can even consider yourself knowledgeable about doubles at all.

 

[GR81]

Now I haven't played on PBR lately but one big difference I've noticed from DS wi-fi and PBR is that literally everything on PBR runs Protect. No matter how powerful, frail, bulky, you name it, EVERYTHING runs protect (heck I remember facing a scarfed Kyogre with Protect).

 

[hitoshura0]

Now I haven't played on PBR lately but one big difference I've noticed from DS wi-fi and PBR is that literally everything on PBR runs Protect. No matter how powerful, frail, bulky, you name it, EVERYTHING runs protect (heck I remember facing a scarfed Kyogre with Protect).

lolwhat? I guess this is a byproduct of the VGCs and a doubles format. But jeez.

 

[GR81]

lolwhat? I guess this is a byproduct of the VGCs and a doubles format. But jeez.

Haha to be fair it was leading off and switched out immediately after. I didn't realize it was scarfed til' it came back in and outsped my +1 Gyara. I suppose it worked out in the end for him but Protect on a Scarfed Kyogre completely baffled me at the time.

 

[mattj]

Haha to be fair it was leading off and switched out immediately after. I didn't realize it was scarfed til' it came back in and outsped my +1 Gyara. I suppose it worked out in the end for him but Protect on a Scarfed Kyogre completely baffled me at the time.

I ran a scarfed Ho-oh with protect on it at the Pokemon National Championships. It was kind of accidental (I just threw the team together that morning), but I was also glad that I had it.