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Ultra Kalos Classic Team...

TipptheRipper

Hoenn Champion
Hey all,

This is my first try in any of the PGL competitions, so I wanted to give it a shot. These are all pokémon I like a quite a bit, so that's probably interfering with my ability to make good decisions.

I'd appreciate someone tearing this team apart in a clear summary, as I have no idea why it's so bad and want to learn from this selection. I've received several lols on Showdown in just a little over an hour.

(Yes, most of it is copied from Smogon. Again, online battle noob here.)

Aggron-Mega @ Aggronite

Ability: Filter

EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD

Careful Nature

- Heavy Slam

- Fire Punch

- Stealth Rock

- Toxic


Cloyster @ Focus Sash

Ability: Skill Link

EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe

Jolly Nature

- Shell Smash

- Icicle Spear

- Rock Blast

- Toxic Spikes


Malamar @ Leftovers

Ability: Contrary

EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

Careful Nature

- Knock Off

- Rest

- Sleep Talk

- Destiny Bond


Nidoking (M) @ Life Orb

Ability: Sheer Force

EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Modest Nature

IVs: 0 Atk

- Earth Power

- Sludge Wave

- Ice Beam

- Flamethrower


Audino @ Rocky Helmet

Ability: Regenerator

EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD

Careful Nature

- Wish

- Protect

- Knock Off

- Heal Bell


Barbaracle @ Assault Vest

Ability: Tough Claws

EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe

Jolly Nature

- Shell Smash

- Stone Edge

- Liquidation

- Earth Power
 

Sceptile Leaf Blade

Nighttime Guardian
Smogon sets are built for 6v6 environments between level 100 pokémon, not 3v3 between level 50 pokémon, and they are built for play under showdown rules and bans. Kalos Classic is a 3v3 environment with very different rules.

First of all, when you're EV training for level 50 environments, assuming perfect IVs you should never have an EV divisible by 8, but they should be divisible by 4. Due to rounding you lose stats there. For example your Audino has 248 HP, 8 Def. If you replace that with 252 HP, 4 Def you don't lose any defence stat at all, the 4 EVs were already lost in rounding, but you gain an extra hitpoint.

Second of all, and probably more important, you have several supporting pokémon that seem more at home in a 6v6 environment than a 3v3. Cleric Audino is interesting but you're essentially sacrificing a third of your team for status healing if you pick it, and switching it in for Wish support essentially costs you three turns during which you aren't attacking your opponent (switching in Audino, using Wish, and switching it out again). Audino is more of a doubles support pokémon in my opinion.

Malamar is similar, I have no idea what it's actually trying to do. Malamar isn't frail but it's far from a wall, it can't pull off Rest Sleep Talk that well, most foes are simply going to KO it while it's asleep. It's far too slow to pull off Destiny Bond, at least from what I can see. Especially with the unreliability of Sleep Talk, and Destiny Bond usually failing if you used it last turn.

Cloyster has Toxic Spikes, but it's also Sash + Shell Smash. Entry hazards are good in 6v6, in 3v3 they're not that worth it. Especially considering the fact that Gengar is likely to be very popular in Kalos Classic and it just removes your Toxic Spikes. Give it Liquidation instead, and maximise attack stat so it can actually hurt stuff. You have your Focus Sash to take the hit while setting up Shell Smash.

Barbaracle is an interesting pokémon, but I think it's too similar in Cloyster and its Special Attack is garbage, so if you want to use it replace Earth Power with Earthquake. And get rid of an Assault Vest on a Shell Smash set, you can't even use Shell Smash under Assault Vest.

Nidoking is an offensive pokémon, give it Special Attack EVs so it actually hurts stuff when attacking.

All I can say is, think about what's going to be popular in this competition and how to deal with it. Protean Greninja, Aegislash, Mega Gengar, Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, Mega Lucario, Ferrothorn, Garchomp, Scizor, Static Zapdos, they're all going to be very popular this competition and you need to be prepared for them. Remember, essentially a third of your opponent's team is likely going to be a mega evolved pokémon, and Knock Off isn't really going to hurt them much. And it's the only attack that both your Malamar and your Audino have. For example, I think a pokémon like Mega Venusaur is going to have a field day against your team, it can fairly easily set up moves like Curse, Leech Seed, or Amnesia and just stall you out.
 
Last edited:

TipptheRipper

Hoenn Champion
Smogon sets are built for 6v6 environments between level 100 pokémon, not 3v3 between level 50 pokémon, and they are built for play under showdown rules and bans. Kalos Classic is a 3v3 environment with very different rules.

First of all, when you're EV training for level 50 environments, assuming perfect IVs you should never have an EV divisible by 8, but they should be divisible by 4. Due to rounding you lose stats there. For example your Audino has 248 HP, 8 Def. If you replace that with 252 HP, 4 Def you don't lose any defence stat at all, the 4 EVs were already lost in rounding, but you gain an extra hitpoint.

Second of all, and probably more important, you have several supporting pokémon that seem more at home in a 6v6 environment than a 3v3. Cleric Audino is interesting but you're essentially sacrificing a third of your team for status healing if you pick it, and switching it in for Wish support essentially costs you three turns during which you aren't attacking your opponent (switching in Audino, using Wish, and switching it out again). Audino is more of a doubles support pokémon in my opinion.

Malamar is similar, I have no idea what it's actually trying to do. Malamar isn't frail but it's far from a wall, it can't pull off Rest Sleep Talk that well, most foes are simply going to KO it while it's asleep. It's far too slow to pull off Destiny Bond, at least from what I can see. Especially with the unreliability of Sleep Talk, and Destiny Bond usually failing if you used it last turn.

Cloyster has Toxic Spikes, but it's also Sash + Shell Smash. Entry hazards are good in 6v6, in 3v3 they're not that worth it. Especially considering the fact that Gengar is likely to be very popular in Kalos Classic and it just removes your Toxic Spikes. Give it Liquidation instead, and maximise attack stat so it can actually hurt stuff. You have your Focus Sash to take the hit while setting up Shell Smash.

Barbaracle is an interesting pokémon, but I think it's too similar in Cloyster and its Special Attack is garbage, so if you want to use it replace Earth Power with Earthquake. And get rid of an Assault Vest on a Shell Smash set, you can't even use Shell Smash under Assault Vest.

Nidoking is an offensive pokémon, give it Special Attack EVs so it actually hurts stuff when attacking.

All I can say is, think about what's going to be popular in this competition and how to deal with it. Protean Greninja, Aegislash, Mega Gengar, Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, Mega Lucario, Ferrothorn, Garchomp, Scizor, Static Zapdos, they're all going to be very popular this competition and you need to be prepared for them. Remember, essentially a third of your opponent's team is likely going to be a mega evolved pokémon, and Knock Off isn't really going to hurt them much. And it's the only attack that both your Malamar and your Audino have.

Much appreciated. I have a lot of learning to do, and a bias in favor of "bulky" pokémon to get over.
 

Det. Viper

That’s Detective Viper to you
Smogon does have some sets available for 3v3 Lv. 50 battles. It will be the Battle Spot Singles set (again, if available). That would not be a bad place to start building.

As SLB states I would recommend switching Malamar and/or Audino since it does not have a real purpose on the team. Use a second Mega like Charizard X, Scizor, or Lucario. That way your opponent has to guess which of your two you will use. Aegislash or protean Greninja are not bad choices. But will also be super popular Pokémon.

Change out those entry hazards for attacking moves since they have no place in 3v3. Practice in non-ranked matches on the Battle spot and find out what your weaknesses are and which of your Pokémon do well. I wish you luck in the Kalos competition
 
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