Zen

Geometry. Planes. Flat shapes. Maybe.

MasterShaper here yet again. Was lazy to log out from my housemates' account, though. Starting to pick up the recorder again, after being inspired at Distant Worlds. Also, since FF turns 25 this December 18th, and I had nothing else to do wanted to celebrate, here's a three-part orchestral playlist for the whole FF series, with some KH thrown in as a sweetener Happy Silver anniversary, FF! PART I - SENTIMENTALS PART II - BATTLES PART III - WORLDS --- Note: All songs used were the Distant Worlds versions, except where noted in brackets in the song names.

MasterShaper is, but he rarely drops in these days.

Hmm, noted - just grabbed an old cinccino, saw that all its moves fit Technician, and so I used it with a different ability instead of Skill Link. Mr. Mime here is not intended to Pass. He's meant to jam Roar, for one - something rather common of late - and to slow down the opponents (breloom, etc. are handy, but they lag behind some others). Icy Wind... iffy, but it generally hits. Roserade's double spikes are intended to give it an edge against both steel and Sun teams. Sun generally has poison, so I'd just go for Spikes (steel has immunity, so likewise). On a normal team, I'd much prefer to go for TSpikes first as it puts a status on the opponent.

A team made specifically to abuse technicalities use Technician. Of course, a team of lawyers would do the same thing. --- Roserade (F) @ Focus Sash Trait: Technician EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk) - Magical Leaf - Leech Seed - Spikes - Toxic Spikes --- Breloom (M) @ Leftovers Trait: Technician EVs: 80 Atk / 176 Def / 252 Spd Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk) - Mach Punch - Bullet Seed - Spore - Bulk Up --- Scizor (F) @ Lum Berry Trait: Technician EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk) - Bullet Punch - Bug Bite - Aerial Ace - Swords Dance --- Ambipom (F) @ Life Orb Trait: Technician EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk) - Fake Out - Double Hit - Aerial Ace - U-turn --- Mr. Mime (F) @ Leftovers Trait: Technician EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk) - Magical Leaf - Charge Beam - Icy Wind - Barrier --- Cinccino (M) @ Choice Scarf Trait: Technician EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk) - Tail Slap - Rock Blast - Bullet Seed - U-turn --- Of, course, it'll never win against anything rich in steel. But then again, no one wins all the time.

Named after a fun little group we had in high school. Made for triples, though I suppose it'll work just as well in doubles. May be heavily physical, but the continuous attack boosts and/or indirect damage may help to bypass that. --- Girafarig (F) @ Focus Sash Trait: Sap Sipper EVs: 252 Def / 252 SDef / 4 Spd Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk) - Zen Headbutt - Crunch - Double Kick - Agility --- Whimsicott (M) @ Leftovers Trait: Prankster EVs: 252 Def / 252 SDef / 4 Spd Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk) - Leech Seed - Substitute - Taunt - Encore --- Sawsbuck (F) @ Chople Berry Trait: Sap Sipper EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 Spd Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk) - Horn Leech - Return - Double Kick - Agility --- Zebstrika (F) @ Air Balloon Trait: Sap Sipper EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Def / 4 Spd Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk) - Wild Charge - Double Kick - Flame Charge - Screech --- Cottonee (M) @ Eviolite Trait: Prankster EVs: 252 Def / 252 SDef / 4 Spd Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk) - Leech Seed - Substitute - Taunt - Encore --- Azumarill (M) @ Choice Scarf Trait: Sap Sipper EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk) - Aqua Jet - Bulldoze - Brick Break - Rollout --- Use the Prankster/Seed combination to pump attack, and the main attackers all have speed-boosting moves or a Scarf (for azumarill). Alternatively, if sawsbuck gets fast enough with Agility, use Horn Leech to trigger Sap Sipper. Other possible pokemon would be miltank or bouffalant - all a matter of personal taste. The Sap Sippers are mainly quite frail, but between defensive EV's and protective items such as berries, they ought to be fine.

A while back, it turned out Sigmund and I were using similar strategies for electric monotypes in doubles and triples matches. Naturally, this called for more experimentation. The end result was a team made for doubles, which had the potential of being equivalent to those monotypes, for the same basic concept. --- Raichu (M) @ Focus Sash Trait: Lightningrod EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk) - Fake Out - Thunderbolt - Grass Knot - Hidden Power [Fire] --- Volbeat (M) @ Lum Berry Trait: Prankster EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SDef Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk) - Aerial Ace - Toxic - Thunder Wave - Encore --- Electivire (F) @ Air Balloon Trait: Motor Drive EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk) - ThunderPunch - Rock Slide - Ice Punch - Brick Break --- Zebstrika (F) @ Air Balloon Trait: Motor Drive EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Def / 4 Spd Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk) - Wild Charge - Double Kick - Flame Charge - Screech --- Murkrow (F) @ Eviolite Trait: Prankster EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SDef Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk) - Snarl - Heat Wave - Thunder Wave - Roost --- Lanturn (M) @ Leftovers Trait: Volt Absorb EVs: 252 Def / 88 SAtk / 168 SDef Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk) - Thunder - Scald - Icy Wind - Rain Dance --- Now, the original team used Discharge to simultaneously power up both of the flanking pokemon. However, this was only possible if the Discharge-user outsped the opponents, or if the starting line-up could withstand a minor beating. Here, Prankster with Thunder Wave may help to work around that. By utilising priority and Motor Drive, it may be possible to gain the speed boosts faster. Fake Out on raichu helps, also. Can be quite creative with this one, really - it's a rather flexible concept.

Hmm, usually Magic Guard clefable seems more common in OU. Oh, that guy crep's been passing a lot to Mr. Mime

Hmm, rarely ever use clefable, so my memory's shot on it, I'll readily admit Hmm, it is handy, though. Just a question of what's more prevalent on the servers, I suppose.

Precisely - if a kid has even a vague liking for science and is given exposure to all its branches equally, it may be better than them rashly choosing classes.

As always, our take on American education is this: - It is good, in the sense that students are encouraged to explore their interests by selecting a few subjects and learning them to deeper levels as compared to the British system. So you'll have maybe five subjects with reasonable depth as opposed to maybe eight with shallower syllabi as per the British system. - It is also bad, in the sense that students may not be matured enough to know what subjects to choose. In this respect, the British system is better, because for instance, if you wanted to study science, physics/chemistry/biology/maths are all mandatory, but a lesser depth than the American system. And maths includes algebra/calculus/geometry and statistics all together, not separately.

I reckon clefable learns Seismic Toss... maybe that instead of Focus Blast? Yup, the lack of recovery does hurt it sometimes, but statistically its performance is satisfactory And why rest as opposed to Softboiled? Given your defense boosts, I would think Softboiled could serve as well.

Actually, it did get mentioned in one of the other threads out there It's probably the top evasion-jamming tactic, with Haze as number two. And yes, we do use Unaware clefable! Forgot the EV's, but the moveset is usually: - Stored Power - Charge Beam - Thunder Wave - Cosmic Power Since Unaware does not ignore speed boosts, Thunder Wave is a good complement to it. Cosmic Power prevents clefable from being killed too fast, and Charge Beam allows more investment on defenses. Note that krookodile and its basic forms basically nerf this set due to type immunity, though.

Fen has reappeared! Looking meaner than he usually does, and that's saying something. Not my issue, but the person who pissed him off has my sympathies. Looks like he may actually go out and maim someone this time - given the fact that his socket wrench is out, I suspect he may go for the knees.

Gwahaha, a friend of mine said Curse probably involved that for ghosts, and a cluster F-bomb for non-ghosts

... as someone once mentioned on a Battle Log, does Curse involve the user calling its opponent by all manner of foul words? --- Dusclops (M/F) @ Evioilite Trait: Pressure EVs: 4HP / 252Def / 252SDef Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk) - Curse - Mean Look - Skill Swap - Pain Split --- This thing is meant to be plain mean and/or sadistic. Ideal move sequence would probably be Mean Look first, then followed by Curse/Skill Swap, with Pain Split as and when it's needed. Skill Swap's to get past Magic Guard (a.k.a. reuniclus/sigilyph/alakazam/clefable). Alternatively, Curse the opponent, and switch into one of these: --- Chandelure Really, any moveset would do on this one. Go for Eviolite litwick/lampent if you want to save chandelure for proper offense as opposed to being a Curse trapper, though. --- Dugtrio/wobbuffet/trapinch/magnezone/probopass The last two are highly situational, whereas dugtrio/trapinch are limited to stuff that's grounded. --- Soak/Whirlpool is another combination that I suspect may be effective. --- Mismagius (M) @ Focus Sash Trait: Levitate EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk) - Destiny Bond - Skill Swap - Mean Look - Pain Split This one's probably a plain pain. Meant to share a role with the dusclops set mentioned above, or perhaps to allow usage of a different Curse set on dusclops. Destiny Bond's a nice thing to have, also - may force some Choiced opponent to doom itself. --- Of course all this is assuming the opponent underestimates Curse to begin with and doesn't switch out

Just more stuff to munch on: --- No Guard Always hits. Tried and tested with golurk and machamp, since I got bored of Haze Disadvantage is that it doesn't cut through stat-boosts like Haze. Lock On Unwieldy, but I'm interesting in testing this one out. Theoretically, it could follow a pokemon through Baton Pass, and get a hit on whatever it was passing to. --- On a side note, I find it hilarious that effectively one person managed to dredge up this whole issue of Evasion XD To his/her credit, crep's Baton Pass team have some variety to them as opposed to the same thing over and over (the lead pokemon changes every few days - the other five always seem to be drifblim, mew, espeon, umbreon, and smeargle) LOL

Curse gets around EVERYTHING XD The drawback is that it requires half your HP to- oh hello, Eviolite dusclops. What, a Pain Split? Crap

Where have all the flowers gone?

I was recently alerted to the rather startling fact that weezing has no regenerative abilities. --- Weezing (M/F) @ Black Sludge Trait: Levitate EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SDef Nature: Bold (+Def, -Atk) - Thunderbolt - Will-O-Wisp - Haze - Pain Split --- Basically, meant to jam set-ups, and look, it regenerates! Provided there's no Substitute up, of course, but the only ground-type that regularly runs Substitute is gliscor, anyway. Thunderbolt was the move of choice as it gets past heatran, though if you had other stuff on your team that covers heatran you could opt for other moves.

Sand Rush excadrill... that one, I don't get. Jirachi, I have a grudge against for being plain annoying Shadow Tag chandelure... well, given that nowadays everyone seems to be running set-ups or other things that can outspeed it with U-Turn, I don't see what's the problem.

Name: Zack Age: 21 Birthday: January 8 Location: Malaysia Height: 6' Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Brown Live With: Housemates (the other two) Pets?: Dog (with family), turtle Relationships?: Single. Crushes lately?: None. Dream Job: Teacher/lecturer. Currently Playing: Pokemon Online Favourite Food: Chocolate Favourite Drink: Vodka Favourite Color: Blue. Favourite kind of Music: Orchestral. Favourite Band: None. Favourite Album: None. Favourite Game: Final Fantasy IX. Favourite Genre of Game: RPG. Favourite Hobbies: Reading, video games, X-rated material, camping, cartoons. Favourite Movies: The Cabin in the Woods. Favourite Shows: Charmed. --- Name: Ian Age: 21 Birthday: February 22 Location: Malaysia Height: 6'1" Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Brown Live With: Housemates (the other two) Pets?: Tarantula (rose-hair) Relationships?: Single. Crushes lately?: None. Dream Job: Writer. Currently Playing: Pokemon Online Favourite Food: Chilli. Favourite Drink: Coke. Favourite Color: Green. Favourite kind of Music: Trance. Favourite Band: Simple Plan Favourite Album: None. Favourite Game: Final Fantasy VII. Favourite Genre of Game: RPG. Favourite Hobbies: Reading, video games, mathematics, writing, camping. Favourite Movies: None. Favourite Shows: House, M.D.. --- Name: Fen Age: 21 Birthday: August 1 Location: Malaysia Height: 6' Hair Color: Brown (dyed - originally black) Eye Color: Brown Live With: Housemates (the other two) Pets?: None. Relationships?: Single. Crushes lately?: None. Dream Job: Surgeon ('dream' is the operative word here) Currently Playing: Pokemon Online Favourite Food: Soup. Favourite Drink: Coffee. Favourite Color: Pink. Favourite kind of Music: Electro, orchestral, oldies. Favourite Band: Queen. Favourite Album: Bad. Favourite Game: Kingdom Hearts (I and II) Favourite Genre of Game: RPG. Favourite Hobbies: Reading, video games, science, camping. Favourite Movies: Heat. Favourite Shows: CSI: NY.

Just some of my usual Haze pokemon - most of which are common ones on the ladder: - Amoonguss (standard set as shown above) - Crobat (the fastest Haze user - my usual) - Weezing (bulky as crap) - Murkrow (arguably the best as it has Prankster) - Honchkrow (lovely to use with Superpower - raises defense back up) - Cofagrigus (and can jam contact moves) - Cryogonal (and has Frost Breath, which does the job for some non-evasive set-ups) - Gengar (probably the second-fastest Haze user) - Haunter (if I want to have a fast yet utility ghost) - Xatu (with Magic Bounce also) - Milotic (goes well with Dragon Tail) - Chandelure (kind of a waste on chandelure, but it's an option) Perhaps laddering has become too... skewed, I guess. To the point that Haze appears to be a waste.

On a side note, I've started using Curse on some of my ghost teams. Substitute or not, evasion or not, Curse gets to work. And the only way to get past Curse is to switch out, anyway.