So I've started playing VGC2016 on smogon with a team I found / like. I've had no problems, and I've enjoyed it quite a bit; yet there is one thing giving me trouble - Dark Void.
I'm sorry, but WTF. HOW IS THIS MOVE FAIR.
Now I might just be some stupid noob who doesn't know enough - which is exactly what I'm hoping for - so someone please tell me how to counter this move or why it is actually fair.
Well if your team doesnt really need their items, you could have them hold chesto berries. Or what I like doing is use a faster pokemon to hopefully 1 hit Ko them
You can use a prankster user to get off a quick taunt, pokemon with multi hit moves to break the sash. (Or mega-kang fake out and then do whatever you like with it), priority moves orrr you can just go with a safeguard user to mess up Smeargle
well, Smeargle commonly hold 2 items: Focus Sash and Mental Herb.
If it holds Mental Herb, first taunt will be cleared. Crobat with Lum Berry is a good response, as you can taunt it first, being faster, and when Smeargle uses Dark Void, sleep will be cured and you can taunt it again.
If it uses Focus Sash (the most common) it will resist the OHKO. That's why Mega Kangaskhan is a good counter, as it hits twice and will KO Smeargle even with Focus Sash.
You're right. Dark Void is broken. It was banned in VGC12 and 13, but lifted in 2014 when sleep got nerfed. Why didn't it get re-banned this format?? Heck if I know. Dark Void is arguably the biggest problem with this format, and one of the main reasons I quit. Because TPCI is doing NOTHING to keep balance in their competitions. So don't feel bad losing to it.
Anyways, besides Mega Kangaskhan, who is already broken and takes up your mega slot, there really is no surefire way to beat Smeargle. Smeargle can hold a Focus Sash, Choice Scarf, or even a Mental Herb. Pranster Taunt is the easiest way to beat it, but it can be countered if your opponent chooses to Fake you Out, or if Smeargle has Mental Herb or the move Crafty Sheild. Or Smeargle itself can Fake you Out. Which gives Xerneas the automatic win.
The best you can do is hope that your opponent's Smeargle is Sashed, the most common Smeargle, and try to specifically beat that. Then get a 50/50 guess on what your opponent will choose to do with that cancerous Mon. Actually, it's not a 50/50. It can Fake Out, Follow Me, Spiky Sheild, Crafty Sheild....ugh! It's not fair! Did I mention that your opponent can get a lucky Speed boost from Moody and comepletely screw you over?! It only carried Aaron Traylor all the way to the finals of Nationals!!
If Dark Void were banned, people wouldn't want to use Smeargle any more, which would heavily fix other things in the format like Geomancy.
Hopefully this long post will convince people how much of a problem Dark Void is.
I don't believe Dark Void is the problem, yes it's annoying, but its 80% accuracy, and 64% to touch both pokemon. The random from Moody is just as annoying. At high level people learned how to play against it, you don't see Big6 that often at high rank
(Jul 29, 2016, 01:32 PM)Apo Wrote: I don't believe Dark Void is the problem, yes it's annoying, but its 80% accuracy, and 64% to touch both pokemon. The random from Moody is just as annoying. At high level people learned how to play against it, you don't see Big6 that often at high rank
A 20% chance to miss doesn't stop it from putting the other Pokemon to sleep, and potentially make it a sitting Golduck for three turns. Like I said, if Dark Void were banned, people would stop using Smeargle, and Moody would no longer plague us. Big Six is no longer used because of how predictable it is. But Smeargle still exists.
Jul 29, 2016, 04:05 PM (This post was last modified: Jul 29, 2016, 04:14 PM by Drezziks.)
Magic Coat Leavanny.
Should probably add that I run triples and usually pair her with Megazard Y and Fake Out Raichu; it's situational but it's caused more rage quits than I can count.
You don't "beat" Dark Void per say because one of the big issues is that Smeargle's held item is hard to predict so it's a huge guessing game turn 1. Not to mention that if the opponent uses Fake Out on one of your Pokemon, you lost all fighting chance against it. Pretty much your only option is to stop the status completely with Taunt, Magic Coat or Safeguard or OHKO Smeargle before it can touch you
