Pokemon Nationals; What Do You Expect To See?
Jun 23, 2015, 02:14 AM
I'll answer the question from this thread before I get into the whole 'double genie' discussion just I don't go off tangent. Might just double post or just say my thoughts about Lando/Thundy later.
Basically expect the top players at US Nationals to play as 'safe' as possible and don't be surprised to see mostly standard teams to be modeled after successful higher ladder teams of BS/PS or from previous tournaments... with some modifications you don't would't expect. I know this is very obvious of me saying this and just about everyone has implied but just think about it. Most of the top players want to secure their invites to worlds so of course they'll be running teams that have worked out in the past or have familiarized themselves with. If you see a player who has played with redirection (like Amoonguss + Kangaskhan) for most of the season, expect him/her to bring some variant as well (Clefable + Kangaskhan/Salamence). These players are going to throw some coverballs such as having a random coverage attack, extra speed control options, and run uncommon sets like specially mixed Mega Mence or Choice Scarf Milotic so they won't get completely counter team/played. As for the rest of the competition, players with few to no championship points will try to be more 'creative' and try make the best 'metacall' as possible to have a shot at an invite. Again this might seem counter intuitive given how most of these player will face off against 9 others in a best of 3 setting (which I'll get to), but expect these players to have a range of options not just a simple rain mode to fall under if the opposing player has hard checks to their main modes.
I don't think anyone hasn't commented about this but US Nationals will be based on a best of 3 setting instead of the usual best of 1 which is extremely huge in certain way. For one, don't expect those 'bo1' strategies like Pledges or even Perish Trap to make it in top cut,, at least only a couple. Reason being is that these team rely heavily on the surprise factor so much that the opponent can eventually call and predict what these players can do in the 2nd or 3rd game. Just look at the The second thing to expect from National are bulkier teams with either capable/proven modes, or synergistic cores. Of course I'm not talking about the plain Lando/Thundy, but others like some of the following:
List of common synergistic/somewhat proven cores we should expect to see in Nationals:
Kangaskhan/Sylveon
Politoed/Ludicolo or Kindra (Rain Mode)
Mega Salamence/Aegislash
Mega Salamence + redirection
Kang + Ghost type (Aegislash or Gengar)
Thundurus/Terrakion
Mega Salamence/Aegislash + Rain Mode + Thundurus/Terrakion
Charizard Y/Aegislash or Wide Guard user
Mega Venusaur/bulky water+fire type
Cresselia + Sylveon/Rhyperior +Trick Room Mons
Kang + Redirection (Amoonguss, Cleflable/Clefairy, Togekiss, Volcarona)
Metagross + Hydreigon + Genie + Fighting mon (maybe Water type)
Salamence/Aegislash + Tyranitar/Excadrill or Landorus-I (with Earth Power! :D)+ Amooguss/Azumarill (every Sand Team now)
Gardevoir/Amoonguss/Scrafty/Heatran (Trick Room) + Potential Speed Control (not trick room)
Gardevoir + Tailwind (Suicune/Zapdos)
Blaziken/Scizor + Thundurus/Zapdos + Gastrodon
Mega Kangaskhan + Competitive/Defiant user (Milotic, Bisharp, Braviary)
Kang + Fire/Grass/Water types
Steel Mega (Metagross/Mawile/Scizor) + Rain core + Thundurus/Terrakion
Double Mega Char Y/Venu +Heatran/Cresselia
Char Y + Intimidate (Scarfty or Landorus-T)
Kang + Fighting + Bisharp
Sylveon + Fire type (Char Y and Heatran)
Sand Core + Gastrodon
Kang (or any mega) + Tailwind user
Mega Gengar + Whimsicott
Cresselia/Mega Mawile/Abomasnow/Camerupt + other Trick Room mons like Jellicent/Heatran/Amoonguss/Scrafty/Conk/at least one of these few + potential backup Trick Room setter
Kang/Mence + Smeargle + Quick Guard user
I know I'm missing some other rather obvious cores, especially the Trick Room core and Terra Beat Up, which the former has many options for Trick Room teams while the ladder is somewhat easy to play against. Just look at the recent spring regionals, courtesy from Nugget Bridge and most of you will see that most teams are built around at least one of these cores. Heck I honestly don't believe most teams won't focus on their "Megas" as long as the Mega themselves fight these playstyles along with other balanced cores like FWG or the fantasy core. With a bo3 format, expect teams to bring at least two or three workable cores that can provide some form of counter balance with each others weaknesses, while handling a good portion of these common cores at the very minimum.
Basically expect the top players at US Nationals to play as 'safe' as possible and don't be surprised to see mostly standard teams to be modeled after successful higher ladder teams of BS/PS or from previous tournaments... with some modifications you don't would't expect. I know this is very obvious of me saying this and just about everyone has implied but just think about it. Most of the top players want to secure their invites to worlds so of course they'll be running teams that have worked out in the past or have familiarized themselves with. If you see a player who has played with redirection (like Amoonguss + Kangaskhan) for most of the season, expect him/her to bring some variant as well (Clefable + Kangaskhan/Salamence). These players are going to throw some coverballs such as having a random coverage attack, extra speed control options, and run uncommon sets like specially mixed Mega Mence or Choice Scarf Milotic so they won't get completely counter team/played. As for the rest of the competition, players with few to no championship points will try to be more 'creative' and try make the best 'metacall' as possible to have a shot at an invite. Again this might seem counter intuitive given how most of these player will face off against 9 others in a best of 3 setting (which I'll get to), but expect these players to have a range of options not just a simple rain mode to fall under if the opposing player has hard checks to their main modes.
I don't think anyone hasn't commented about this but US Nationals will be based on a best of 3 setting instead of the usual best of 1 which is extremely huge in certain way. For one, don't expect those 'bo1' strategies like Pledges or even Perish Trap to make it in top cut,, at least only a couple. Reason being is that these team rely heavily on the surprise factor so much that the opponent can eventually call and predict what these players can do in the 2nd or 3rd game. Just look at the The second thing to expect from National are bulkier teams with either capable/proven modes, or synergistic cores. Of course I'm not talking about the plain Lando/Thundy, but others like some of the following:
List of common synergistic/somewhat proven cores we should expect to see in Nationals:
Kangaskhan/Sylveon
Politoed/Ludicolo or Kindra (Rain Mode)
Mega Salamence/Aegislash
Mega Salamence + redirection
Kang + Ghost type (Aegislash or Gengar)
Thundurus/Terrakion
Mega Salamence/Aegislash + Rain Mode + Thundurus/Terrakion
Charizard Y/Aegislash or Wide Guard user
Mega Venusaur/bulky water+fire type
Cresselia + Sylveon/Rhyperior +Trick Room Mons
Kang + Redirection (Amoonguss, Cleflable/Clefairy, Togekiss, Volcarona)
Metagross + Hydreigon + Genie + Fighting mon (maybe Water type)
Salamence/Aegislash + Tyranitar/Excadrill or Landorus-I (with Earth Power! :D)+ Amooguss/Azumarill (every Sand Team now)
Gardevoir/Amoonguss/Scrafty/Heatran (Trick Room) + Potential Speed Control (not trick room)
Gardevoir + Tailwind (Suicune/Zapdos)
Blaziken/Scizor + Thundurus/Zapdos + Gastrodon
Mega Kangaskhan + Competitive/Defiant user (Milotic, Bisharp, Braviary)
Kang + Fire/Grass/Water types
Steel Mega (Metagross/Mawile/Scizor) + Rain core + Thundurus/Terrakion
Double Mega Char Y/Venu +Heatran/Cresselia
Char Y + Intimidate (Scarfty or Landorus-T)
Kang + Fighting + Bisharp
Sylveon + Fire type (Char Y and Heatran)
Sand Core + Gastrodon
Kang (or any mega) + Tailwind user
Mega Gengar + Whimsicott
Cresselia/Mega Mawile/Abomasnow/Camerupt + other Trick Room mons like Jellicent/Heatran/Amoonguss/Scrafty/Conk/at least one of these few + potential backup Trick Room setter
Kang/Mence + Smeargle + Quick Guard user
I know I'm missing some other rather obvious cores, especially the Trick Room core and Terra Beat Up, which the former has many options for Trick Room teams while the ladder is somewhat easy to play against. Just look at the recent spring regionals, courtesy from Nugget Bridge and most of you will see that most teams are built around at least one of these cores. Heck I honestly don't believe most teams won't focus on their "Megas" as long as the Mega themselves fight these playstyles along with other balanced cores like FWG or the fantasy core. With a bo3 format, expect teams to bring at least two or three workable cores that can provide some form of counter balance with each others weaknesses, while handling a good portion of these common cores at the very minimum.
