How Can I Use Pokemon X?

[Gard81]

Re: Does Anyone Use Mega Gardevoir?

Of course I do. It's my fave, shiny or not (but just to be certain, I use one of each). Took down a lot of Megas with it.

 

[Wispy Willow]

Re: Does Anyone Use Mega Gardevoir?

I use an all offencive one (as my username implies) with Moonblast, Psyshock, Focus blast and Shadow ball. It's a pretty good Mega as far as I'm concerned, though the fact that mine once survived a +1 crit from a Dragonite's Stone edge could make me somewhat baias.

 

[Winterdaze]

Re: Does Anyone Use Mega Gardevoir?

I run a pretty standard WoW+3 attacks set with Timid. It gets the job done, though I often wish it were a bit faster.

I'm curious as to how well bulkier sets work though, 100 speed isn't that great even with full investment and I'm wondering how much more mileage I'd get out of investing in bulk instead.

 

[Alola]

Re: Does Anyone Use Mega Gardevoir?

I run a pretty standard WoW+3 attacks set with Timid. It gets the job done, though I often wish it were a bit faster.

I'm curious as to how well bulkier sets work though, 100 speed isn't that great even with full investment and I'm wondering how much more mileage I'd get out of investing in bulk instead.

Do let me know how that works out for you.

 

[Stofen]

Re: Does Anyone Use Mega Gardevoir?

This is gonna sound insane, but I've used Shadow Sneak before. Nobody expects it! People see Mega Gardevoir, they switch in their most Specially bulky Mon, which usually aren't particularly normally Defensive. Also, if you switch Mega Gardevoir into a Ghost or Psychic, they aren't going to expect to be hit with a Super Effective attack, so they won't flee. And the increased priority makes it great in this situation, especially if the Mon has already been weakened.

There's value in doing something completely unexpected. Especially if you're playing with other competitive players, who have memorized common movesets and respond accordingly >

Well at least you're putting that +20 attack boost that Mega Gardevoir gets to good use.

 

[Supreme Leader Palpitoad]

Why is not Drapion more popular???

Today I tried to decide on which Knock Off poke I should train. When looking through Serebiis list of Knock Off learners I found Drapion so I checked it out. It has decent speed and attack and good defense. It can learn Knock Off, Cross Poison and some Big move boosting attack. Its Sniper ability could be paired with Cross Poison to get huge crits. So why is it not very used?

 

[TerraTF]

Re: Why is not Drapion more popular???

Decent Speed, decent Attack, average Defenses. It's main STABs don't hit much outside of Ghost, Psychic, and Fairy. Weak to the most common move in the Meta. Average Movepool.

Its not bad but there aren't many situations to use it.

 

[Alexey]

Re: Why is not Drapion more popular???

Drapion is awesome and definitely doesn't belong in RU.
That being said, it is, unfortunately, hindered by lack of priority and the fact that its stats are overall good, but none of them are exceptional: you either put the EVs into attack, and end up not taking advantage of base 110 Defense, or put the EVs into defenses and end up having to set up Swords Dances before hurting anything, even with a STAB Knock Off. And STAB EQs still hurt.
In addition, lack of priority in conjunction with it's good, but not stellar 95 base Speed means that it will get hit hard by faster/priority wielding heavy hitters (even if the damage is neutral) before it can hit back.

Then there's the 4MSS: you either use STABs (which, apart from Knock Off, aren't that great, with Poison Jab/Cross Poison being resisted or immune'd* by half of the meta) and Swords Dance, or go for coverage with the elemental fangs. And you can't do both.

Eventually, there are, basically, things that will almost always get wrecked by it and things that will almost always wreck it. And the latter category is quite numerous. If they are taken out, though, Drapion can proceed to sweep. Just watch out for the burns.

*I know that it is not a word.

 

[Supreme Leader Palpitoad]

Re: Why is not Drapion more popular???

According to Serebii Drapion could learn a Bug move with base 30 power that could raise your Atk stat. Fell Stinger or something I believe.

 

[SharKing]

Re: Why is not Drapion more popular???

Fell Stinger is generally outclassed by Swords Dance. Chances are, you're not going to find something weak enough to knock out with that move. At least, not something that won't just switch.

 

[Supreme Leader Palpitoad]

Re: Why is not Drapion more popular???

Fell Stinger is generally outclassed by Swords Dance. Chances are, you're not going to find something weak enough to knock out with that move. At least, not something that won't just switch.

But as Drapion apparently is not used much and Fell Stinger even less, no one would expect it. Plus if you exchange SD for Fell Stinger, you will be able to compensate for its mediocre Sp.def through using Assault Vest on it.

 

[TerraTF]

Re: Why is not Drapion more popular???

Fell Stinger is generally outclassed by Swords Dance. Chances are, you're not going to find something weak enough to knock out with that move. At least, not something that won't just switch.

But as Drapion apparently is not used much and Fell Stinger even less, no one would expect it. Plus if you exchange SD for Fell Stinger, you will be able to compensate for its mediocre Sp.def through using Assault Vest on it.

Drapion's special defense isn't the problem. Its the inability to take and EQ.

 

[Supreme Leader Palpitoad]

Re: Why is not Drapion more popular???

Fell Stinger is generally outclassed by Swords Dance. Chances are, you're not going to find something weak enough to knock out with that move. At least, not something that won't just switch.

But as Drapion apparently is not used much and Fell Stinger even less, no one would expect it. Plus if you exchange SD for Fell Stinger, you will be able to compensate for its mediocre Sp.def through using Assault Vest on it.

Drapion's special defense isn't the problem. Its the inability to take and EQ.

Well then remove Assault Vest, change Fell Stinger back to SD and give it Air Balloon.

But the question is wether you should run Fire or Ice Fang. Without Fire Fang most Steel types walls Drapion I guess and without Ice Fang Ground mons will slaughter Drapion.

 

[ambiiguous]

Re: Why is not Drapion more popular???

I think it actually has a pretty nice niche with sniper/new focus energy

 

[Alexey]

Re: Why is not Drapion more popular???

Fell Stinger is generally outclassed by Swords Dance. Chances are, you're not going to find something weak enough to knock out with that move. At least, not something that won't just switch.

But as Drapion apparently is not used much and Fell Stinger even less, no one would expect it. Plus if you exchange SD for Fell Stinger, you will be able to compensate for its mediocre Sp.def through using Assault Vest on it.

Drapion's special defense isn't the problem. Its the inability to take and EQ.

Well then remove Assault Vest, change Fell Stinger back to SD and give it Air Balloon.

But the question is wether you should run Fire or Ice Fang. Without Fire Fang most Steel types walls Drapion I guess and without Ice Fang Ground mons will slaughter Drapion.

Air Balloon is not reliable, sadly. Have it or not, you will still have to take out any faster-than-95-Speed EQ wielders before sending Drapion out.
And it's Fire Fang. You won't want to switch Drapion into offensive Ground types anyway.

 

[maneaterliongirafff1]

Re: Does Anyone Use Mega Gardevoir?

This is gonna sound insane, but I've used Shadow Sneak before. Nobody expects it! People see Mega Gardevoir, they switch in their most Specially bulky Mon, which usually aren't particularly normally Defensive. Also, if you switch Mega Gardevoir into a Ghost or Psychic, they aren't going to expect to be hit with a Super Effective attack, so they won't flee. And the increased priority makes it great in this situation, especially if the Mon has already been weakened.

There's value in doing something completely unexpected. Especially if you're playing with other competitive players, who have memorized common movesets and respond accordingly >

But the thing is, SS is just too weak. Even coming off of something like Aegislash' STAB and insane attk it just fails to deliver that power even when hit SE and is used as nothing more than a finishing move. That's why a lot of the people now don't even run SS anymore. And SS on M Gard is... ehhhhh sure it's unexpected, but it doesn't really matter if you can't really keep the pressure. The bulky mons you mentioned prolly can take a lot of SS from M Gard and most likely to KO it back.

 

[UB-01 Kenobi]

Re: Why is not Drapion more popular???

You run neither, EQ is its best option. Poison/Dark/Ground coverage is actually really good neutral, freeing a spot for either Pursuit (AV) or Swords Dance (not-AV).

 

[DCM]

I love all of the discussion that's going on, particularly with different pokemon. However, it seems like a lot of the threads will die out once the original discussion point is discussed out. Instead, we've decided to create a catch all thread to post questions like "how can I use a certain mega?" or "how can I use certain pokemon differently?"

 

[Sneaselz]

Which Weavile is best?

I'm breeding for a Weavile for competitive play on Wifi (not online)I have narrowed it down to 3, and was wondering which one to go with. It will be a Life Orb attacker, with a Jolly nature. All have 31 IV's in Speed and the rest varying in defenses and attack.

Spoiler

 

[TerraTF]

Re: Which Weavile is best?

I'm breeding for a Weavile for competitive play on Wifi (not online)I have narrowed it down to 3, and was wondering which one to go with. It will be a Life Orb attacker, with a Jolly nature. All have 31 IV's in Speed and the rest varying in defenses and attack.

Spoiler

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None of them. You can easily re-breed them for a 5 IV Sneasel.