Simple Questions and Answers Thread for BST! (Read First Post)

[Boss1708]

My question is for PSS Battles. When somebody is losing and turns off his console before tha match has finished, does it count as a loss for both players or only for the playaer that turns off the console? This is both about normal combats and Battle Spot ones. It happens often to me...

Only for the player who causes the disconnection.

But does it count as a win for me or just doesn't count as a match at all?

 

[Data-Roxas]

Okay. So I'm trying to start playing VGC's, and I'm looking at Team Magma's Team Builder. A couple of my pokemon have red 'x's by them. What does that mean?

 

[Slife]

My question is for PSS Battles. When somebody is losing and turns off his console before tha match has finished, does it count as a loss for both players or only for the playaer that turns off the console? This is both about normal combats and Battle Spot ones. It happens often to me...

Only for the player who causes the disconnection.

But does it count as a win for me or just doesn't count as a match at all?

It only counts as a loss for the other player unfortunately.

 

[MachDragonX]

I recently made an offense/bulky offense team in OU and decided to use Heatran on it. It has very good synergy with the other team members and serves as the team's Stealth Rock setter and primary Talonflame counter. It has been performing okay overall, but in some matches I find it to be pretty useless after it sets up SR.

Heatran (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Toxic
- Stealth Rock

I prefer Heatran's offensive sets even though they aren't as optimal for handling Talonflame. Two questions:

1) Would Toxic or Stone Edge be better in the third move slot? Toxic has better overall utility, but my team lacks the defensive staying power to really exploit it consistently. I'm wondering if Stone Edge would be better to just outright KO Talonflame. Also, is Ancient Power worth it? I keep reading it doesn't do enough to Specially Defensive Talonflame but tbh this doesn't seem like a big enough drawback considering it still does ~75% and bypasses defense boosts from Bulk Up sets.
2) Should I change Magma Storm to Fire Blast or Lava Plume, or keep it? Trapping Pokemon is nice but without Taunt it really doesn't do that much to bulky Pokemon with recovery. Fire Blast and Lava Plume seem like better/more consistent options.

 

[UB-01 Kenobi]

I recently made an offense/bulky offense team in OU and decided to use Heatran on it. It has very good synergy with the other team members and serves as the team's Stealth Rock setter and primary Talonflame counter. It has been performing okay overall, but in some matches I find it to be pretty useless after it sets up SR.

Heatran (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Toxic
- Stealth Rock

I prefer Heatran's offensive sets even though they aren't as optimal for handling Talonflame. Two questions:

1) Would Toxic or Stone Edge be better in the third move slot? Toxic has better overall utility, but my team lacks the defensive staying power to really exploit it consistently. I'm wondering if Stone Edge would be better to just outright KO Talonflame. Also, is Ancient Power worth it? I keep reading it doesn't do enough to Specially Defensive Talonflame but tbh this doesn't seem like a big enough drawback considering it still does ~75% and bypasses defense boosts from Bulk Up sets.
2) Should I change Magma Storm to Fire Blast or Lava Plume, or keep it? Trapping Pokemon is nice but without Taunt it really doesn't do that much to bulky Pokemon with recovery. Fire Blast and Lava Plume seem like better/more consistent options.

AncientPower loses to SpD TFlame because it can Taunt and tank the first 1 (75% like you said) and then spam Roost to PP stall the next 7 (taking only 37% a pop)

 

[MachDragonX]

I recently made an offense/bulky offense team in OU and decided to use Heatran on it. It has very good synergy with the other team members and serves as the team's Stealth Rock setter and primary Talonflame counter. It has been performing okay overall, but in some matches I find it to be pretty useless after it sets up SR.

Heatran (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Toxic
- Stealth Rock

I prefer Heatran's offensive sets even though they aren't as optimal for handling Talonflame. Two questions:

1) Would Toxic or Stone Edge be better in the third move slot? Toxic has better overall utility, but my team lacks the defensive staying power to really exploit it consistently. I'm wondering if Stone Edge would be better to just outright KO Talonflame. Also, is Ancient Power worth it? I keep reading it doesn't do enough to Specially Defensive Talonflame but tbh this doesn't seem like a big enough drawback considering it still does ~75% and bypasses defense boosts from Bulk Up sets.
2) Should I change Magma Storm to Fire Blast or Lava Plume, or keep it? Trapping Pokemon is nice but without Taunt it really doesn't do that much to bulky Pokemon with recovery. Fire Blast and Lava Plume seem like better/more consistent options.

AncientPower loses to SpD TFlame because it can Taunt and tank the first 1 (75% like you said) and then spam Roost to PP stall the next 7 (taking only 37% a pop)

Okay, but I'd be running Earth Power too. Wouldn't that patch up that problem?

I'd be doing roughly equal damage (~55%) to what it can heal off with Roost and Leftovers recovery and still have enough PP between both moves to beat it 1v1.

 

[UB-01 Kenobi]

I recently made an offense/bulky offense team in OU and decided to use Heatran on it. It has very good synergy with the other team members and serves as the team's Stealth Rock setter and primary Talonflame counter. It has been performing okay overall, but in some matches I find it to be pretty useless after it sets up SR.

Heatran (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power
- Toxic
- Stealth Rock

I prefer Heatran's offensive sets even though they aren't as optimal for handling Talonflame. Two questions:

1) Would Toxic or Stone Edge be better in the third move slot? Toxic has better overall utility, but my team lacks the defensive staying power to really exploit it consistently. I'm wondering if Stone Edge would be better to just outright KO Talonflame. Also, is Ancient Power worth it? I keep reading it doesn't do enough to Specially Defensive Talonflame but tbh this doesn't seem like a big enough drawback considering it still does ~75% and bypasses defense boosts from Bulk Up sets.
2) Should I change Magma Storm to Fire Blast or Lava Plume, or keep it? Trapping Pokemon is nice but without Taunt it really doesn't do that much to bulky Pokemon with recovery. Fire Blast and Lava Plume seem like better/more consistent options.

AncientPower loses to SpD TFlame because it can Taunt and tank the first 1 (75% like you said) and then spam Roost to PP stall the next 7 (taking only 37% a pop)

Okay, but I'd be running Earth Power too. Wouldn't that patch up that problem?

I'd be doing roughly equal damage (~55%) to what it can heal off with Roost and Leftovers recovery and still have enough PP between both moves to beat it 1v1.

That results in mindgames after the first try, and it's really just a bunch of unnecessary effort when you could just run Stone Edge and save yourself the hassle

 

[Data-Roxas]

Okay. So I'm trying to start playing VGC's, and I'm looking at Team Magma's Team Builder. A couple of my pokemon have red 'x's by them. What does that mean?

Not to be a pest, but does anybody have an answer to this? This is a link that shows what I'm talking about: Pokémon X/Y/ORAS Team Builder - Team Magma

 

[Slife]

Okay. So I'm trying to start playing VGC's, and I'm looking at Team Magma's Team Builder. A couple of my pokemon have red 'x's by them. What does that mean?

Not to be a pest, but does anybody have an answer to this? This is a link that shows what I'm talking about: Pokémon X/Y/ORAS Team Builder - Team Magma

I've always wondered this as well, and although I could never find a definite answer, it seems to me to just be a glitch that assumes you are playing in the VGC '14 format (regardless of which "Metagame" option you select). So the program puts the red 'x' beside the Pokemon which would be considered illegal in the VGC '14 format, even though they are legal in the current VGC '15 format. Either way, I usually just ignore it when I'm using the Team Builder.

 

[Data-Roxas]

Okay. So I'm trying to start playing VGC's, and I'm looking at Team Magma's Team Builder. A couple of my pokemon have red 'x's by them. What does that mean?

Not to be a pest, but does anybody have an answer to this? This is a link that shows what I'm talking about: Pokémon X/Y/ORAS Team Builder - Team Magma

I've always wondered this as well, and although I could never find a definite answer, it seems to me to just be a glitch that assumes you are playing in the VGC '14 format (regardless of which "Metagame" option you select). So the program puts the red 'x' beside the Pokemon which would be considered illegal in the VGC '14 format, even though they are legal in the current VGC '15 format. Either way, I usually just ignore it when I'm using the Team Builder.

ah, that makes sense. Thanks! I figured it was something to the effect of pokemon being illegal/not recommended in the format, but I wasn't entirely sure.

 

[Shiny Shinx]

What's the recommended Nature for Primal Kyogre?

 

[Slife]

What's the recommended Nature for Primal Kyogre?

Modest

 

[MachDragonX]

When exactly does ladder decay begin to take effect?

 

[Boss1708]

Hey, I was battling at the Battle Maison yesterday, and something weird happened. My Galvantula ignored Marowak's Substitute. Is this a glitch or am I missing something?

I went for Bug buzz, and istead of this move fainting Marowak's Substitute, it damaged him as if he was not behind a Substitute. Then, until the endo of the battle, the Marowak kept appearing as if behind a Substitute, until fainting, but without using the Substitute effect.

My Galvantula has compound eyes ability.

 

[Slife]

Hey, I was battling at the Battle Maison yesterday, and something weird happened. My Galvantula ignored Marowak's Substitute. Is this a glitch or am I missing something?

I went for Bug buzz, and istead of this move fainting Marowak's Substitute, it damaged him as if he was not behind a Substitute. Then, until the endo of the battle, the Marowak kept appearing as if behind a Substitute, until fainting, but without using the Substitute effect.

My Galvantula has compound eyes ability.

Sound-based moves go through a Substitute.

 

[Boss1708]

Sound-based moves go through a Substitute.

Are you serious???? How is this the first time I am hearing this!?!? I thought only the infiltrator ability could go through a Substitute?

So does this mean moves like Supersonic or Sing also go through a Substitute?

Also, is it normal that the Substitute didn't fade until Marowak fainted himself?

Thanks a lot Slife, although I'm a bit ashamed for not knowing this fact by now LOL

 

[Ash K.]

Are you serious???? How is this the first time I am hearing this!?!? I thought only the infiltrator ability could go through a Substitute?

So does this mean moves like Supersonic or Sing also go through a Substitute?

Also, is it normal that the Substitute didn't fade until Marowak fainted himself?

Thanks a lot Slife, although I'm a bit ashamed for not knowing this fact by now LOL

It's a change in XY, same as Infiltrator (which bypassed other stuff but not Substitute before that). Yes, it applies to non-aggressive sound moves. Since it's bypassing the Substitute, the Substitute never actually breaks (but does vanish when the Pokémon is KO'd).

 

[Boss1708]

It's a change in XY, same as Infiltrator (which bypassed other stuff but not Substitute before that). Yes, it applies to non-aggressive sound moves. Since it's bypassing the Substitute, the Substitute never actually breaks (but does vanish when the Pokémon is KO'd).

Thanks to you too! You explained it perfectly. I am glad it is not a glitch xD

What surprises me is I find it now, after more of 500 hours between Gen VI games LOL Probably because I don't use Substitute a lot myself.

Thanks again!

 

[Slife]

Thanks to you too! You explained it perfectly. I am glad it is not a glitch xD

What surprises me is I find it now, after more of 500 hours between Gen VI games LOL Probably because I don't use Substitute a lot myself.

Thanks again!

Additionally, the damage the Pokemon behind the Substitute receives does not count towards the damage accumulated by the Substitute itself. So it's not guaranteed that a non-sound based move will knock out the Substitute if only sound-based moves have been used against it.

Here's a list of moves classified as "Sound-based" for future reference.

 

[Lone_Garurumon]

I've trained a Dusknoir for use in battles. After testing it out against my brother, I feel like it's actually pretty lacking in performance. I feel like it could have something to do with the fact that it has no really powerful STAB move (Shadow punch, although the best physical ghost move it can get, only has 60 Power), or maybe it's something else I'm not seeing.
Dusknoir
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk/ 252 Hp/ 4 Sp.Def
Nature: Bashful
IVs: Chaos only knows, Judge says perfect speed.
Item: None at the moment
Moves: Brick Break, Shadow Punch, Will-o-wisp, Shadow Sneak
Strategy: Will-o-wisp a burn onto defending Pokemon, attack with relevant attack, use Shadow Sneak if it looks like it can KO. Tank is a good general description of his overall goal.

If anyone can give me some idea as to how I might make him better or some item to use that'd be awesome. Thanks.