Pokemon of the Week 10/31/11 Magnezone

Reflecting numerous types, this powerful Wall emerges. Fighting with a furious Special Attack, it can defeat foes and stay steadfast amongst sweepers. Let's build a Wall!
Ability: Analyze/ Sturdy
Type: Steel/ Electric
Weakness: Ground/ Fight/ Fire
Nature: Sassy (+Sp.Def -Spd)
Base Stats:
Hp-70
Atk-70
Def-115
Sp.Atk-130
Sp.Def-90
Spd-60

Ev Spread: (510)
Hp-126
Atk-0
Def-138
Sp.Atk-126
Sp.Def-120
Spd-0

Moveset Suggestion:
-Gyro Ball
-Magnet Rise
-Volt Switch
-Tri Attack
Additional Valuable Moves: Mirror Coat/ Thunderbolt/ Light Screen/ Barrier

Moveset Sidenotes:
Magnezone is versatile statistically. With alteration of movesets and abilities, it can instantly be more Walling or an attacking force. Sturdy frees you from One Hit Knock-outs, but seems worthless if you've raised it for defense in Effort Value Training. With high Defense and Special Defense, it’s unlikely you’ll be taken out in one shot. Additionally, Sturdy can be disarmed by your opponent with common arena traps such as "stealth rocks." My recommendation is to couple "Analyze," causing Magnezone to gain power if attacking second, with Gyro Ball which increases in power depending on how slow the user is. Partially a Wall, speed will be meaningless to train towards. Power is gained from lacking speed, but beware tumultuous ground terrors.
To free your Wall from its largest vulnerability, use Magnet Rise to give Magnezone temporary levitation. Once safe from earthquake, focus on taking out the original opposing threat. If remaining on the field seems to risky, pull a volt switch to counter your Wall's weakness. Reflecting back their force only is advantageous through Mirror Coat if you're certain a special attack is eminent. If hit with a physical move whilst predicting special, Mirror Coat will reflect nothing, and your efforts will be wasted. Finally Tri-Attack has good base power with the bonus of freezing, paralyzing, or burning the opponent.

Conclusion:
Magnezone stands strong reflecting many types, while providing good offensive maneuverability. Forming this fighter with more defensive moves, sets the rest of your team up for solid protection through barrier attacks. This shocking metal monstrosity will mock your rivals as they desperately try to break through. Remember levitation is not innate for this Poke, so raise those magnets!

Pokemon of the Week 10/24/11 Sableye

With superb support, Sableye sneaks onto the scene... Enabled by the fifth generation ability "Prankster," this Poke will be pulling plenty of shenanigans. Devious status altering effects are what you can expect with this little gremlin.

Ability: Prankster

Type: Dark/ Ghost

Weakness: None

Nature: Careful (+Sp.Def -Sp.Atk)

Base Stats:

Hp-50

Atk-75

Def-75

Sp.Atk-65

Sp.Def-65

Spd-50

EV Spread: (510) Hp:14 Atk:0 Def:248 Sp.Atk:0 Sp.Def:248 Spd:0

Moveset Suggestion:

-Confuse Ray
-Substitute
-Recover
-Wilo-Wisp
Additional Valuable Moves: Night Shade/ Shadow Sneak/ Attract/ Toxic

Moveset Sidenotes:

Sableye acts as an ultimate Troll towards your opponents! The hidden ability Prankster allows status affecting moves to forge forward first. Being a supporter, this works smashingly! Having low basic Stats in the past rendered this Pokemon virtually useless. Even if you had devious tricks such as Wilo-Wisp (causing burn status) or Confuse Ray (causing confusion status); rarely would you ever release a move due to Sableye's low base stats. Prankster levels the playing field, allowing you to do the most with the limited base stats it has.
Having low natural stats means you'll want to raise this Poke from an egg. What you gain through doing the proper breeding, is a sneaky supporter with superb recovery times. Since Substitute is a "status altering" move, it will play out first. Once safe behind a Sub, “Recover” your lost health points, to put Sableye back on top. Back at full health, you can begin to barrage your opponent with annoyances such as confusion and burn. Burn on top of damaging an opponent each turn, also halves the attack stat of the scorched Poke. Confusion works wonders towards stalling your opponent's attacks, on top of damaging them if they attack themselves out of confusion.
Supporters don't remain in the game for the entire phase. Once your opponent is greatly confused, burning, and/or toxified; switch to a stronger member in hopes of eliminating the competition once and for all. Sableye has the additional advantage of resisting all type weaknesses. Granted this comes at the price of having low natural stat ability, it won't hinder you, so long as your team is well balanced. Keep health high while on the field and feel free to use plenty of Subs in order to keep its guard up.

Conclusion:
Sableye on its own poses little threat and can be eliminated most often with a simple Taunt (forcing attacking moves only), or pure power diminishing Substitutions with a Sweeper. Strategy comes forth to save this little Troll via "Prankster", by enabling Supporting moves to strike first. When opponents are bewildered by this small but deadly foe, switch out to finish the job! The important thing to keep in mind at all times while using this Poke, is the role it plays being purely Supporter. No one Pokemon on its own can win a Meta game match, that's why I stress the importance of balanced team building when instituting Sableye for future strategies. Next week we'll walk back to the Wall side of Meta game, establishing staunch strongholds for your Ev Trained team!

Pokemon of the Week 10/17/11 Scrafty

Recall last week when I revealed we'll be looking at Supporter Ev training? To my surprise, Scrafty is a Wall combined with sweet Sweeper capabilities. During my Let's Play of Pokemon Black which can be found on www.whatZinsidemyhead.com, I never encountered the true terror of this Poke. The main game programs NPCs (Non-Playable Characters) to have annoying confusion sets with Scrafty, however this week I'll be showing you how to boost moves and stats for the optimal Scrafty in Meta game.

Ability: Moxie
Type: Fighting/ Dark
Weakness: Flying/ Fighting
Nature: Careful (+Sp.Def -Sp.Atk)
Base Stats:
Hp-65
Atk-90
Def-115
Sp.Atk-45
Sp.Def-115
Spd-58

Ev Spread: (510)
Hp-14
Atk-248
Def-124
Sp.Atk-0
Sp.Def-124
Spd-0

Moveset Suggestion:
-Brick Break
-Crunch
-Rock Slide
-Bulk Up
Additional Valuable Moves: Poison Jab/ Stone Edge/ Dragon Claw/ Dragon Tail

Moveset Sidenotes:
Last week we covered a pure Wall. This week we witness how a Wall can also be your best offensive strategy. The two factors making this sweeping set possible is the ability Moxie and the move Bulk Up. Moxie heightens attack by one stage when an opponent is knocked out. The more terror caused, contributes greatly to Scrafty's overall affect. Bulk Up builds your Wall's defense and physical attack by one stage each time you enact it. Deffensivley after a few Bulk Ups, Scrafty will be impenitrable. Be mindful of Special Attacks from flying type Pokemon; Bulk Up only raises Defense not Special. After properly Ev Training however, you'll witness your Poke's grand defensive capabilities in both Defense and Special Defense, giving you wiggle room to exterminate the frustrating Flying Types like Togekiss in curt time.

Being partially dark type gives Scrafty a huge advantage of completely resisting Psychic types. Use this factor to your advantage by setting up unexpected switches via Volt Switch or U-Turn, when you're certain a Psychic move will be launched. When Scrafty appears, your opponent will most likely repeal their Psychic Poke, giving you time to set up Bulk Up safetly. Investing Effort Value Points into attack frees you from fixating on Bulk Up. Don't let it be a deversion, giving your opponent time to set up stat boosting moves and arena traps. Keep in mind, with the Moxie ability enabled, opponents can be swept in a snap. Judge the battle wisely; if it calls for boosted defense, spam Bulk Up, if not, enjoy Moxie increasing attack power after every victorious smack down.

Scrafty sweeps with a blanced move pool. Include a Fighting and Dark Type move to take advantage of its dual type S.T.A.B. (Same Type Attack Bonus). I recommend attaching a Wide Lens to your Poke in order to boost accuracy. Rock Slide or Stone Edge will handle Flying types with ease. As for Fighting types, be sure to Bulk Up before facing them. Fighting vs. Scrafty is all about pure power ergo Bulk Up is crucial and I urge you to keep Scrafty off the field until the threat is eliminated either by one of your other team members, or until you have a stat boost from earlier in the match for Scrafty.

Conclusion:
Although not the Supporter I supposed it was, Scrafty makes a dire Sweeper. Bulk Up plus Moxie create a defensive and offensive monster. The power of this Poke could be seen as unfair, but I'll leave it to your judgement whether or not you'll torment opponents with unstoppable power. Next week we'll be assuredly looking at Supporters, not surprise Sweepers such as Scrafty.

Pokemon of the Week 10/10/11 Bronzong

The epitome of a "Wall" hovers forth. Join me this week as we look into how to construct an impenitrable fortress with Bronzong. Partially Psychic and Steel, opponents will kneel to the power of this impenitrable Poke!

Ability: Heat Proof/ Levitate
Nature: Relaxed
Base Stats:
Hp-67
Atk-89
Def-116
Sp.Atk-79
Sp.Def-116
Spd-33

Ev Spread: (510)
Hp-14
Atk-0
Def-248
Sp.Atk-0
Sp.Def-248
Spd-0

Moveset Suggestion:
-Light Screen
-Reflect
-Toxic
-Future Sight
Additonal Valuable Moves: Rest/ Explosion/ Iron Defense/ Stealth Rocks/ Payback

Moveset Sidenotes:
This Pokemon is what in the Meta game we would call a "Wall." More will be coming to my site in terms of defining all these aspects in Meta game, but in short Bronzong will be your defense exclusivley. Looking at the stats, Bronzong wouldn't do bad in Attack and less well in Special, however this would be an absolute waste of Effort Value points. For anyone new to Ev Training, the max amount of stat boosting you can do is up to 510 Effort Value Points. This is percisley why every week I include the arangment of points for each Poke. Conclusivley to put any investment in Attack is a waste when your team already posseses sweepers (Offensive Players).

Drawing your attention to the two possiblities for Ability (excluding Hidden Ability), Bronzong plays a little mind game with your foes. Levitate allows you to switch in during a potentially devestating earthquake move to one of your team members. It prevents your Pokemon from being trapped in battle by such abilities like Arena Trap as well. This gives you invulnerability against any ground type however with this reveal, the opponent will know Bronzong remains weak to fire. Arming your wall with the Heat Proof ability halves Fire Type damage, allowing you to fight through the fire and flames directly. What's great about Heat Proof, is not many opponents knowing in depth details about the Meta game, will assume Bronzong has Levitate just by the animation of its entry into battle. Now you trick your opponent into thinking you resist Ground, when really you're repeling Fire Types. If all goes according to plan, you can take a Fire Type move with ease and avoid Earthquakes from your opponents uncertainty. You lose a switch out for any of your team members being hit with Earthquake, but the mental warfare you can have with an enemy is fun when holding an odd ability.

As a wall, Bronzong will mainly set up the rest of your team for pwnage(pronunced pone-ege). Use Reflect and Light Screen to defend your team from Special and normal Physical Attacks. Toxic works wonderfully when you need to stall your opponent. For more of a stalling wall, add Rest to Bronzong to continue bringing it back from the brink of death. Be sure to count the five turns when you unleash a barrier move, because you'll want to set the stage for a reoccuring screen safety when the original disipates. Future sight serves as a good annoyer and protects Bronzong from being beaten by one simple taunt. Wonderfully so, once Bronzong is off the field, the attack will still land with a wopping base damage of 100.


Conclusion:
Bronzong is a beast when it comes to Defense and Special Defense. Having an option of two resistant abilities allow you to play mind games with your foe. Bronzong lends your team added Defense through barriers. If you need a solid wall to start your Ev trained team, this would be the best place to start. Next week we'll take a look at a super supporter!

Pokemon of the Week 10/3/11 Chandelure

Inspired by a recent episode of a Let's Play I'm watching called "Sakura Wars," (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ep2LDnDclQ&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL_) commentated by my pal HollowLuigi, I've decided to premier this fifth gen poke. The ghostly chandelier Pokemon; Chandelure. Partially Ghost and Fire Type, this new fifth gen fusion bears a whopping Special Attack. As expected, its power can be raised even greater. Through this guide I'll show you the pinnacle of raising this illuminating sweeper.

Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Modest
Base Stats:
Hp-60
Atk-55
Def-90
Sp.Atk-145
Sp.Def-90
Spd-80

Ev Spread: (510)
Hp-22
Atk-0
Def-120
Sp.Atk-248
Sp.Def-120
Spd-0

Moveset Suggestion:
-Heat Wave
-Psychic
-Shadow Ball
-Energy Ball
Additional Valuable Moves: Solarbeam/ Fire Blast/ Calm Mind

Moveset Sidenotes:
This sweeper has all the bases covered. Making Chandelure such an excellent sweeper, is the outrageous base power of its Special Attack attribute and its non-mediocre move-pool. Taking on the dual type of Ghost and Fire yields some wicked combinations for Special Attacks. However with great power comes great vulnerability. Chandelure is weak, type wise, against Dark, Ghost, Rock, Ground, and Water types. Thankfully it possesses good counters to most of these situations. When engaging the enemy with either Rock, Ground, or Water Pokemon, pull your powerful Energy Ball (Grass Type Move) to shut em' down! Ghosts can counter ghosts, so with your "Same Type Attack Bonus" or S.T.A.B, you should encounter little troubles in removing these threats. Dark types still loom as a linchpin in your plan. My recommendation is to use pure power via a strong Heat Wave attack giving you the potential to burn any last standing scorched opponents.
Although a proud sweeper, Chandelure's ability flash fire begs to use the "Bait and Switch" tactic. When hit with a Fire Type move, Chandelure's attacks hit with a 1.5 effectivness (not applying resistance/ weakness). Rather than a true baiting maneuver, prepare to set up your sweeper by coaxing the opponent into a Fire Type attack. If done successfully, you'll have set up your ghostly sweeper without having to waste a turn to enable "Calm Mind."

Conclusion:
If you need power on your team, this lamp is packing! To not only have the dual type advantage of being Ghost/ Fire, but additionally posses the ability to wield a Grass Type move is superior. If you find a bulkier set like I've demonstrated, does not work for you, re-invest your Evs all in Speed, Special Attack, with the remaining going to Hp. Something to beware while facing these shadowy chandeliers, is their "Hidden Ability" Shadow Tag. What this will do, is act as a "Mean Look," preventing you from switching out your team members during vital plays. With proper switching, Chandelure could be a team lock destroyer, forcing players to keep foolish plays in session. Yet again this anomaly alone proves the scope of Ev training is vast, so if you have suggestions or edits to this set please comment below. Next week I'll be working on a "Wall," so stay tuned for more Ev Training excellence by yours truly.