Research Week Mk.III #2

[Mazz]

Welcome, UUers! It's time for a fresh installment of Research Group!

Keep the following things in mind during every Research Group:

• Be open-minded, don't just say something is terrible and walk away; look at its stats, movepool, and typing and think something up!
• Feel free to theorymon early in the research period, but make it clear you're doing so. Later in the period though, you will be expected to back up your posts with hard evidence like logs, actual sets, perhaps even teams.
• Just because an analysis has been done for a Pokemon doesn't mean there isn't more to explore; it's very likely that something has gone unnoticed.
• Do not post in this thread complaining about the Pokemon I choose and/or suggesting ones we should do for future weeks. Feel free to VM / PM me these suggestions, but don't expect me to always listen to you.

This Week's Research Pokemon:

Lanturn | Cresseia | Tornadus-I​

How useful are these Pokemon in UU? What sets can they run effectively? What gives them trouble? What advantages do they have over other Pokemon? How well do they work in the metagame? If you have anything to say about any of these Pokemon, please post about them! It doesn't matter if you've used them or have just faced them in battle, anything is fine (but please, do try them). Just be sure to back up your posts with good competitive reasoning. Remember, discussion is not limited to this topic, you are encouraged to talk about these Pokemon in #genvuu as well!

The Research Group Challenge:

• In order to participate you must do the following:
• Post here with a fresh alt and the name(s) of the Pokemon you will be using.
• Use at least one of the Pokemon being researched.
• Post your experiences with the Pokemon you're using, participate in the discussion!

The first stage of the challenge will be very relaxed so theorymon will be allowed as long as its backed up by good reasoning. During the later stage, discussion will be expected to be backed up by hard evidence, such as teams, actual sets, and logs. The winner of the challenge will be the person who has the highest ladder ranking on the Pokemon Showdown UU ladder on the alt they registered at the time the challenge ends. If you win, you will receive temporary hops on #genvuu, but you may only claim your prize if you actually participated in the discussion. Winners will also receive a permanent spot in the Underused Hall of Fame!

Current Participants:
- Warb (Werb)
- -Manu- (_Obi_Wan_)
- ScraftyIsTheBest (The Mighty Azelf)
- Zaon (Zeaon)

 

[Warb]

Alt: Werb
Poke: Tornadus

Probably gonna go for Tailwind support with one or two good wallbreakers such as LO Darm or Nidoking and something to clean up for late. I need to fill the rest of my team with hazards and good defensive pivots though.

Gotta make the most out of Tornadus before it rises to OU again

 

[-Manu-]

Alt : _Obi_Wan_
Pokemon : Tornadus

I will test the BU and the LO/Spec All Out Attacker.

 

[ScraftyIsTheBest]

Alt: The Mighty Azelf
Pokemon: Cresselia and Tornadus-I

Might use SubCM Cress and BU Torn.

 

[Zaon]

Alt : Zeaon

Pokemon : Tornadus

I will test the BU before it rises to OU.

 

[Warb]

http://www.pokemonshowdown.com/replay/uu11832537

yes, my opponent also played like a total moron more or less, but this is a good first example to demonstrate the power of Tailwind Tornadus, as there is a good variety of viable wallbreakers residing in UU.

My team was a quick mashup of some pokes. I don't have a reliable switch-in for water and physical fire moves (I know ... kinda bad), so if you want to help me fix that, go for it :)

 

[Zaon]

I have laddered with Tornadus and it is amazing. I have tested the BU, the Tailwind set and the LO. Both of them were great. The BU is really excellent with prioritized Substitute and Bulk Up and the incredible power of Acrobatic. Like Warb said, the Tailwind set is really good supporter. The LO is probably the set I have used the most, it is one of the best sweeper despite it needs the Rain. Hurricane hurts like nothing else and rare Pokemon that resists to it are hurt by Grass Knot or Superpower. Definitely one of the best Pokemon in the metagame even if it needs some support, sad that it will be probably OU soon.

 

[Mazz]

Okay, it's Monday, so I'll be requesting that all the participants post their rankings and any other findings they may have come across. Also, if you refrain from posting said ranking, you will not be eligible to participate in Week 3, so get it done. Don't be afraid to start a discussion!

 

[Warb]

I didn't play that much, mainly because I have to work full time the whole week, and on my days off I tend to do other stuff.

I used Tailwind Tornadus in tandem with modest Nidoking, Froslass as spike support and Sharpedo as lategame cleaner. My defensive pivots consisted of Rotom-H and Cobalion.
The Tornadus set used was basically the LO Rain Dance attacker but just with Tailwind instead.
I kinda wish I had used something like either Bronzong or Sableye to set up rain before I sent in Tornadus, because Hurricane became Focus Blast, a move which I don't really like. BUT, even outside the rain, Hurricane did hit often enough to dent or kill something (Flying is SUCH a good offensive typing). And of course, firing off a Tailwind before dying was key to further keep pressure.

IMO, any Tornadus that is not used in OU is more or less a one time use Pokemon. Switching it into something is mostly not possible, and when your opponent gets up SR, Tornadus' life becomes very limited.
I gotta say though, as cool as Modest Nidoking in Tailwind may be, it can't really take hits and gets OHKO'd by most offensive things so easily. Although it does survive an Azumarrils LO Aqua Jet when at full HP (I think even after SR once), it still fails to land some KOs provided the opponent manages to get hazards off the field.

My biggest problem was, that after Froslass died and left 2 layers of Spikes, I needed to set up rocks with Cobalion because otherwise Zapdos can survive one Ice Beam. The important thing with tailwind is the time limit: you have 3 turns of absolute dominance, but you HAVE to put it to good use. Like every other manual field effect, your opponent can outstall you if he does it right. Tailwind's biggest issue it its meager time window of 3 turns instead of Trick Room's 4 or Rain's potential 7. 3 Turns CAN be an awful lot, but they can also be extremely short. Especially when your opponent still has a decent check to your wallbreaker (Snorlax / Umbreon for Nidoking, Rhyperior for Darmanitan, etc), you probably won't kill more than one Poke before tailwind runs out and a faster Poke scares you out.

I think I took a slightly wrong approach, I think it would have been better if I used more than one wallbreaker so I wasn't forced to send in Nidoking after tailwind, only to get forced out by Snorlax, thus wasting a perfectly good Tailwind.

 

[Mazz]

With Warb being the only participant to post his ranking, he has "won" Research Week #2!

That said, all other participants may not participate in Research Week #4, as they failed to meet the requirements to do so.