Research Weeks - Introduction

What should our first topic be?

  • Mew

    Votes: 35 32.7%
  • Sun

    Votes: 16 15.0%
  • Abomasnow / Hail

    Votes: 21 19.6%
  • Deoxys-S

    Votes: 5 4.7%
  • Utility Pokémon

    Votes: 7 6.5%
  • Trick Room

    Votes: 23 21.5%

  • Total voters
    107
  • Poll closed .
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bojangles

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The concept of "research weeks" was something that Theorymon, Jibaku, and I came up with. I'm going get straight to the point. The research week is trying to bolster activity in the subforum and on the ladder, while also exploring every possibility as far as viable sets go, possibly bringing new life to the metagame. The way we see this working is such:

This thread has 6 choices for voting. You may only vote for 1. On this Sunday (GMT-4), this thread will close and a new research week will begin on that topic.

The concept of the topic is what we will be basing our research on. For example, one of the above choices is Mew. If that wins, we will explore different possible sets for Mew. If Sun wins, we will explore new builds for sun-based teams, as well as good sun-based sweepers.

Participants need not sign up. This will be fairly informal; all the research will take place on the Ubers Ladder on the Smogon University server. Simply ladder with the team you are testing and test it in the current metagame. Don't be surprised if you find fellow researchers!

The topic with the most votes will be next week's research week. Then, the next research week will be the next most votes. If there is a tie for second, or only 1 topic gets a majority of votes, a new poll will then go up with the remaining topics. New topics can be added periodically.

During the week with testing a thread will be open to discuss the sets or builds you are testing or are planning to test. Think of it sort of like a suspect thread, only nothing is going to be banned. That is the kind of discussion we want. After the week is finished, the thread will become a "reflection thread," discussing the most successful sets and how they can affect the metagame, among other possible topics of discussion. The best sets may even get a chance to be written up in C&C. Therefore, each topic will get 2 weeks; 1 for testing/discussion, and 1 for mainly discussion.

As of now, there is no incentive other than a possible set in C&C and recognition among battlers. If you feel that you have a good idea for this that moderators could do (this means no CTs, no badges, no moderatorships), please PM Theorymon, Jibaku, or myself. Until Sunday, this thread will serve as discussion for the process itself. Are you interested in doing this? Do you have revisions for the process? Do you feel strongly about doing a certain Pokemon? Thank you, and please do not make this thread pc++; it will be heavily moderated.
 

FlareBlitz

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I like Sun, since it's often the redhead stepchild of weathers and used merely to cancel existing weather instead of to really benefit the user's team. Sun teams would need some way of luring and destroying Kyogre, as well as powerful sun abusers. Unlike Rain, Sun doesn't boost both speed and STAB, meaning that such a team will either need paralysis support, wobby support, or plenty of hazards and possibly some phazing. It can't just plow through the metagame like rain can. This gives us an opportunity to experiment with a kind of Balanced weather playstyle (as opposed to rain, which tends to be hyperoffensive, and sand/hail, which tend to be defensive.
 

reachzero

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I would like to note that "utility Pokemon" is so vague a concept that I would never vote for it until the concept is clarified.
 
Utility pokemon would be those who would fill particular roles that they could use fit, but usually don't. Such as, Ho-oh and Palkia playing defensive roles, which I've used Palkia and it does work to a degree. At that's to my understanding. This is a good idea for a stagnant metagame, which is one of the biggest reasons my activity has gone done to virtually 0 this year.
 

shrang

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I vote for Hail, because unlike Sun and Rain, which are both very common on the Ubers ladder due to Groudon and Kyogre being so prevalent, Hail is almost never seen on the ladder due Abomasnow being almost unviable.
 
voted for Mew, basically because I only ever see it as a lead and baton passer these days and it has so many other options, that I think should be explored. Hail also seems interesting, although its hard to pull off in a stall team due to Abomas weakness to SR, and the only other common rapid spinner in ubers being 4X weak to fire like Abomasnow. I have used the lead but it tends to be rather suicidal, and a opponent can change the weather rather easily
 

Bluewind

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Voted for Trick Room as it seems to be a perfectly viable strategy in Ubers, where so much spins around outspeeding a certain pokémon with a Choice Scarf mon (looking at you, Palkia), and where two or three turns could actually mean two or three kills, especially if you're using something like MixQuaza.
 

Matthew

I love weather; Sun for days
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Mew is like the cutest thing ever -- plus it'll be cool to see what else it's great at besides BP!
 

Eo Ut Mortus

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I voted for Mew as versatility is undoubtedly the basis behind how threatening a Pokemon can potentially be to a team, and Mew's inherent unpredictability "should" therefore, theoretically, help it to pose a similar threat, but the fact that it is commonly used just as a Baton Passer sort of weakens it in this regard. Popularizing more of its sets could help exemplify this characteristic.
 
I'm voting Hail, this is an entire team type that we need to learn about. We already know what Mew can do (Transform/Baton Pass/NP or SD sets), so I don't really know why we would want that. Utility? It's an idea but it is so random and definitely not how we want to start out. I'd like to see Trick Room, but I think we already have a great idea of how to run it (but this would be my second choice). I don't like the sound of Sun or Rain based sweepers at all, I'd much prefer to see a SS or Hail playtesting which are basically unexplored.
 
I voted Hail as well. Who knows how valuable Blizzard over Ice Beam and the added residual damage might be.
 

Hugendugen

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I have used several Hail Stall Teams and have found them very effective at wearing down the opponent. Most of the hail teams that I have tried, however, have had a few issues with Hazards, particualrly Stealth Rock. I find that it works both for Classic Slow Stall and Modern Quick Stall, but more so for the former.

Weavile (mine used Choice Band) can also do really well on these teams, to deal with annoying Chomps and Rays, as well a Punishing those pesky BP Mews. Cloyster could possibly be chosen over forre on a Hail team to avoid the same 4x fire damage as the main player of the team.

Obama (as I affectionatly call it) can almost rival Latias in its ability to counter Ogre and if used together, or alternatively alongside a Blissey, the number one used pokemon in the Uber metagame, stands very little chance.

The current metagame has (fortunately for hail-stall) shifted a bit away from the Ho-oh team, which packs many of the play-style's greatest threats.

I hope that hail will be chosen as the topic of research, as I feel that it is a very little explored possibilty in the metagame. If needed, I may have some valuable experience that could be of use as well as some succesful teams (one brought me into the top 10, back before Brave Bird Ho-oh) which I could post.


As a side-note, I have actually found that many of my most enjoyable teams were hail teams, so I will gladly re-test some old ones, and try some new hail teams.
 
I personally like to see trick room in ubers. I am always intrigued in its effects and pokemon like kyogre definitely have the potential to sweep in TR.
 
I voted for Mew since as others stated he got he largest movepool ever but he's only seen as leads and BP, would be nice to find some other effective sets. That and he's the cutest little thing in Ubers!

I would also like to say that I really like the idea since the Uber Metagame really needs more players and I think this might be a good way to get people to at least try it.
 
I also voted Mew. It's got awesome (untapped) potential, and seeing the same sets running around with such a versatile pokemon makes for easier prediction and a more boring metagame. Let's shake things up - it's the point of these Research Weeks after all!
 
i voted trick room because i had some decent success with a trick room team, despite it being one of the worst strategies ever invented ;_;
 

IronBullet

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I vote for Mew. Its versatility is unmatched, and it's able to accomplish so many different roles. All of its sets have plenty of potential, and more people should be aware of them.
 
I voted for sun. It's something I have never been able to get to work (always end up using rain) so perhaps other people's outlook and help with it would help me play it better.
 
Voted for mew because I feel like it can do more than just be a baton passing lackey.

Also, its cute. :3
 
I voted for Sun because even though Groudon is prevalent as is, I want to see what other lesser used Sunny sweepers have to offer, such as Shiftry for example. Rain already has quite a few Kingdras floating around, why not Sun and chlorophyll?
 
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