VGC 19 Analysis #1 – Xerneas
Yep, we’re back doing VGC analysis articles! Guess what else is gracing VGC players with their presence again… that’s right, the uber legends have returned to competitive play! So what better way is there to kick start the return of our Analysis series than talking about one of the ubers you’re going to be seeing all season long? Enter, the God Deer, Xerneas!
Now, we’re not going to be attempting to redefine Xerneas at all with any zany Specs, Scarf or Big Berry sets. Whilst they could all have their niche, there’s literally no point in handicapping one of your two restricted picks; all the following sets are going to utilise Xerneas’ Power Herb, Geomancy set.
Pokémon Showdown Live One: Facebook 1000 likes stream!
This is, believe it or not, my first Pokémon Showdown Facebook stream! It’s been a long time coming.
In this little ladder run we use one of the teams featured in my Birmingham Regional Top 32 article , the old Gavin Michaels Trick Room team and a version of Ashton Cox’s LATAM Internationals winning team!
*Feature art was found through Google, linking back to this website!*
Read more 
Top 32 at Birmingham Regionals 2017!
I haven’t done one of these in ages – mainly because I’ve not had a team (or tournament finish) worth talking about; I was tempted to pen one after finishing top 16 in Malmo’s Mid Season Showdown, but I was using Gavin Michaels’ Trick Room team so we already know enough about that!
Having used Trick Room, and later Trick Room plus Lilligant Torkoal, for the majority of the season, collecting less than a handful of decent finishes, I decided it was time to trial something different. I adored Lilligant Torkoal, but a string of games (including a terrible 4-3 run at the Milan Open) where I seemed to miss a vast amount of my inaccurate moves prompted me to set this duo aside; looking through my PC box, I found a Gyarados (which I’d used at Europe’s International Championship) sat next to an innocent looking ‘Pikachu clone’…
*Feature Art was created by CarobyArt for chaoticespeon.com – please do not reuse this image without permission*
Read more
Pokémon Analysis 20 – Tapu Lele!
Well, as we promised a Tapu Lele giveaway over on Facebook, we may as well give you a few sets to choose from! So here we go, our second Guardian analysis will focus on VGC 17’s premium Psychic type!
Pokémon Analysis 19: Tapu Koko!
I guess this was the obvious step right? After finishing our Analysis on the weather quartet, it’s about time Chaoticespeon.com moved on to another quartet which have all but dominated the VGC 17 metagame thanks to their unique ability to set Terrains on switch in! We’ll kick start our analysis on the Guardian Deities with Tapu Koko, the first Tapu to win an International Championship all the way back in Decemeber!
Megamite’s Meme Box: Pyukumuku
*DISCLAIMER* Everything inside these articles is either at the extreme edge of niche or is outright outclassed by Pokemon that can perform their role better or perform multiple given roles while outclassing them and aren’t meant to be used seriously (unless you really want to anyway). I believe Pyukumuku is outclassed by CurseLax or BD + Stockpile Lax as both can perform the “end game indestructible wincon” that Pyukumuku will almost always be performing while exerting offensive pressure against the opposing team, among other Pokemon it shares a typing with being generally more valuable.
Pyukumuku’s niche over Gastrodon and Milotic (both Water types with Recover) lies in the ability Unaware, making it a somewhat reliable wincon against any Pokemon that cannot hit it for x2 or isn’t strong enough to KO Pyukumuku with a timely critical hit. Running Unaware unfortunately means that Pyukumuku cannot be aided by Intimidate or Snarl which, while disappointing, is far outweighed by the benefits compared to Innards Out as this ability goes against the entire point of Pyukumuku – NOT to be knocked out.
Read more
Pokémon Analysis 17 – Winter is Coming!
So here we are, we’ve made it through searing sun, relentless rain and sordid sand to arrive at our final weather analysis, only to be greeted by blistering blizzards! Phew, that’s enough alliteration for one article!
Similarly with rain, we’re spoilt for choice with weather setters. Whilst Sand and Sun only have one setter, Rain and Hail have a whopping two! Not only that but Hail has access to an exclusive move Aurora Veil – which is the equivalent of setting both a Reflect and Light Screen in one turn. That’s about it however in terms of positives; yes, you get access to a fully accurate Blizzard too but Hail as a dedicated archetype has a few glaring weaknesses. The most viable Hail setter is quicker than all other weather setters, which means you’ll have to be switching it in to guarantee setting hail; the VGC 17 legal Hail equivalent to Lilligant, Stoutland and Golduck offers much less damage output than the aforementioned trio whilst the offensive diversity between setter and sweeper is seriously lacking. That being said, Hail is an extremely fun strategy to play around with away from a tournament setting, so let’s jump into some frosty sets!
Pokémon Analysis 17 – Pheromosa!
If you look up the term ‘Glass Cannon’ in the dictionary, I’m almost certain you’ll find a picture of UB-02 Beauty staring right back at you! In a VGC meta where bulk is typically favoured over sheer offensive prowess, how does Pheromosa fit in within VGC 17?
Read more
Pokémon Analysis 16 – Kommo-o!
Since the addition of fairy types in Generation Six, Dragon types have seen a little less competitive play. In fact, barring Garchomp (which often is run without a Dragon type attack), there’s not a single Dragon in the top 30 most used Pokémon on Battlespot. Garchomp is the most used among all the dragon types legal in VGC 17, but today, we are focusing on a Pokemon that hasn’t seen much usage of late. Feast your eyes on The Scaly Pokemon: Kommo-o!
*Feature art was created by Yggdrassal – check out more of their work by following this link!*
Read more
Pokémon Analysis 15 – Battlin’ in The Rain!
Oh Gamefreak, you were very, VERY kind to Pelipper during its migration to Alola. No longer can the Hoenn native pelican (oops… sorry… duck) be regarded as your typical early trash bird, it now rivals Politoed for the highly coveted title of ChaoticEspeon’s best Drizzle user!
Both of VGC 17’s Drizzle users function in completely different ways; Pelipper, primarily, is used alongside Swift Swim Golduck to overwhelm opponents offensively, whilst Politoed is the more defensive option, protecting its team mates from opposing Fire attacks whilst disrupting with moves like Encore and Perish Song.
But of course, you’re not here for our classy introductions, you’re here for some snazzy spreads. Lets get started…
