Pokemon Showdown!

[BonusPwnage]

I do play Pokemon, but not often, so I don't think it's such a bad thing that I'm really confused right now.

[FSM-Reapr]

For your information, Facade from an Adamant Breloom who's poisoned would do 30,51% - 36,16% to the most common kind of Gliscor we usually see in OU. And I've never seen anyone use Facade Breloom in 5th gen, because Technician is a great ability, and Breloom can abuse it with Mach punch/Bullet Seed/etc. And if you're worried about damage, you can always use Drain Punch.

Roz makes me want that my fiance would play Pokemon too

[BonusPwnage]

Well, good luck with that!

[Roz~]

Roz makes me want that my fiance would play Pokemon too

I'm that awsm :3
But really you should try to teach her, I managed to teach my bf about Pokemon and now he plays competitively with me. So it's not totally impossible =P

[BonusPwnage]

Wow, I guess not then! Haha

[Jompa]

Guys! I just invented a deadly tactic! I call it Taillow-kamikaze!
Bad example: http://pokemonshowdown.com/replay/ou4180672
Taillow isn't a very significant pokemon itself. It has bad stats, considering being unevolved, and most pokemon should be able to take it out by one hit. BUT, it's speed isn't the worst!
I gave my taillow the moveset Counter-Endeavor-attract-fly. Ability: Guts and Item: Focus Sash.
You throw out Taillow into battle against a physical attacker. He'll probably be like "wtf, a taillow? this has got to be some kinda trick, I better kill it right away!" He tries to use a move that will faint taillow, for example Outrage, which leaves Taillow with 1% HP, due to holding Focus Sash. The move Tailow selected, which was the reason for it attacking last, was counter, which does damage equal to 2X damage taken. This faint the attacker, and Taillow will be left with 1%HP, as long as there's no weather effect, or HP reducing status ailment.
Now, he'll send out his next pokemon - that's when Taillows speed kicks in. Taillow uses endeavor reducing the opponent's HP to 1% as well!, as long as Taillow is faster, that is.. This turn is a risk, because it's almost 90% chance he'll finish of Taillow after the Endeavor, and thus ending the Taillow-kamikaze tactic, but IF Taillow survives; You can switch out; and later use endeavor again!, when he switches pokemon.
If everything goes well, you'll have your entire team alive after almost beating two of his pokemon, and only with a Taillow!
How does that sound?

And btw, Facade would have definitely not killed that Gliscor. -.-

It would have taken considerably more damage than focus punch did - and in other cases where focus punch is bad - facade isn't - that's a rule of thumb, when it comes to fighting vs normal moves. In my suggestion, you'd have both:) but ofc, your choice

[BonusPwnage]

Hmmmm, I never used Tailow, but that does sound kinda cool. How often has it worked when you used it?

[Jompa]

Hmmmm, I never used Tailow, but that does sound kinda cool. How often has it worked when you used it?

I haven't tested it alot, but It works often! 1/2 of the times - but the first round when you throw it inn random, is based on luck, so that's a factor (not getting thrown in to a Special Attacker battle, or someone with weather effects, or a shedinje(tho that could be taken care of with fly), or some other threat) - tho you don't have to use it first in every battle. Weather effects has been the biggest danger - like an Abomasnow, or Tyranitar, with Hail and Sandstorm abilities. And in the "Bad example"-video I got burned touching the Volcarona, but if it hadn't been for that, then it would have worked a third time too, in that battle so I kinda like this tactic - not the best - but I invented it, so I kinda have to like it :3

[FSM-Reapr]

lol if I wouls see a taillow i would switch to a ghost/use special attacks I've seen this before(sorry, it's not your invention ) But classic Aron sweep ftw:

[Jompa]

lol if I wouls see a taillow i would switch to a ghost/use special attacks I've seen this before(sorry, it's not your invention ) But classic Aron sweep ftw:

Yeah but this guy doesn't use counter and sash - but his idea was way smarter! :O

[Cobraroll]

Guys! I just invented a deadly tactic! I call it Taillow-kamikaze!
Bad example: http://pokemonshowdown.com/replay/ou4180672
Taillow isn't a very significant pokemon itself. It has bad stats, considering being unevolved, and most pokemon should be able to take it out by one hit. BUT, it's speed isn't the worst!
I gave my taillow the moveset Counter-Endeavor-attract-fly. Ability: Guts and Item: Focus Sash.
You throw out Taillow into battle against a physical attacker. He'll probably be like "wtf, a taillow? this has got to be some kinda trick, I better kill it right away!" He tries to use a move that will faint taillow, for example Outrage, which leaves Taillow with 1% HP, due to holding Focus Sash. The move Tailow selected, which was the reason for it attacking last, was counter, which does damage equal to 2X damage taken. This faint the attacker, and Taillow will be left with 1%HP, as long as there's no weather effect, or HP reducing status ailment.
Now, he'll send out his next pokemon - that's when Taillows speed kicks in. Taillow uses endeavor reducing the opponent's HP to 1% as well!, as long as Taillow is faster, that is.. This turn is a risk, because it's almost 90% chance he'll finish of Taillow after the Endeavor, and thus ending the Taillow-kamikaze tactic, but IF Taillow survives; You can switch out; and later use endeavor again!, when he switches pokemon.
If everything goes well, you'll have your entire team alive after almost beating two of his pokemon, and only with a Taillow!
How does that sound?

It's a (kind of) widely used strategy, commonly called F.E.A.R. because of the ingredients involved.

The first ingredient, the Focus Sash: You take a hit, getting to 1 single HP. For best results in friendly link battles, use a Pokémon around lvl. 20 or so. Your opponent will probably believe you forgot to remove a 'mon-in-training from your party before battling, whereas he would be more suspicious if a lvl. 1 Pokémon appeared. Nobody walks around with lvl. 1 Pokémon unintentionally.

The second, Endeavor. Get your opponent down to 1 HP after taking a hit. At this point, he'll probably make ready to finish you.

The third is (Quick) Attack. Anything with priority works, really. Used to nab that last one HP from your opponent, fainting it.

The fourth is the original Pokémon used for this strategy, Ratatta. This is mostly for getting the acronym right. F.E.A.R. can also mean F-ing Evil Annoying Rodent.

And, as FSM pointed out, a variation of the strategy can excellently be pulled off by Aron.


Though, I have to admit, I've never heard of using a good-levelled Taillow before. Using Counter puts you at a great risk, though. If your opponent prefers the more widely used Special attacks, typically Electric or Ice, Counter will fail to inflict any damage. On the other hand, this will probably lead him to believe he's safe, giving you a better chance of pulling off the Endeavour.

Oh, and this video:

Certainly not the first use of F.E.A.R., but certainly the most famous.

[Jompa]

Though, I have to admit, I've never heard of using a good-levelled Taillow before. Using Counter puts you at a great risk, though. If your opponent prefers the more widely used Special attacks, typically Electric or Ice, Counter will fail to inflict any damage. On the other hand, this will probably lead him to believe he's safe, giving you a better chance of pulling off the Endeavour.

Well, that risk could be dealt with by only sending out Taillow into battle against a pokemon that would typically only use physical moves. Like a rock pokemon, or a pokemon with a powerfull moveset that's based on muscle, probably including stone edge or rock slide. One big problem with this i that many many way too many people fill this role with a Tyranitar, with sand stream, which finishes of Taillow before the endeavor round, so only the counter gets used. My tactic is kind of a mix between countering and endeavoring, i den forstand that I get to use both effectively. It is Taillows "ikke-så-verst-speed" that makes this possible. Doesn't work in every case, but neither does, JUST countering, and JUST endeavoring. - and this tactic is just something I came up with when speculating over a possible moveset for a Swellow, so it's not supposed to be the greatest invention ever - just "my tactic"
Thanks for the vid!

[BlackDragonSlayer]

Making a new team... starring Sandslash again.

[BonusPwnage]

I remember when I fist saw Sandslash, it went a little something like "OMGOMG It Looks So Cool I Have To Have It Now!". Ah, Pokemon.

[BlackDragonSlayer]

I remember when I fist saw Sandslash, it went a little something like "OMGOMG It Looks So Cool I Have To Have It Now!". Ah, Pokemon.

It was quite the opposite for me.