HGSS is coming soon!!!

OK well as of this writing Heartgold/Soulsilver are just about 10 days away and I am pumped as heck.

 

Not just because it’s another pseudo-brand new Pokemon adventure that I’ll probably love playing at least twice over.

 

Not just because it gives me something to play on a DS that has fallen out of use since I finally 100%ed FFTA2.

 

I am pumped because I somehow convinced myself that HGSS will contain some sort manner of slight changes that, once implemented in Shoddybattle, will drastically change the metagame. Specifically, I want it to nerf Stealth Rock. That might be enough. If it isn’t, I’d also like them to somehow nerf physical sweepers and physical revenge killers in general, but I have no idea how this could be done easily or reasonably.

 

I swore off competitive Pokemon about six months ago when I vowed that I would if I ran into another team leading Scizor or dropping SR on the first turn. Actually, it wasn’t that dramatic, it was more a general feeling of being bored with the environment. I’d still play occasionally if I had a neat idea for a team or was feeling very bored, but I definitely wasn’t as into it.

 

My problem is that the metagame seemed to favor one type of team. Well, that was fine, that’d always been true. Problem here is that it was my least favorite type of team to play with or against. A look at the usage stats show a OU environment dominated by Stealth Rock and physical beasting. Special sweepers are rare, occasionally you’ll see a special attacker used for support purposes, but support Pokemon themselves are hardly necessary. The general strategy nowadays seems to be: drop stealth rock, switch to physical sweeper with type advantage, switch when they switch, repeat.

 

There’s so much stuff I can’t do much anymore in that environment. I miss leading with Arcanine (I will never stop leading with Arcanine, though) catching their lead off guard, getting one KO, then managing to OHKO their next Pokemon with a crit Extremespeed. Not happening in an environment where leads are designed to live, scout and agitate, not fight back. I miss having a solid stall Pokemon, not even like Blissey or something but just a Pokemon that could last and outthink the opponent by forcing switches and generally terrifying them. I remember my Gengar staying out turn after turn in RSE, dropping status effects and threatening to 2HKO on the next turn. Not so anymore. Now, if you’re not OHKOing, you’re about to be OHKOed. I remember seeing, running and succeeding with weather teams, baton pass teams, whatever! Those were always fun to play against, and these days, I can’t really remember the last time I saw a good combo be pulled off or a strange gambit go rewarded.

 

Anyways, I’m still pretty amateur as far as competitive Pokemon goes, but I think I know what sort of reply a better player might give me. One of these, maybe:

 

1. Play UU.
2. Stop whining.
3. There is probably no way HGSS will change any of this, Platnium didn’t and it introduced new formes and such.
4. Wait for Shoddybattle 2, and play some weird 3v3 variant.

 

So yeah, basically these are unreasonable complaints about a metagame I do not fully appreciate. Can’t really remember why I made this post except for woo HGSS and woo new Shoddybattle and woo I just remembered this old BP team I had and how I had a really fat Vaporeon with acid armor and substitute and i sent a substitute over to a marowak and it was like invincible. i know marowak shouldn’t really need defense but this one was completely a glass cannon. this was in RSE btw. don’t think this could happen nowadays.