Thanks for the team highlight Aaron! A pleasure as always. It's always very interesting to see how other players handle the reins so to speak and I think you did a great job. I've compiled small notes here and there about certain troublesome matchups you faced today. -Taunt Flutter/Torn is definitely one of the biggest detriments to the core strategy but ONLY if they taunt Zapdos. The way to address this is to lead Smeargle and bait the taunt away either explicitly by using Follow Me or by inducing the opponent's Smeargle VGC crimes PTSD. It won't matter to Smeargle since it'll just switch out at the end of the turn. It's kinda greedy but it almost always works in CTS. -For hard TR like Gallade and Hatterene, Flutter and Harc is my go-to since it forces a wide guard mind game on T1. Or if they didn't lead Gallade it just blows them up with heavy spread damage. Also Rock Slide flinches are a great bailout condition. -Even in seemingly bad situations, Zapdos is mainly just there to click tailwind T1 and then get off the field as fast as possible to enable the rest of the team. There are many cases where I actually want it to faint after TW goes up on T1 so that i can have flutter Smeargle and another fake out w/ tailwind on t2 which puts an insane amount of pressure on the opponent. Overall a really fun but very glass composition. Flowchart gameplay has never looked this swag! Edit: I forgot to talk about Perish Song lol but yea Aaron showcased it perfectly. It's for those annoying fat mons that stick around forever, and it's especially great at disrupting Power of Alchemy Muk or Dondozo in the early or mid game.
@@Tine_of_Nice_Dreams Moody always raises one stat by two stages and lowers one stat by one stage at the END of the turn. This then triggers Eject Pack because your stats have been lowered. This is really nice. It means you get a free switch out at the end of the turn, the safest time, because whatever comes in isn't going to get hit and can act the next turn.
JUM👏PLUFF the +1 acrobatics on 55 base attack would be hitting different but also being immune to Bleakwind,etc gives it a niche over Whimsicott (which could ALSO theoretically have wind rider but would be 0% usage over prankster)
QOTD: Definitely Decidueye. Not just because it’s a bird, but archers often have to adjust their shots to the wind, it looks like it would be very aerodynamic, and it would give it more viability. Also Scyther because… Scyther.
@OldGreggIRL yeah but players still have to use regular Charizard to get its mega or gmax forms. However if players already use Decidueye, they will not need Brambleghast anymore.
@@ispeakcockney I disagree, I think Brambleghast would still probably be better, or at least will fill a different niche. Brambleghast is more frail, but faster, hits a bit harder, and has access to moves like Strength Sap and Polttergiest, while Decidueye is bulkier, has access to better reliable grass stab in Leaf Blade, and can set up its own Tailwind.
QOTD is always Drifblim. It makes thematic sense (more than aftermath), and would help Drifblim be a more popular tailwind option (in theory anyway, probably needs more balance and planning). Also in my mind, Accelgor is a good option - no real clue as to why, just looks like a cool bug that rides the wind.
QOTD: Not that it can make much offensive use of it, but Jumpluff comes to mind for getting Wind Rider consider it's Pokedex entries say it literally rides on the wind to get around, as does Whimsicott (who appears with the wind basically). Though, that's just some Pokémon that make logical sense based on in game lore.
An important synergy not covered in the team breakdown is that a lot of people will try and exploit Smeargle's Eject Pack with Intimidate, but leading Smeargle + Zapdos means that even if they do that, it gives Zapdos a Defiant boost. Commonly the move is to then switch Smeargle into Shiftry so that even with the forced pivot, the team gets to maintain Fake Out + Tailwind pressure.
I haven‘t followed VGC since 2020 but recently went back to rewatching your VGC2015 content. Clicked on this video because I was curious what you are up to. And one thing I want to say: I miss the big smile you always had when doing your introduction! Thanks for the great content as always ❤
Shiftry is a mon i never thought would get spotlight, what a great niche for it. I love the wind rider ability. That game four had me cracking up. Fun showcase
It would make sense if Mandibuzz got Wind Rider. The condor is a type of vulture that makes use of the mountainous winds to fly effectively. There are other bird Pokémon that are based on birds with similar modes of usign wind, Kilowattrel got a similar ability with Wind Power, though I kinda wish it boosted more than just electric types. Kilowattrell is an electric albatros, there is no reason why the wind should only power its element. Otherwise I think some grass or bug Pokémon could make use of it too. Many flowers of course procreate using the wind and some bug types use the wind as well. Other Pokémon with large wings could use it or Wind Power too. Noivern for example would have been cool if Wind Power powered up special moves rather than only electric moves.
I'd never seen a Slither Wing in battle and it is HUGE! I always imagined it with the size closer to a larvesta's than a volcarona's, but it makes sense as it is volcarona's past form lol
From the beginning of the reg F, I have been using Galarian Zapdos cover with Taliwind+Sunny support, Hisui Typhlosion, Venusair on team. Found that it really works on fighting against the popular 20s. Really favor to watch Zapdos be introduced. Thank you, Aaron
@3:57 - I had to look it up, and Icy Wind is (thankfully) a ‘wind’ move, but I’m so surprised there’re so few flying type moves that are classified as ‘wind’; yeah they’re the majority in the category, but like, a slash of air isn’t a wind move but cutting the air is?? Also, seeing hurricane on that last is tight against moon/mence.
The Clawitzer Vespiquen team was so interesting. I really appreciate people using super weird off-meta teams. It’s unfortunate that there are so many Pokémon that just completely fall flat in the face of the meta mons
QOTD: Whimsicott. Though not a physical attacker, it just thematically makes sense based on what the Pokédex says about it. Plus, according to Moxie, Whim is fast enough to use non-Prankster status moves, and I agree with him.
Its QOTD adjacent but Wind Power should just be special Wind Riser and pokemon like Jumpluff and Eldegoss and Florges seem like good wind rider candidates. Its good for Grass types to get it since most wind based moves seem to be super effective against them even when they're not Flying type
QOTD: Jumpluff should have gotten Wind Rider, just look at it. Also it would get an immunity to Icy Wind, which is perfect for its typing, and become a threat after setting it’s own Tailwind.
Love the content man! But I gotta say this is the second time you’ve mentioned indeedee-m having the niche of imprison trick room, which just doesn’t seem that valid imo now that indeedee-f can do the exact same thing. Pretty sure the main use of indeedee-m is expanding force and psychic terrain in a single slot. Idk maybe I’m missing something from your commentary, which - regardless - is the best in the biz. Keep it up man!
Imprison is still a lot more common on Indeedee-M sets (35%, according to www.pikalytics.com/pokedex/gen9vgc2024regf/indeedee) than Indeedee-F (10%, www.pikalytics.com/pokedex/gen9vgc2024regf/indeedee-f). A better description for Indeedee-M would be a Trick Room Imprison user that complements hyper offense teams way better than Indeedee-F, since it's faster and can deal more damage. If I were to see Indeedee-M, especially on the team like game 4, I would still expect for it to have Trick Room and Imprison
QOTD: Perhaps Altaria would be nice! I feel like it might fit thematically and Altaria is one of the least relevant dragon Pokemon from previous generations in VGC.
QOTD: Tropius for sure. It's a grass flying dragon, come on. And then it might be viable. Also, yes, I think it should have all 3 of those typings even though I know it's not possible. Just makes sense in my head 🤷🏽♀️
even if tornadus isn't running only bleakwind, the only other move it runs is icywind usually.. which is also blocked by shiftry... tornadus is just a sitting duck (similar to how corviknight completely walls landorus)
I think Whimsicott should get wind rider, since multiple of its pokédex entries say that it rides on the wind. It wouldn't help it competitively, since there wouldn't really be a reason to use in instead of prankster, but it would fit thematically.
@@SerDerpish they made air slash a slicing move instead, so it gets boosted by sharpness (which is quite useless since 95% of slicing moves are physical attacks with 100% of the sharpness users being physical attackers but oh well).
Shiftry! We simply love to see it. I agree with others that Tropius would thematically deserve Wind Rider, but Harvest is already a cool ability, so I vote Decidueye. Anything to get our owlly boi some love.
Love the use of the Pokemon Colosseum/XD music in this video Aaron! For QotW: I think Jumpluff should absolutely have Wind Rider. Not only is it thematic, but it would really help Jumpluff have a niche to distinguish it from Whimsicott. Jumpluff is a really solid Pokemon, but it's worse than Whimsicott in basically every way. I really thought this would be the time for Jumpluff to shine since Whimsicott wasn't in the base game, but sadly the new puff ball returned in the DLC. Would gaining Wind Rider completely change Jumpluff's prospects? Probably not, but it would be something!
Ok ok is Aaron the best Pokémon analyzer in the game? I don’t know but tornadous and landerous go hard in the vgc right now. He literally knows all the moves like I do. It’s the best listening to all his knowledge.
Fuck yeah, I had been commiserating that shiftty couldn’t cut it in the current format, awesome to see it getting some use. Definitely picking this team up. QOTD agree on decidueye and would also love to see wind rider on emolga as well
Great video, the team was very cool! 1:17:11 I believe this calc is wrong due to the wrong Arcanine form being calced for. I'm wondering if the 95>90 base HP stat that Arcanine-Hisui has would have made a difference, since the base 80 stat in Defense is shared among both formes.
I bet your game 3 opponent did not expect the Fake Out and was about to First Impression your Shiftry into oblivion and that's why they used Heat Wave.
To be fair english names don't always line up with abilities as you'd expect (shout out to Sucker Punch not being a punch move for Iron Fist, and Population Bomb being a slicing move for Sharpness), but yeah it is pretty on the nose
@@mufasa5851Yes, but what I'm saying is you can't always take an obvious name at face value since they're not always translated in a way that works right
Game 6 ~48:50 : "Indeedee Gallade is very scary" - I've been using that duo for a bit, and I'm curious. What does Gallade do in turn 1 here? I didn't immediately see it as a top threat, but that's probably where my inexperience shows
