CIL Season 5 Transactions
The following are a brief rulesets regarding how CIL Transactions and Z Captain are determine:
- Each team has about 4 transactions to make during the season and 1 Z-Captain per team.
- All transactions can be made during the start of Week 2 to the end of Week 5.
- All new transaction Pokemon (trades / add / drops ) must wait one CIL Week (2 Weeks IRL) to use the new Pokemon. They cannot be used immediately until the start of the new CIL week.
- Z-Captains can be changed at least once during the season. Any Z Captains can be dropped as well, though another Pokemon must fill the vacant role.
- If in the event the "2nd" Z-Captain is dropped, the coach can no longer have any Z-Captains, thus cannot use Z-moves for the remainder of the season.
Before getting into the analysis, do want to clarify my thoughts the original team and ultimately why there I'd ended up using all four of my transactions to "improve" our new squad. Based on the original CIL teams for Season 5, the LA Nidokings had one of the strongest drafts built with a strong offensive and defensive cores alike. Some might think there's nothing wrong with having a defensive core of Mew, Zapdos, and Clefable backed up by offensive threats such as Charizard X, Excadrill, and Manaphy. Do feel that the first five Pokemon and Mega Evolution was the main core of my team, however the last few mons were geared mainly for specific roles the original lacked. At first, it didn't really occur to make any transactions until the end of week 2, and the start of week 3. One of the issues I'd notice was the team's lack of "speed", in which most of the entire team hovers around base 100 speed, with Sand Rush Excadrill being the fastest Pokemon. For that matter, wanted to get at least one good fast Pokemon to be able to revenge kill most threats, given I'd already had good defensive core, and even offense to fall back to. It wasn't until my battle after week three until I began to realize some of the Pokemon didn't work well together, or wasn't going to be brought at all in certain match ups.
As strange as it sounds, the main reason for the the following drops were actually doe to the "over-extension" certain roles on my team to make it look "scary", at least on paper. Best example of this was during my time in a doubles league, I'd had Sheer Force Landorus-I paired with dangerous threats such as Zapdos, Gyarados, Gengar, Metagross, Terrakion, and Whimsicott. For that league, the best (and perhaps broken part) was how even all regular Pokemon can be Megas, so I basically had three powerful Mega Evolutions, kind of making the team exceptionally powerful. Problem was I'd lack any form of "redirection" or even slower Pokemon to ensure the team's matchup against possibly Trick Room matchups. After looking at the team holistically, realized perhaps having many offensive threats might be 'too much', and dropped Landorus-I for Magmortar....yes I know. Didn't want to make the drop, but considering how Magmortar was the only viable Fire-type with redirection in Follow Me (thanks to an event), felt it was for the better for my team. This redirection support was vital to helping out key Pokemon like Gyarados, Mega Metagross / Gengar, or even other mons.
Maybe this anecdote might not be the best example, but the point is there were roles in which my team sorta already fulfilled twice over, but compound the same overall weakness. For the first three weeks of the season, I'd wanted to gauge how "effective" certain Pokemon were to my team and how they either helped, or hinder in any matchups. Soon after week 2, immediately began to look into any possible transactions, notably any potential drops / adds firsts before doing any "wild" trades. A couple Pokemon such as Alolan Muk, Gigalith, and even Roserade where Pokemon I'd had to reconsider given they can act as bulky attackers and even some makeshift walls, but to be honest, why bother using mediocre stuff when you already have the real deal with the other Pokemon mentioned. As mention, these Pokemon and another were either dropped or traded to gain new teammates that I personally think can lead the LA Nidokings to a title.
Maybe this anecdote might not be the best example, but the point is there were roles in which my team sorta already fulfilled twice over, but compound the same overall weakness. For the first three weeks of the season, I'd wanted to gauge how "effective" certain Pokemon were to my team and how they either helped, or hinder in any matchups. Soon after week 2, immediately began to look into any possible transactions, notably any potential drops / adds firsts before doing any "wild" trades. A couple Pokemon such as Alolan Muk, Gigalith, and even Roserade where Pokemon I'd had to reconsider given they can act as bulky attackers and even some makeshift walls, but to be honest, why bother using mediocre stuff when you already have the real deal with the other Pokemon mentioned. As mention, these Pokemon and another were either dropped or traded to gain new teammates that I personally think can lead the LA Nidokings to a title.
With all that, here's the following transactions made:
New Additions
Transaction No. 1: Add: Greninja - Drop Alolan Muk
With the first major transaction for the LA Nidokings, Alolan Muk was dropped in exchange for the speedy Water/Dark-type in Greninja. To be frank, this was the first decision to make given the teams lack of speedy threats and Greninja can fulfill this role quite well thanks to its base 122 speed. Don't get me wrong, Alolan Muk was a good utility mon on paper, just that when you have even better ones such as Clefable, Zapdos, and Mew it makes it harder to justify. One major concern for the team was the apparently weakness to Ground-type moves and unfortunately believe Alolan Muk cannot respond back against such threats. In terms of what Greninja offer, this Pokemon has a great speed tier where it can outspeed up to base 122 speed while hitting most targets with good coverage. Greninja is unique compared to most fast Pokemon as its one of the few who have access to both Spikes versions, Taunt, Haze, U-Turn, and a form of priority in Water Shurikan. With Greninja's fast speed tier, it can ensure itself being able to outspeed most common threats which from there can either setup hazards, go with some disruption, attack, or pivot out for another Pokemon. Some coverage option Greninja has in its disposable are great moves such as Scald, Hydro Pump, Dark Pulse, Ice Beam, Grass Knot, Extrasensory, Rock Slide, and etc. In searching for Alolan Muk's replacement, made sure the Pokemon coming in had to be a Dark-type since it can help against opposing Ghost- and Psychic-types who are usual far faster than the garbage sloth. Keep in mind, not trying to say Greninja is better than Alolan Muk, just that they both perform different roles at the end of the day. What I'm losing here is some overall bulk in Alolan Muk gain in a fast revenge killer or suicide lead in Greninja who can always pivot out to the main bulkier walls of the team.
Note: Torrent is only allowed on Greninja in CIL, unlike Protean or Battle Bond due to both ability's massive wall breaking and revenge killing potential offensively.
Transaction No. 2: Add Amoonguss - Drop Roserade
The second drop of our team was perhaps the 2nd most controversial, or perhaps in a way a backtrack of all the praise I'd made for Roserade. While Roserade served me well as an amazing hazard setter, do feel like its as a makeshift pivot was extremely unreliable. One of the problems I'd noticed was Roserade can't recover damage without using either Giga Drain, Leech Seed, and Synthesis, which all three had faults. Giga Drain is somewhat of a gimme, though relies on targeting super effective hits. Leech Seed is interesting on bulkier sets, but usually needs another recovery move and lacks the proper bulk to abuse. Finally Synthesis, though its best form of recovery, is even hinder by the potential sand from my Gigalith. Don't get me wrong, Roserade is one of the better Grass-types in Draft League, for this team it seemed like I need another bulky pivot who can not only sponge hits, but take pressure away from my main defensive cores. When I'd started looking into Amoonguss, it wasn't my first choice, but with more time I'd reconsider using this mushroom. Having only used this guy effectively in VGC, Amoonguss thrives on supporting its teammates via spreading status options such as Spore, Toxic, or Stun Spore while chipping away at the opponent's health. What makes Amoonguss stand out in this case is its ability Regenerator, which always recovers 1/3rd of its HP every time it switches back. With a Pokemon like Amoonguss, it doesn't have to worry about running a recovery move aside maybe Giga Drain. Even its attacking movepool Amoonguss has interesting options to pull from such as Foul Play to hit physical attackers, Clear Smog to remove all stat changes, Sludge Bomb for poison damage, Grass Knot / Energy Ball for strong Grass-type moves, and a new toy in Stomping Tantrum to let it hit Electric-, Fire-, Steel-, and Poison-types. Do believe Amoonguss's regeneration ability can alleviate my main walls thanks to its massive 114 HP / 70 Def / 80 SpDef bulk can allow the mushroom mon to take hits with a good defensive spread. On a last note, this does give the team a strong Sleep inducer as it can most likely put targets to sleep last, and even give my offense a chance to setup. In all, do believe Amoonguss was the right choice to make for this season as it might prove invaluable in future matchups.
Transaction No. 3: Add: Hippowdon - Drop: Manaphy (Trade)
The third transaction for the LA Nidokings was actually one a trade given this involves two Pokemon on my roster spots: Manaphy and Gigalith. After using Gigalith both in Week 1 and Week 3, realized that Gigalith's somewhat strong bulk is hindered down by its abysmal speed and pure Rock-typing. Yes I know Gigalith is a rather a "low-tier" pick to consider for possible Sand teams, but the weaknesses to Water-, Grass-, Fighting-, Steel-, and Ground-type Pokemon and attacks make it a very unreliable at times aside possibly setting up rock, or the sand itself. Now why am I discussing Gigalith, when 1) Manaphy is in question first and 2) wasn't the exact Pokemon I dropped for. Regarding the second point, I knew I couldn't trade away my Gigalith for either Tyranitar or Hippowdon for a better sand setter, so therefore I had to make a concession that one of my top Pokemon was going to be traded off. After looking into my future battles, felt the best decision was to part ways with Manaphy (hence have Greninja as my part Water-type user), and use the last transaction to drop Gigalith for another Pokemon to fill in Manaphy's place. The reason I'd traded off Manaphy was mainly because upon seeing future matchups after week 3, there are several teams (potential playoff matches included) who consistently pressure my Z-Captain user with either fast threats or revenge killers. In the end, don't see the use of having a strong Z-Captain user when I can't even bring it to battle without thinking "obscure" sets, which my others Pokemon can fulfill better. Did offer Manaphy to the Matt of the Mattmonlees who also had a rain core team, so might as well try to trade off Manaphy to get Hippowdon, which benefits both side.
Essentially what Hippowdon brings to the table for this team is another physical wall which a better typing than Gigalith and practically outclasses it in nearly every role. Hippowdon essentially fulfills the same roles as Gigalith does from getting Stealth Rock up, being a defensive wall, spreading possible status options, and even hitting the opposing side with strong moves such as STAB Earthquake, Stone Edge, Ice Fang, etc. Do admit Hippowdon does sacrifice some attack, defense, and even the special defense boost all Rock-type gain, this Hippo makes up for in a higher HP stat with access to reliable recovery in Slack Off. Thanks to these two features, Hippowdon is able to tank some of the strongest physical attacks in the game thanks to its still impressive 108 HP / 118 Def / 72 Sp Def allocation. With Gigalith, the only form of recovery it can rely on was Leftovers, Berries, and possibly Wish-Pass, which at that point makes it a burden to maintain on the battle. Hippowdon's singular Ground-typing is far better than Rock-typing as it drops three weaknesses for resistances to Rock-, Poison, and even an immunity to Electric-type moves. Even the slight increase in speed allows Hippodown to at least not get outspeed by some bulkier Pokemon around a base speed of 47, unlike the worse 25 speed. Most of Hippowdon's moveset is somewhat the same with Gigalith, though there are some key moves that make its standout like Slack Off as mentioned, Whirlwind for phazing, elemental fangs for coverage, and Yawn for sleep status. Hippowodn can also utilize a Curse setup better than Gigalith as it has better coverage options, higher HP, and longevity with its Slack Off recovery move. Perhaps the best tradeoff about getting Hippowdon is it doesn't need the Sand Stream ability to be instantly "good", as is synergize extremely well with my defensive wall core. Hippowdon can work well with Pokemon such as Clefable, Mew, Amoonguss, and Zapdos since it can either resist key attacks well, or threaten / wall out opposing ground weak Pokemon like Fire-, Rock-, Poison-, Steel-, and Electric-types. In turn, most of my defensive Pokemon can easily withstand or pressure Water- and Grass-types while even alleviating Hippowdon a bit with cleric support, and defensive synergy. In all, Hippowdon has many traits going for itself as a strong physically defensive Pokemon who can achieve a plethora of roles and provide the sand when needed.
Z Captain Change: Mew
As mentioned above, with Manaphy's exit from the roster, this was practically a no brainers as Mew becomes now the main Z-Captain of the team. Frankly, does this need to be explain? Like seriously? Having access to all TM and Move Tutor moves in the game allows Mew to work as a Z-Captain quite possibly more effective than Manaphy. At best, Manaphy still has a somewhat predicable, though serviceable movepool unlike Mew since with a potential Tail Glow boost, it can easily bypass some of its hardest checks checks in the format. Mew can still function as a wallbreaker with access to setup options such as Calm Mind, Nasty Plot, Sword Dance, and Bulk Up, not to mention its expansive movepool to abuse to make use. With Manaphy's departure, this makes Mew a far more valuable Pokemon as its Z-Move potential cannot be underestimated that can prove invaluable in certain matchups should it come.
Note: Mewium Z is banned from Mew in the CIL due to following GBA ruling.
Transaction No. 4: Add Kyurem - Drop Gigalith
With the departure of Manaphy, and thus Gigalith's due to Hippowdon's introduction, there was one more transaction I can make for the LA Nidokings for the rest of the season, and this had to count. There were several things considered when selecting the last Pokemon almost like in a Draft such as speed tiering, roles, offensive / defensive values, and possible overlaps, or gaps on my team that need fixing. One Pokemon that struck me was Starmie as it can be a reliable spinner and pivot thanks to its fast 115 speed stat. The main concern with adding Starmie was it overlapping potential role from either Greninja and Mew, while sharing the same typing which didn't appeal to me. Having lost one of my best special attackers, felt there was a greater need to find a Pokemon who not has a high Special Attack, but can always play in multiple roles in for the team. After some debate, felt Kyurem was the "best" candidate for the team as it has one of the best offensive stats in 130 in both attacks and special attack, and has access to a bulkier defensive allocation as well. Kyurem is honestly underrated given it might have a myriad of weaknesses such as Fairy-, Steel-, Dragon-, Fighting-, and Rock-type Pokemon, this icy dragon can still pack a punch with powerful STAB Ice Beam or Draco Meteors. Even with its weaknesses, Kyurem's stat distribution is relatively superior compared to even most pseudo legendaries with viable coverage options such as Earth Power, Dragon Pulse, Ancient Power, Shadow Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon, Focus Blast, etc. In practice, thanks to the massive 130 special attack and a plethora of moves, Kyurem can act as a powerful special wall breaker capable of 2HKOing most of the draft format. To add to its depth, Kyurem can function as a utility or wall with options such as Roost, Light Screen, Reflect, Noble Roar, Toxic, etc paired it impressive 125 HP and 90 Defenses. Pressure suit Kyurem exceptionally well for this role as it along with Zapdos can form a Pressure stall duo which teams might fine hard to break. On a last note, Kyurem can fill valuable roles as a revenge killer, a wall breaker, a utility wall, mixed attacker, or any other roles it can. Will be interesting to see how Kyurem can integrate itself into the team especially during the ladder half of the season winding down.
Conclusion
With these transaction enacted, the LA Nidokings look close out the remainder of the CIL Season 5 on a strong note and go into playoffs. Definitely feel confident with the new team at hand as it now I have viable options from each member of the ranks. Some might only come maybe for one game or two, but given how short the season is, as long as they perform their roles this won't matter much. Alright that's all for now so will be back soon!
