NBA Season Report #1: Week 1 thru Week 3

NBA Season Report #1: Week 1 thru Week 3

Preview: The following is a summarized week-by-week version of PFA/NBA Season for the first three weeks of the league during the span. I've decided to recount the weekly experience in team preparation, matchups analysis, and of course the actual battles in a brief setting. Given the magnitude of essentially writing for a good quarter of the season it be best to work on a few individual season-reports before dissecting possible playoffs battles. Won't go extremely overboard in the write-ups, but give insight into how I prepare for each week, the battles itself, and the outcomes. With all that said, here is the report.

Season Thoughts: 

Initial LA Nidoking Roster: Manaphy, Zapdos, Entei, Kyurem, Nidoqueen, Metagross, Umbreon, Ribombee, Type:Null, Gourgeist, Cryogonal

After serving a year and a half break from the PFA, the LA Nidokings return to to the draft league format in pursuit of another title. Did take a minor break from league from August just before the eventual start of the new NBA season by the end of 2017 with interest in Ultra Sun/Moon high.  By the time everyone had drafted, I looked at my team and noticed some issues with it, but didn't look far past them aside the initial strengths. Once again, we are paired with a strong core of Manaphy, Kyurem, Entei and Zapdos after all which in of itself is the best offensive cores early season. Both Nidoqueen and Metagross were amazing bulky offensive Pokemon in their own right with access to the team's hazard support. Pokemon such as Ribombee and Type: Null provided their niche roles as a Eviolite wall or Sticky Web support. Cryogonal and Gourgeist were interesting Pokemon given how they both have astonishing special or physical bulk with good recovery options and semi good walling capabilities . Umbreon was the team's cleric Pokemon which at first seems like a strong pickup thanks to that insane bulk and pivot options. 

So with those traits...why did I blow up my team at the start of week 3?

If anyone wants to review the LA Nidokings Draft Analysis, might be best to start here to get an idea on what happen with certain changes to the team, however I'll touch on some important points. The main core issues with the initial team was 1) team synergy, 2) lack of "good" walls and support Pokemon, 3) overall costs, and lastly 4) lack of clear roles. Could tackle down all these points in a separate post, but might as well briefly discuss them. Like you see, a good draft team has a team that allows Pokemon to perform a multitude of roles whether it be play as a bulky pivots, offensive options, cleric support, or a good wall cores. The team has an amazing offensive core yes, but most of those Pokemon are extremely weak to Rock-typing (or Stealth Rocks), Fighting-types, Dark-types, and Ghost-types. This point will be emphasis in weeks 1 and 2 given what were the battles outcomes. 

As mentioned, the lack of clear roles and synergy was an important issue for the team given how there wasn't a clear defensive options or pivots. Like Umbreon was at least decent from Season 4, but at the time, it felt like the only good wall which has limited offensive capabilities. As later discovered, Gourgeist, Type:Null, and Cryogonal are good makeshift walls, but that's about it. Aside their STAB options, they don't really have a good movepools to abuse their bulk, especially Type: Null whose movepool was really atrocious. What really drives this point is they are only niche Pokemon which can do one good role and that's it. Gourgeist doesn't have the best Ghost-type moves, Type:Null has to rely on Wish support or Rest for recovery, and Cryogonal, though a good Water check and hazard removal, has a limiting movepool with only strong Ice STABs. 

In short, these Pokemon don't synergize well with the other type Pokemon and certainly was erroneous of me to selecting them in the first place. Speaking of the team, the costs of maintaining Manaphy into the overall team was rather taxing and felt it was best to part ways with our beloved captain this time (see you in CIL lol). By removing the 100 point tax for selecting an S Tier, this open the team up for new Pokemon to select from the B, C, and D Tier mons which weren't drafted. In the end at the cost of dropping Manaphy, Type: Null, Umbreon, Cryogonal, and Rimbombee the team ended up selecting a overall strong pairings of Mega Lopunny, Primarina, Florges, Miltank, and Spiritomb. As mention I'd go into why I'd selected or picked up these Pokemon in free agency so read here. 

With that out of the way, lets get into the weeks 1 thru 3 games. 

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Artist: All0412

WEEK 1: Toronto Staraptors (Gamma) - Replay

My Team: Zapdos, Entei (Z), Kyurem (Z), Metagross (Z), Ribombee, Gourgeist, Manaphy, Nidoqueen, Umbreon, Type: Null

Cryogonal

His Team: Excadrill, Reuniclus (Z), Heliolisk, Gigalith, Gligar, Gurdurr, Tapu Bulu, Terrakion, Mimikyu (Z), Blastoise
Oricorio-G (Z)

If there was one week where I noticed most of the issues with the team, it was with our week 1 battle against Gamma. For those who don't know, Gamma was one of the newest players from Season 5 who made strong run with a 8-4 record. Looking at the matchup, it seemed like a typical sand based team with Excadrill, Gigalith, Heliolisk, and Reuniclus, paired with offensive Pokemon such as Tapu Bulu, Terrakion, and Mimikyu. Already the Sand Rush Excadrill and the Terrakion where a huge pain to team build for, however I felt he had the tools to win this game. Looking at the team, Manaphy, Life Orb hazards Nidoqueen, and Scarf Metagross can play good offensive roles for this game, especially if I can at least setup Tail Glow. Zapdos was brought here to mainly to deal with the Blastoise and gain momentum for the team with Volt Switch, and of course Reflect to cut the damage of all physical moves in half. Gourgeist had an interesting set in Bullet Seed to break Mimikyu's Disguise and Sludge Bomb to handle Tapu Bulu more efficiently. Lastly Specs Rimbombee was a last minute choice but felt ok at the time since it can 2HKO most of his team and can provide Sticky Web support.  

In terms of the actual battle, I had a good amount of momentum up until turn 11 when I decided to "sack" Zapdos for setuping screens. Honestly felt at the time this was a terrible play for what's to come later on that game since Zapdos had Roost, but at the time I felt there wasn't any usefulness aside to setup the Reflect. What it really came down to was most my team getting picked chipped initially from the likes of Mimikyu, Gigalith, and the apparent scarf Heliolisk. Scarf Metagross really wasn't the best Pokemon to utilize for this game and it getting hit by 50% from Mimikyu wasn't the best trade either. As mentioned, this battle did seem as is we were doing well up until turn 11, which at that point didn't realize my opponent was setting up for a Reunclus sweep. 

When it was Nidoqueen v Reuniclus, I thought about going for Earth Power but decided it was best to save it for Metagross instead to try an Explode or Trick it, but once it setup Trick Room, I realized it was too late. By that point I was practically forced to try and sack my Pokemon here and there. As a result of this onslaught, the I wasn't able to recover and didn't have the resources needed to win out as Gamma can just sack mons for a Reuniclus endgame. If there was one teambuilding mistake I'd made, it was not considering a 50% berry on one of my mons or the possibility of Light Screen on Zapdos. Umbreon might have been a better call over Ribombee, but it open a door to Terrakion to setup with any Justified boosts. 

Overall, this battle exposed my teams issues with speed tiers and special bulk as there was few ways I'd be able to respond to an offensive cores, especially if they were powerful special attackers. Surprisingly was able to handle the sand core of Gigalith, Excadrill, and Heliolisk, however Reuniclus just cleaned my team. Speaking of Reuniclus, I had only two ways to beat in Heart Swap Manaphy and Trick Explosion Metagross, but again didn't prepared for a possible Trick Room route. This was essentially one of those battles that was rather eye opening to see the strengths and weakness of the team as well as spark and possible movements. Despite these calls for change, do give my opponent Gamma credit for beating me down the way it happen. Goes to show how much planning and battle experience is needed to be on your toes in a draft league

Artist: Mark331

WEEK 2: St. Louis Swablus (Wenwuk) - Replay

My Team: Zapdos, Entei (Z), Kyurem (Z), Metagross (Z), Ribombee, Gourgeist, Manaphy, Nidoqueen, Umbreon, Type: Null, Cryogonal

His Team: Hydreigon, Zygarde 50% (Z), Roserade, Mantine, Swellow (Z), Magmar, Mega Steelix, Florges, Lucario (Z), Vikivolt Toxapex


At this point I was convinced the upcoming schedule for the Nidokings was one the hardest after losing to Gamma and now facing Wenwuk who's rather experience in the draft league format. The team Wenwuk drafted might seem rather unorthodox but I felt there was strong potential from both his defensive, and even offensive options to beating me. The wall core of Mantine, Florges, Toxapex, and of course Mega Steelix was by far going to be difficult to break What annoyed me the most when teambuilding was the prospect of facing both Toxapex and Mantine who both had Haze to remove the boosts from Manaphy while they recover or toxic stall. Even offensive threats such as Swellow, Hydreigon, Zygarde, and Lucario to me had the potential to sweep my team if given the chance. The way I'd approached this battle was to bring Tail Glow Manaphy with Psychic (expecting no Mantine), offensive Zapdos to deal heavy damage to most of his mons, and Kyurem to setup Substitute in prime positions when Mantine or Toxapex were in. Metagross and Nidoqueen were brought given they at least can pressure his wall core with the appropriate coverage and had good bulk (or in Nido's case Shuca Berry) to revenge Zygarde. Lastly Cryogonal was added as my scarfer given the lack of revenge options for Swellow, Scarf Hydreigon, and again Zygarde.

To be frank, this battle wasn't clean as I'd hope given the amount of misses and crits on both sides. If there was one thing I regret, its that I didn't have HP Electric Manaphy to break thru Mantine, otherwise it was actually good game from there. Instead the battle is sluggish on my end as I attempt to halt Wenwuk offense while breaking his walls. Despite missing some Heat Waves, Zapdos manages to deal some considerable damage to most of Wen's team, however it eventually falls to Zygarde as it tanks the HP Ice with a Yache Berry. In a swing of momentum, Cryogonal manages to scare off the Zygarde, however am faced with a Lucario instead with the possibility of setup. With most of my team taken some damage, Kyurem remains as the last major Pokemon that poses a serious threat to Wenwuk, and of course it does. After gaining a Sub on Mantine, Kyurem is able to kill Roserade on a sack and a Lucario as it broke the Substitute.  However Hydreigon is able to put a stop Kyurem's slight bout, so Nidoqueen is sacked. 

In a three v three situation, Metagross, Kyurem, and Manaphy were my best chances to win the game and knew it probably come down to prediction. In one instance, Wenwuk correctly predicts my switchout to my Kyurem to kill it off, however in an unfortunate twist misses his Draco Meteor. This alone shatters the momentum from the prediction to my favor as it dies to the Ice Beam. With a weaken Mantine and Zygarde, Metagross is able to pick off the remaining Pokemon with its bulk and thus steal a win here. Will like to mention this one of the best games I had in awhile especially come off from an extended break. Didn't expect to win this game, and rightfully so given the actual outcome, though Wenwuk did say I did have a better matchup. 

As for the Draco Meteor miss, it did matter since at that point all what Wenwuk had to do was sack Hydreigon via doing chip damage to Metagross via Dark Pulse and then revenge with Zygarde to win the game. Then again given his fear of a potential Shuca Berry on Metagross, he might have saved Hydeigon, which ironically gives me a chance to win assuming Mantine is sacked and him immediately bringing in Hyderigon. It would come down to Manaphy tanking an Extreme Speed from Zygarde but it be close. Either way, this doesn't excuse the fact both my play and to a degree preparation wasn't on point. I know its rather unfortunate for Wenwuk since he now had a 0-2 start via bad hax, but its one of those things we can't prepare for anyways. We'll take the win no doubt as it helps for the next batch of strong opponents. 

Artist: Ishman

WEEK 3: Mesa Macargos (GingerxPug - "Ryan") - Replay

My Team: Zapdos, Entei (Z), Kyurem (Z), Metagross (Z), Ribombee, Gourgeist, Manaphy, Nidoqueen, Umbreon, Type: Null, Cryogonal


His Team: Dragonite, Chansey, Golisopod (Z),Gardevoir (Z), Aggron, Tangela, Mega Pidgeot, Infernape (Z), Ditto, Lanturn
Gengar


Going in this battle, I'd already made some important transactions to take advantage of the upcoming free agency for these Pokemon and as mention will be the last games for a couple members, even Bloo included. Don't want to dive on the topic further, just know by now we made key moves that will help long-term for the team's success. Getting back to the battle, GingerxPug, or Ryan is one of the original members of PFA who has stick out throughout the this time and he's one of the best battlers from our group. If there was any who can possible beat me, it was Ryan with his rather interesting strong offensive core of Dragonite, Gardevoir, Infernape, Gengar and Mega Pidgeot. There were some ubiquitous threats such as the Chansey and Ditto who practically can halt any potential setup from Manaphy. Lanturn was another Pokemon that can give Ryan momentum with the Volt Switch, but can deal with both Zapdos and Manaphy which I intended on bringing. Golisopod, Aggron, and Tangela were Ryan's last selection, though didn't expect them to come since they fair poorly against my team, though Golisopod can setup Spikes at least. 

Given the matchup, I decided it be best for Manaphy to play the role as a Choice Scarfer along with bringing Extreme Speed Entei to pick off his team. Given the opportunity,  both Kyurem and Entei had Substitute to able to take a Seismic Toss from Chansey without breaking, and possible setup or lure is other mons in. Kyurem's case in particular was actually a mono attacking set with Z-Ice Beam as an option to blast thru Gardevoir or Dragonite with its Multiscale. The main draw was the move Endeavor, which might sound weird for a Pokemon with High HP like Kyurem, but I get to about 50% of my HP total, Endeavor would deal up to 75% to no special bulk Eviolite Chansey, thus allowing me to nuke it with Z Ice Beam.  Entei was a similar set with Howl to attempt to setup its Attack stat enough where Sacred Fire and E-Speed can pick off most of his team. The last mons I selected were Assault Vest Metagross, Defensive Zapdos, and Poison Point Nidoqueen with Stealth Rocks...which I did ran to 1) not let Gardevoir trace Sheer Force, and 2) poison stuff. 

In terms of the battle, it really came down to who was best prepared, and judging by Ryan's play and even sets midway, I can already tell he used the same team and sets as last week. The momentum of the battle when to my favor the moment Gardevoir went down to a Z-Ice Beam as Kyurem was able to deal with a huge threat. Nidoqueen deserves some mention here as it was able to deal with the rather annoying Infernape. From there Zapdos, Nidoqueen, and eventually Entei manage to pick apart the team slowly but surely. There was a brief scare when Zapdos was almost knocked out by the Golisopod, who I recognized as a Choice Band set. The endgame was basically Entei setting up a Substitute and using Sacred Fire to beat the Golisopod and the Chansey having both been severely weaken. Overall 4-0 win in the Nidokings favor.

Likewise I didn't went to in-depth here since Ryan was too busy with irl stuff mostly school and work so he didn't prep or play as well as he told. Do think there was some good play from Ryan via using Shadow Ball on the predicted Metagross and the Choice Band Liquidation on Zapdos which narrowly got the kill. If Ryan had time to prepare for the following battles, think he might have made a good run in dealing Zapdos or Entei which both had good matchups, In the end, I won't harp my opponent down since the match shouldn't be taken seriously after all.

Conclusion

Hope everyone enjoyed the read and most importantly the battles! Next time I'll discuss the upcoming free agency transactions for the team along with the next three battles for the NBA with the new squad. As mentioned some of these games were interesting to say the least and we still managed to get a decent 2-1 record start despite the setbacks in week 1. As the Nidokings progress into the season, we'll continue to discuss the upcoming matchups and battles that will likely make or break our season.

The Eye of the Tiger: A VGC 17 Team Report (PS)

The Eye of the Tiger: A VGC 17 Team Report (PS)

Artist: mudkipbubble

Forward: Before continuing this team report there is one thing I want to address to everyone. No.... I'm not dead. Just busy. Lately there's been some shit on my plate I to address and actually wanted to make an update around early May, yet haven't due to the lack of time. To be honest, not sure whether there will be an update of sorts in this blogspot of mine. Its been now several months at this point and yeah I am disappointed I wasn't able to post this alot sooner, though better late than never. 
If there's anything I wanted to say is I honestly not sure whether there will be any usual blog updates compared to in the past couple years. Quite frankly I love writing, especially about Competitive Pokemon, though the interest has died down given my lack of time on Showdown or Battle Spot lately. Do keep up with the metagame shifts here and there, but not to a point where I can distinguish cores from one another. Was going to write my thoughts about the VGC 17 format as a whole, yet might pass on that prospect. What's more I've revamp a Youtube channel for myself where I've uploaded about 25+ video in the past month, which I never thought would be possible. More accurately its best to say my attention shifted from making blog posts to videos now, though I do want to give a proper explanation on the future of this blogpost and all as I'm entering a strange new chapter both in my life and in the Pokemon Community. 

Note: Most the Blogpost below was written around May but was since neglected here and there where I casually updated it with sections until July and late Jan of 2018. Guess better late than never but this is my adieu to VGC 17.

Background of Team

(Long Ass Story)

After Pokemon Showdown VGC 17 ladder (AROUND Late April), all I can say I "finally" got my footing on this format back after a two month hiatus. Honestly the past months I've found myself struggling with stuff I didn't expect to occur such as dealing with Hyper Offensive oriented teams and Hard Trick Room teams (then again... those teams are HO in nature so you're going to make to out think the opponent anyways. The biggest issue for me was how to address teams just from looking at a team building and preserving my win cons as best as possible without losing much. Z-Moves do play a role in this as almost every time I can't seem to "outmaneuver" around Z-Moves without having one of my Pokemon OHKOed or getting their HP chunked significantly. Basically the past months was me trying to find a good well-balanced team that can take as much punishment as possible, and retaliate as the following turn knowing well I can OHKO my opponent's mons afterward. 

After all of this, I decided to go back to the teams that "worked" well for me in the past, but only have some minor to considerable improvements to them. One of those teams was an AFK team that got me to 3rd on the PS ladder way back in early January using a team similar to Yoshi's Winning Leipzig Regional team featuring Mandibuzz and the ever popular Recycle Snorlax. To this day, found it strange that I was using a team similar to that team specially before it was released.  For those who don't know, Snorlax got a massive buff in this gen with the addition of High Horsepower and the now meta-defining "50% FIWAM Berries" which give Snorlax a strong recover option. For awhile I stayed away from using Snorlax since most of my team had one to try out some new stuff, yet found almost every time I find myself using Snorlax at in some form. 

After Snorlax, we get to AFK featuring Arcanine, Tapu Fini and Kartana which I still think its one of the well-established cores in the format people still need to prepare for. The premise of the three revolve around using the Fire-Water-Grass cores that's been well documented on most balance teams. I still don't get why people discredit this core when honestly its extremely strong if played well especially with how these three Pokemon can basically cover each other's weaknesses well and while having their own traits. Arcanine provides Intimidate support, Fini cancels the other three Tapus's opposing terrains while nullifying status, and Kartana being an incredibly dangerous attacker who can get going with potential Attack Beast Boosts. Likewise, all three Pokemon on this team have underwent some notable changes from their sets which helped in the overall team effort as we'll get to in a bit. 

As much as I like AFK, I am still rather weak to opposing or similar team variants, or mirror matches. As a result, decided the "best" Pokemon here was non other than Tapu Koko for hitting all three Pokemon with Electric Terrain Thunderbolt while outspeeding a good portion of the format. There wasn't much I wanted to add aside the fact that Tapu Koko is honestly the best cleaner in the game with its blistering fast 130 speed and boosted Electric attacks. The last mon added was a toss-up between whether keeping Alolan Ninetales or Mandibuzz from the original team, but I decided Mandibuzz helped long-term for its great support value for the team and disruption moves like Foul Play and Snarl. 

Well I guess its onto the team it is:


TEAM

Tapu Koko @ Electrium Z  
Ability: Electric Surge  
Level: 50  
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe  
Timid Nature  
IVs: 0 Atk  
- Thunderbolt  
- Dazzling Gleam  
- Taunt  
- Protect  



Tapu Koko is still one of the best Pokemon in the format given its potential to fire fast STABS, including its own Z-Thunderbolt at any target that needs to go. Definitely the key to using Tapu Koko is to be able to maintain offensive pressure as best as possible without "wasting" turns, which definitely includes targeting down a threat with Z-Thunderbolt for an OHKO or significant damage. Do miss using Life Orb Modest Koko from time to time here, but honestly Timid speed allows me to outspeed or speed tie with opposing Koko which can be extremely important to getting off the damage. Aside the increased speed creep, Tapu Koko has Taunt to disrupt my opponent's plans whether they're attempting to setup Trick Room, replenish HP, boost their stats, and etc. Honestly fast Taunt is the best "filler" on Tapu Koko given its high natural speed allows it to disrupt before potentially going down to an attack. 

Kartana @ Choice Scarf  
Ability: Beast Boost  
Level: 50  
EVs: 4 HP / 148 Atk / 4 Def / 100 SpD / 252 Spe  
Jolly Nature  
- Leaf Blade  
- Smart Strike  
- Night Slash  
- Sacred Sword  


Here we have a stupid paper alien thing capable of  sweeping unprepared teams with is high attack and speed.  At the start of the format, most of my Kartana sets were either Assault Vest or Focus Sash with little experimentation. Both items have their merits, yet didn't have a sorta surprise factor in them since my opponents can beat AV with a Fire or strong special attacker, and Sash can be deadweight at times. After testing some items (including Z-Moves), Choice Scarf was an option that was extreme viable for this team. for a number of reasons. Kartana is one of the fastest Pokemon in the VGC 17 format with a threatening Attack stat already built in. With Scarf Kartana, I can get the jump on naturally fast Pokemon such as Pheromosa and Tapu Koko while outspeeding opposing Scarfers such as Garchomp, Tapu Lele, and Nihilego. One last thing I found useful with Kartana is usually I tend to use it as a lead with Koko to attempt to deal chip damage so Koko can knock out the target with a Z-Thunderbolt. This is useful especially against bulky Arcanine and Mimikyu which the latter can be a pain to deal with for this team. Overall Kartana was perhaps the most unpredictable member of the team, given the item choice and lead option, but do feel like at the time Koko Kart was a justifiable lead before the end of the format. 

Arcanine @ Iapapa Berry  
Ability: Intimidate  
Level: 50  
EVs: 204 HP / 12 Atk / 76 Def / 204 SpD / 12 Spe  
Impish Nature  
- Flare Blitz  
- Extreme Speed  
- Will-O-Wisp  
- Leer  


Everyone's favorite pupper. So basically I wanted to try out a "balanced" Arcanine set capable of being disruptive, bulky, dealing good damage, and helping the team effort. The moveset is fairly standard with Flare Blitz for STAB, Extreme Speed for priority, and Wisp to neuter Physical Attackers (with a Fini on this team I know).  The only thing worth mentioning before we get to out secret ingredient is the 50% Berry or the Iapapa Berry in this case. Let me start by saying these berries are second next to the Z-crystals as the most influential items in the current format. In all my past two time playing on Pokemon have I've seen opponents being capable of making "comebacks" especially with the advent of these berries. While it might sound trick at first to activate them given the 25% benchmark, when it does activate Pokemon like Arcanine can find itself in a better position as before. Heck players now use Flare Blitz on Arcanine mostly to be able to activate these berries in a pinch to replenish that extra 50% HP. which definitely helps.  

What sets this Arcanine apart from the others is a stupid early game move we all delete for Ember or some OP TM/HM shit: Leer. The idea of using Leer came around as early as December 2016 when facing some guy with a Prankster Leer Sableye to weaken opponents for say Garchomp or Kartana. With Leer, Arcanine drops "BOTH" the targets' defenses by one stage, allowing my main physical attackers like Kartana and Snorlax to punch throw targets they would not OHKO to begin with. Of course my opponents have the chance to switch out to deter the defense drops, but what happens when its just Arcanine and Snorlax/Kartana versus a three remaining Pokemon? Where this is getting at is Leer can actually pressure my opponent to the point that my team benefits from this, but Arcanine doesn't have to worry about having a lackluster attack investment. 

Tapu Fini @ Wiki Berry  /  Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge  
Level: 50  
EVs: 236 HP / 132 Def / 4 SpA / 76 SpD / 60 Spe  
Calm Nature  
IVs: 0 Atk  
- Moonblast  
- Muddy Water  
- Calm Mind  
- Protect  


Tapu Fini has been the most consistently used Water-type on most of my teams for good reason. Like what Pokemon does a good job at shutting down status, threatening Dragon-types, and being incredibly defensive even for most defensive Water-types? I know Tapu Fini has gotten some slack from people lately, but still standby it as one of the best Pokemon in the format thanks to its various traits mentioned. At the start of the season, Fini was a Leftover Calm Mind setters and was actually decent, except there are situations where I want more "immediate" HP. Thanks to the buffed Wiki Berry, Tapu Fini can replenish about 50% recovery which has proved far useful than just passive 1/16th HP recovery from Leftovers. Like don't get me wrong, but having that extra instant recovery was amazing at certain points in the game and can directly shift the tide of the battle at times.  Overall, do appereciate the introduction of Tapu Fini into the VGC and Doubles format given how impacting Misty Terrain can be to prevent status options, and even prevent random 10% chances from influencing the game. 

Snorlax @ Figy Berry  
Ability: Gluttony  
Level: 50  
EVs: 148 HP / 76 Atk / 180 Def / 100 SpD  
Brave Nature  
IVs: 0 Spe  
- Facade / Return 
- Curse  
- High Horsepower  
- Recycle  

Milestones: 
- Tanks most Z-Move attacks (Lele's Z-Psychic, Koko's Z-Thunder, Garchomp's Z-EQ, etc) 
- Garchomp's EQ is a 5HKO (also far better with Curse boosts
-  Lele's Psychic Terrain-boosted Psychic is a 3HKO (mostly of the time)


Honestly Snorlax is the true MVP of this team thanks to its new berry mechanics and setup potential which itself its a win con. Aside any Fighting-types, Z-Fighting moves (I'm looking at you Kartana -_-), or even boosted hits, Snorlax can attempt to setup some curses and muscle opposing teams thanks to its natural bulk and high HP stat.  Let me just say this, for a time I thought Curse Gluttony Snorlax perhaps the best Pokemon of VGC 17 especially in the early to mid season. Keep in mind, Snorlax has a high 160 HP Stat and 110 Special Defense stat to eat up a most of the strongest STAB and Z-Moves in the with the proper boosts and investment listed.  Thanks to the Gluttony-Recycle combination, Snorlax now has an viable recovery option to abuse over and over. What cool about this is if my opponent leaves Snorlax just below 50%, it will instantly get back 50% to its HP total, thus effectively giving Snorlax potentially more HP than before. High Horsepower is a great addition to Snorlax as it now has a single target Ground-type move to hit common Pokemon such as Arcanine, Tapu Koko, Nihilego, Alolan Marowak, Alolan Muk, Magnezone, etc. Curse is the crux of this set as it allows Snorlax to boosts its Attack and Defense stat by one stage at the cost of lowering its already low Speed stat. 

Will like to note Curse is extremely beneficial for Snorlax as it can act as a great Trick Room counter when in the field condition, even underspeeding Torkoal after a Curse boost. To explain why Snorlax has Facade over Return, well originally this was the reverse until mid season. Once people started using opposing terrain Pokemon as switch ins to the inflict a status option like a Burn or Toxic, Snorlax would get crippled in offense or longevity. In order to alleviate this weakness, Snorlax can use Facade to take advantage of these situations and when paired with Curse, break down opposing teams. Facade was also selected do Celesteela itself as usually the person tries to go for the burn and if Snorlax goes get inflicted, then it can overpower Leech Seed Celesteela in a 1v1. There are also some strange, yet funny scenarios when using Curse Lax with Leer Arcanine to pressure my opponent as they'll have both Pokemon with -1 Defenses. 

Though I did use Snorlax as a early-mid-late game Pokemon, keeping it as healthy as possible with as many partner is alway appreciated. This is why I try to utilize Arcanine's Intimidate ability to keep dropping the Attack stat of the opposing side by minus 1 throughout the course of the battle. Will like to mention having the Double Fairy option in Tapu Koko and Tapu Fini is appreciated as they are the best answers to opposing Fighting-type Pokemon such as Hariyama, Buzzwole, or sometimes Pheromosa...(yeah maybe not at times for this one.)  Overall Curse Snorlax was one of the most dangerous threats in VGC 17 especially towards the middle given how bulky this bear is. It never ceases to amaze me how a couple changes to a single Pokemon can turn them into of the best in the doubles format. Hopefully I'll continue to utilize Snorlax when I can. 

Mandibuzz @ Misty Seed  
Ability: Overcoat  
Level: 50  
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 4 SpA / 228 SpD / 20 Spe  
Calm Nature  
IVs: 0 Atk  
- Foul Play  
- Snarl  
- Roost  
- Tailwind  / Toxic 

Finally we have a Pokemon I'd didn't come close to thinking it be viable in VGC 17: Mandibuzz. During the search for a 6th slot member the team needed another Pokemon who can reliably counter Garchomp, Tapu Lele, and Metagross while giving me a good speed control option. Mandibuzz actually fulfills this roles comfortably with the array of support options from the likes of Foul Play, Snarl, Tailwind, Toxic, and Roost for recovery. Now the reason why Mandibuzz become one of the linchpins of the team is Misty Seed, which in tandem with Tapu Fini gives the Dark/Flying-type a boost to its special defense, thus allowing it to take on opposing special attackers. Snarl helps Mandibuzz fulfill this role as with the -1 drops to their special attack, this allows Mandibuzz, and the rest of my team to take special moves better.  Though not seen as support, STAB Foul Play allows Mandibuzz to hit many Physical Pokemon such as Garchomp, Kartana, Arcanine, and Snorlax for good damage. If Mandibuzz ever needs to recover any HP, Roost is helpful to replenish lost HP.  Overall Mandibuzz served as a great tank for the team a great amount of utility that surprisingly held its own in a very fluid format. 

Threats

"Random" Z-Moves: Alright I'm not lying by saying that Z-Moves are completely bust imo and can sway the battle in just about anyone favor, if timed correctly, you have to admit this team isn't fullproof when it comes to them. Usually I'd try my best to see how my opponent is positioning themselves to determine whether a certain Z-Move attack will come from say Chomp, Kartana, or Pheromosa (btw all three kinda give me problems). If there was a full list of Z-moves this team doesn't enjoy taking, its definitely Z-Sacred Sword from Kartana or Z-Focus Blast from Pheromosa as both can essentially OHKO my main Pokemon Snorlax immediately, especially with some prior damage.  Other Z-Attack such as Z-Thunderbolt from Koko / Xurkitree, or Z-EQ from Chomp are annoying to deal with, but only if my opponent has me "pinned" down or so though generally speaking my fast mode should be able to deal with those two. 


Mimikyu - Snorlax: Every time I face these two, its always a 50/50 mind game when it comes to guessing who's going to setup Trick Room, and/or go with the Belly Drum immediately. Yes I know for "that" guy saying, " OH wait you have Kartana  + Taunt Koko, and therefore these two shouldn't be an issue"...except I'm scarfed while Koko can easily die to a random Z-Move or I walk myself into a Mental Herb variant. To make matters worse, I don't know the item on Mimkyu and usually have to commit to "assuming" it doesn't have Focus Sash as I don't have a good way around this. If I do double target with Kartana + Koko, it be against the Mimikyu as I have to break the Disguise and "hope" that my opponent doesn't have Focus Sash. Sometimes Taunting the Snorlax is a fail-safe, though they can carry protect sometimes, meaning that Mimikyu can get to +6 via Psych Up the following turn while I'm forced to deal with the Lax. 

PS: If Roar Arcanine is your suit, well I guess you should use it over Leer to improve the matchup, but be warned that it can't stop late game Mimikyu or Snorlax from setting up without anyone to phaze out.


Porygon-Z - Smeargle:  Oh where to I begin with this one... yeah this is basically a coin flip unless I somehow "know" and "predict" what sets both Normal-types are before going for turn 1. Once again, my go-to lead here is Koko and Scarf Kartana as Kartana easily outspeeds any Scarf PZ variant and threatens for the OHKO, which that alone my opponent will likely go for the Fake Out. As for Tapu Koko, its extremely important to decide whether I'm going to go for the Taunt on Smeargle or Z-Thunderbolt onto the PZ as getting a quick KO or neutralizing them can help tremendously once Snorlax gets in to have its way. Usually the Smeargle is Focus Sash, if its Scarf...at least Scarf Kart can outspeed. Porygon-Z might be able to get a Trick Room or Z-Conversion up depending on how the opponent engages with the Smeargle, whether to Fake Out, Follow Me, or brazenly Protect.  Might as well say it.... to beat cheese... you must use your own cheese and slice it. 


FAKEPG: Just listing this common team since I do face it many time on the ladder so might as well dissect this one. My go to for this one is generally my AFK core with Snorlax in the back as Fini cancels out the Electric Terrain from Koko while Arcanine can get off Intimidates on the potential Arcanine, Kartana, and even Gigalith. Essentially this game comes down to how well I can manage my AFK core and most importantly Lax in order to stomp then thru with Curses-boosted attacks. If Porygon2 has Toxic for Lax, wonderful as I can punch immediate hole on my opponent's team with Facade boosted hits, especially if I just spam Leer with Arcanine. Speaking of Leer, this is one of the few times I'd recommend using Leer for the matchup, especially for the end game as Kartana and Snorlax can potentially clean house here. 


Conclusion: So it took me about 5 months (NOW OVER A YEAR) to write this team, but really its been the most consistent team I've used on Showdown. To be frank, this team was a variation of several similar team with the same AFK cores with Snorlax. Some things like Leer Arcanine or the Scarf Kartana might seem like gimmicks or memes though they can be rather useful at certain points in the battle. It might take a while to get use to the team, but its really fun to use if you play it especially in Bo1 settings like Showdown or Battle Spot. Not sure how this team would play in an actual VGC 17 tournament, but at least its somewhat of a unique take an already familiar good stuff teams we've seen lately. 

NBA Season 6 Draft Analysis and Season So Far

NBA Season 6 Draft Analysis

The over-analysis machine is back in full gear!

Following an abrupt end in season 4 as well as season long hiatus, the Los Angeles Nidokings finally return to the their former league they've long been called home. Not going to lie, its been a long time I've decided to do writeups for my blogsite featuring the teams crafted week-by-week, even so detailing the matchups that come from these battles. Given the noticeable neglect from this site, its time to pump out bi-weekly content in regards to our matchups in the NBA (formerly PFA) and see how the LA Nidokings can achieve victory...maybe add another title to the mix. If anything, lets get this started.

For this season of PFA / NBA, the league would consist of 16 players drafting 11 Pokemon all based on our own tiering system. Players must have fill in the following A-E Tier slots with C tier being two mons draft in each team. Following that we have 5 slots where each team must select 5 Pokemon while not going over a budget of 400. Tiering for Budget Pokemon for these goes as follows: A - 180, B - 120, C - 100, D - 60, and E - 40 points. In addition to these four, each team must only have 1 S tier Pokemon for balancing purposes and is treated as its own tiering system with four levels S1 thru S4 from highest viability to lowest. S Tier Pokemon not only consist of all Mega Pokemon, but as well as extremely potent and strong Pokemon who can downright entire teams like say Mega Charizard X or Manaphy. 

To elaborate on the S Tiering further, most S Tier Pokemon come with a discount price such as S3 and S4 increasing a players point total to 40 or 80 points respectively. S2 Tier Pokemon do not cost any points towards a budget, however Pokemon who are in S1 have a fairly high price of 100 points deducted to one's point total. The last measure was likely to ensure people who draft certain S1 Pokemon can't really pickup highly tier or sought after teammates so easily without considering their budget. Though I didn't have a say on the matter in part of my departure, this was definitely a good way to balance out the teams that might even have two S Tier mons in previous season or great composition without using much points. Will leave a link to how the Season 6 drafts with all the tiering and the up-to-date spreadsheet of the teams and records. 

To start, I'm not going to discuss the team I've drafted since now its kinda seems almost irrelevant to disclose mons who didn't do much for the team or even were dropped. There have already been a few matches done on my end so far and want to get to them, however it might be better to analyze the team I have given the transactions made from Week 3. Note these are going to be the Pokemon I have concurrent to my team and that have a role in the LA Nidoking roster, so lets get to it.

S Tier: Mega Lopunny

So originally this slot was actually Bloo the Manaphy given my own tardiness to select a mon by several minutes (thanks to over sleeping!) and the guys from NBA actually picking this for me. That was actually nice of them to do especially how many time Bloo has kinda kicked everyone's asses (except two times) and could have skipped me entirely. So why did I drop Bloo despite this? Well I guess it has to be due to the fact Bloo cost me an additional 100 points to my budget which didn't help my overall team at large. In the seasons prior, Manaphy was an OU tier pick, and soon an S Tier option where it was easier to allocate point totals or slots. This was especially notable after my first season loss in Season 6 where my team didn't synergize well, and yeah... it was time for a change. This wasn't an easy choice at first, but as I looked into the undrafted listings and a couple trades, I couldn't get a reasonably strong team to my liking. Then I remembed how I did the exact thing in Season 4 when I dropped my Mega Pokemon for Mega Blastoise for points, which actually helped long term. So if anyone knows how to blow up their teams for playoff effectiveness, its me.

Enter Mega Lopunny. This was the Pokemon I dropped in Season 4 almost the same reason as above mainly due to points. Back in Season 4 before it was dropped, Mega Lopunny was the league leader in kills per game and over MVP due to how strong it hits and cleans up opposing teams with its fast 135 Speed and 136 Attack. While Normal- and Fighting-type coverage might not seem as a strong offensive typing, Lopunny's Mega Ability, Scrappy effectively gives it perfect coverage to hit all Pokemon in the game with STAB options like Return, Drain Punch, or High Jump Kick. In addition to its powerful STAB options, Mega Lopunny has all the elemental punches for solid coverage, priority options in Fake Out / Quick Attack, Baton Pass for momentum, and even semi cleric support options like Heal Bell and Healing Wish. Chances are Mega Lopunny will likely be in an offensive role, either creating the offense or cleanup opposing team that have already been chipped from my other teammates. Do want to stress how important the speed stat for Mega Lopuny is for my team since base 135 is one of the fastest Pokemon in the game, meaning I'm either going to outspeed many threats, or my opponents will try to use speed control options or Scarfers to mitigate this Pokemon. Perhaps that is the biggest reason why I dropped Manaphy for Mega Lopunny since Manaphy needs that one turn to setup Tail Glow or CMs to go off, while Mega Lopunny can just go off immediately, especially with my somewhat balance team. This is a Pokemon I know that can get the job done for my team and will be among the one of many Pokemon who stands out in this roster. 

A Tier: Zapdos

Aside Manaphy, this Electric/Flying-type Pokemon has been the most selected out of my many drafts mainly because how reliable it has been in battle. Cannot stress how strong and well-rounded a Pokemon Zapdos is for this team as its acts as a potent wall with reliable recovery, offensive pivot, and potentially wall breaking capabilities with its base 125 Special Attack stat. As an Electric/Flying-type, Zapdos can threaten nearly every Water-, and Flying-type Pokemon and can stand toe to toe against Grass-, Steel-, Bug, Fighting-, and of course, its immunity to Ground-type attacks. Zapdos is just one of those Pokemon who can almost do it all and that's exactly what I strive when teambuilding with the multiple roles it plays. Do have to be concerned about its only two weaknesses being Ice- and Rock-type hits, which of course make it weak to Stealth Rocks. Zapdos is one of those Pokemon who can Defog entry hazards or even defensive screens away from my team, but chances are likely I might suit for a semi mixed role as an offensive pivot or even walling capabilities, so might let it take the damage. In terms of coverage, Zapdos nets a strong variety of coverage moves such as the ever present STAB Thunderbolt, Discharge for paralysis chance, Heat Wave for Steel-, Bug- and Grass-types, Flying STAB like Air Cutter, pivoting options such as STAB Volt Switch, U-turn, and Baton Pass, Dual Screen potential, and reliable recovery in Roost. Speaking of Roost. Zapdos is one of the best Pokemon to utilize the ability Pressure due to its solid typing and only one weakness to ground-type when grounded. Thanks to Pressure's effect of reducing a Pokemon's PP of a Move by 2 instead of the normal 1, Zapdos can potentially render mons useless from their best coverage or offensive options, which can open the door for key mons. On a final note, Zapdos also has the ability Static, which also plays to having to use Roost Stalling tactics as if my opponents make contact, Zapdos can potentially paralyze them to neutralize their speed.  After using Zapdos to great use in PFA S3 and DBL S2 I strongly think it will be one of my best Pokemon on this roster who can definitely pressure its foes.

B Tier Pick No 1: Entei

Entei was selected around the time many Fire-type Pokemon were getting picked including a couple I've thought of snagging beforehand. Either way, Entei is a great offensive wallbreaker capable of using its strong Fire-type STAB options from Sacred Fire or Flare Blitz, to out-prioritizing my opponent with Extreme Speed. Do want to give a special mention to Sacred Fire as its perhaps of of the best physically offensive Fire-types attack in the game with its no drawback 50% chance to burn the targets down. Strangely, Entei did in fact get a minor buff in its movepool with an new stronger Ground-type move in Stomping Tantrum, which even then is 15 point difference in power compared to that of Bulldoze. Still Entei has the reliable Quake Edge combo to pull off in the event of facing opposing Fire-types. As my 3rd overall pick, not so sure about why I got Entei that high, though that partially explained with how people magically going for Fire-types like Infernape (cough I know who I'll have to beat up!) The only issues I have with Entei as a whole is the lackluster moveset and the fact it must run Adamant Nature to use certain moves such as ExtremeSpeed or Flare Blitz for that matter. Don't think Entei is a bad Pokemon thanks to its high Attack and even HP totals. Guess it might come down to Entei hitting its Sacred Fires... which I know I'll miss more than three times. 

B Tier Pick No 2: Nidoqueen

Despite giving much insight regarding my Entei pickup, do have much to say about Nidoqueen. By Round 4 I'd already notice people were gunning for type selections such as the sudden interest in Fire-, Fairy, and also Poison-type Pokemon. At this time do believe both Nidoqueen and Nidoking were available so decided to opt for the more "defensive" Pokemon given my lack of reliable hazard setters at this point in the draft. Personally I don't think Nidoqueen or even Nidoking had any advantages spare movesets and stat allocations, though at the end of the day the team really needed a good balance of offense and defensive roles. Enough of the backstory, Nidoqueen is one of the most dangerous Pokemon to prepare for when it comes to league given its massive offensive and support movepool it has. What makes Nidoqueens threatening is its Sheer Force ability, boosting the power of all moves with secondary effects by 1.3x which the damage alone can justify Nidoqueen's use in any battle. Even from its typing, Nidoqueen's Ground / Poison- type lets it help check and even counter many typing my team might struggle such as Electric, Fairy, Rock, and Fighting-type Pokemon, which the ladder whas definitely notable before I made major transactions. As mention before, one of the main reasons Nidoqueen was selected of its male counterpart was due to its better well-rounded bulk to make it a passable Stealth Rock and Toxic Spike support. Paired with strong coverage options such Flamethrower, Ice Beam, Sludge Wave, Earth Power, Thunderbolt, etc and even support moves like Taunt, Super Fang, and Roar, Nidoqueen is a mon that can do it all. Do believe at the end of the season, Nidoqueen will prove itself to be one of my best offensive setters and best defensive mon to go that far. 

B Tier Pick No 3: Florges

Originally Florges was part of my week 2 opponent's team Wenwuk, who decided to drop Florges for Celebi, another Pokemon I was actually contemplating on picking up when restructuring the team. Did have a Wish Passer in Umbreon already on my team but felt in the end Florges was far more offensively capable to deal consistent damage than the Dark-type bunny, which my opponent would far likely exploit.  To start, Florges is one of the interesting Pokemon who also has a surprisingly high BST with an astonishing 154 Special Defense stat! Literally if your team is asking for a special wall cleric, then Florges is one of the best one to gets in a draft format. It was rather surprising to note Florges got a minor "buff" as it can now Defog which I found rather unorthodox, but hey that's something to differentiate itself from other Fairy-types. Aside the Cleric or Defog support rule, Florges has a rather high 112 Special Attack which can surely make use of a Calm Mind set with even some coverage options like Giga Drain or Psychic. Perhaps the main reasons for Florges roll in the LA Nidoking squad is to fulfill my special wall needs and have a decent amount of Fight- , Dark-, and Dragon-type resistances which gladly helps out our team. Honestly not going to lie, I somehow managed to get Florges via Free Agency though guess its due coincidence. Regardless, do feel Florges will make be a strong member of the team, especially how Fairy-type Pokemon are one of the best defensive singular typings in the game to have.

C-Tier Pick No 1: Kyurem

If there was one Pokemon I actually wanted to draft for this season, it was Kyurem. In the two battles I've used Kyurem way back in one league I was in temporarily, this Dragon was an absolute monster.... literally. Don't let this Pokemon rather frail and elderly looking appearance fool you, Kyurem is one of the most strongest Dragon, and notably Ice-type Pokemon in Draft League. A BST of 660 with exceptionally high offensive stats of 130, a rather beefy 130/90/90 defensive stats, and solid 95 speed stat. Kyurem has to the potential to be an amazing wallbreaker, revenge killer, a setup variant, or even the dreaded Pressure stall it can perform better than most pressure users like Zapdos or Suicune. Offensively Kyurem's Dragon and Ice STAB from a high special attack stat forces my opponents to have strong checks or counter, notably Steel-type, which even then get hit hard with Earth Power or HP Fire. Yes I know Kyurem might have a limited movepool, but at least its not comparable to someone like Entei or Florges enough so that its one of my main designated Z-move users which can definitely leave a mark against its targets. Do want to give a special mention to Kyurem's bulk as a Pokemon with a exceptionally high HP of 125, above average defenses, access to recovery in Roost, and the ability Pressure makes Kyurem even more threatening. Should I chose, Kyurem has the the bulk to be a defensive wall on either the physical or special ends, making Kyurem a good candidate for pressure stalling my opponents valuable moves with a Sub Roost combo. As mention, few Pokemon really want to take STAB Ice Beams, Draco Meteors, or even coverage options even for valuable chip damage. Given the rather bulky offensive nature of my team, its was reasonable to pair Kyurem with other sturdy walls and setters such as Nidoqueen, Florges, Metagross, and others we'll get to.  Guess I'll end it, Kyurem main role is to effectively scare my opponents in which I can slowly chip at the gradually or become one of the main offense of the team. Will be fun to give this Dragon/Ice-type a go again.

C-Tier Pick No 2: Metagross

Think Metagross was selected by the time I got was looking to get other hazard Pokemon such as Nidoqueen to relieves its defensive duties for some battles. To be honest, wasn't completely convinced about keeping Metagross at first until after my second match of the week when it's bulk was able to clutch a victory (yes I know I got lucky... but that's Pokemon). After using Mega Metagross in a Double league last year, thought I'd give regular Metagross a try since its quite the powerful Psudeo Legendary Pokemon with that fantastic Attack and Defense stat. While that Steel/Psychic-typing is amazing for covering key resistances for my team, do feel like Metagross lack of recovery will be its downfall, so that was by Umbreon, and  now Florges was added to give its good synergy and wish passing. As mention, Metagross has access to powerful atttacking covering alongside its STAB Steel/Psychic types like Meteor Mash, Zen Headbutt, Bullet Punch, Earthquake, Pursuit. What I do love about regular Metagross even in general competitive is how its ability Clear Body pairs very well with its high attack stat in which no Intimidate or stat reducing Pokemon can make it weak or setup fodder. As such, Metagross can use a variety of items to good use such as Choice Band, Assault Vest, or even Scarf to augment its stat to further heights. On a last final note, Metagross also has a rather high 130 Defense stat to abuse as a physical wall to pair with its strong coverage options, therefore making it one of the sturdier threats on my team. 

C-Tier Pick No 3: Primarina

Now its time to discuss the water type replacement for our team: Primarina. At first it might seem as if we are essentially downgrading from a powerful wallbreaker and sweeper in Manaphy, to a rather semi offensive yet slow mon like Primarina, but that's not the case. To start, Primarina is one of the few coveted Pokemon with the rather strong Water/Fairy-typing, one which is shared by Pokemon such as Tapu Fini and Azumarill. While Manaphy maintain a rather steady 100 base special attack stat, Primarina has an exceptionally high 126 special offensive stat with access to powerful coverage options like Hydro Pump, Scald, Moonblast, Sparkling Aria, Psychic, Energy Ball etc. As mentioned earlier, Primarina's speed isn't the best, however due to its high special attack it makes use of offensive items such as Life Orb or Choice Specs to nearly most teams hard unless they have a dedicated special wall. Primarina can also make use of its incredibly diverse support options such as Encore, Duel Screens, Perish Song, Aqua Jet, Charm, etc just to name a few. What Primarina does well compared to its other bulky Water types is the fact it can play both offensive and defensive roles for a team effort. How will any enemy Pokemon be willing to switch into a Pokemon with 126 special attack and strong special coverage? Almost forgo to mention Primarina's respectable 116 special defense allows it to tank most non super effective special moves so it won't be going down soon. Definitely believe we have the team where Primarina can thrive thanks to potential wish support from Florges and strong checks to Poison-, Grass-, and Electric-type such as Nidoqueen, Kyurem, and Metagross. Guess that was the whole goal of restructuring the team by giving myself strong partners to pair from a balance perspective. If dropping Manaphy for a strong wall breakers, pivots, and bulky offensive Pokemon like Primarina in the end was my trade off, I don't regret it. 

D Tier Pick No 1: Ribombee 

The next selection is a rather odd Pokemon to see even from myself which is the Bug/Fairy-type Pokemon Ribombee. When it came around the later half of the draft, I've decided maybe it was time to pickup a viable fast mon with something unique about itself that differentiates from others and Ribombee is no exception. In addition to its fast 124 speed stat, Ribombee now has access to the ever prized Sticky Webs, an entry hazard that drops the speed of all Pokemon by a one stage. With access to Sticky Webs, Ribombee can make any speed issues on the roster a practical non-issue and can almost ensure them up thanks to its blitzing speed. Other role Ribombee might see into action might be a potential Quiver Dance setup, a Choice Specs attacker, dual screen setter, defog support, or some wacky powder set to mess up fire-types. Do think that's really all Ribombee can offer for this team as its defenses are kinda next to none and might fall prey to scarfers, priority users, or flat our bulky attackers with the special defense to tank any of Ribombee's hits.  Nonetheless guess Ribombee is more suited for offensive roles for my team and play a vital role in its support. 

D Tier Pick No 2: Miltank

My latest transaction selection from week 4 is everyone's favorite Pokemon they complained about in Gen 2: the Normal-type cow Miltank. To start off, this was originally a E Tier Pokemon in Cryogonal given I wanted to have another hazard control in Rapid Spin / Defog as well as a rather fast special wall. Right after my near loss to my opponent in Week 2, realized that having two Ice-type Pokemon who aren't employed in some hail offense whether its with Aurora Veil or good ol Blizzard spam. The main reasons I dropped Cryogonal for Miltank was infact I could get another D tier pick after dropping Manaphy and get another rocker to alleviate Nidoqueen and Metagross. Thanks to its 95 HP and 105 Defense, Miltank can serve as a solid physical wall thanks with access to recovery, status options like Thunder Wave / Toxic, and even a setup option thanks to the move Curse. As a Normal-type, Miltank yields a variety of attacks to chose from whether its the elemental punches, Earthquake, Hammer Arm, Punishment, Seismic Toss, and  of course a plethora of Normal-type STABs. There were other solid Stealth Rockers remaining from D-Tier like Seismatoad and Rhyperior, but Miltank stood out more mainly due to the variety of good abilities it can utilize which either give it Fire- and Ice-type resistances, immunity to Grass-types in Sap Sipper, or bypasses Ghost-type immunity of Normal- and Fighting-type moves with Scrappy. Essentially Miltanks gives me a solid check to many physical Fire-type and Ice-type Pokemon who might be a problem later on or even wall Grass-type Pokemon while getting attack boosts. Do want to keep in mind like all walls, Miltank needs to be as healthy as possible to be able to check those key threats to my team. Fortunately with the new team's solid Fighting-type resistances and good special defensive walls, this can alleviate Miltanks walling capabilities only to a select role where it can excel. 

E Tier Pick: Tangela

Finally the last Pokemon of the LA Nidoking Draft: Tangela! Alright maybe not to most exciting Pokemon to have but definitely the cutest mother fucker there is.... k idk why I went there. Alright Originally Tangela was a Ghost/Grass-type named Gourgeist which I thought was kinda pretty mediocre after my week 1 battle and was frankly redundant to bring. One of the main issues with Gourgeist was despite its solid defenses, stat allocations from all four forms, and even workable movepool, felt it would get worn down over time. Sure my week 1 battle was probably an outlier given how bad I played the endgame, but Gourgheist's couldn't keep up with the offensive pressure my opponent clearly illustrated in that matchup. Funny enough Gourgheist and Tangela were traded around week 3 when me and the guy already battled our opponent from week 1 and week 2 respectively. To be frank, I'm not sure how to fit Tangela unto this team especially with all the new bulk from Florges, Primarina, and Miltank mostly. Will say though thanks to the Eviolite, Tangela becomes one of the bulkiest physical walls imaginable. In tandem with recovery options such as Leech Seed, Synthesis, and of course the coveted Regenerator ability, Tangela can be an annoying threat to opposing teams. Its also no slouch on the support side with options like Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Toxic, Knock Off, Endeavor, Reflect, etc. Best way to describe Tangela is that its basically a poor man's Tangrowth...which is an obvious thing to say but true. Either way, I'll will figure out  how to make Tangela work this season of the NBA. 

Z-Crystal Holders

In terms of the designated Z-Captains for this league, there were a total of three potential user who all had to be in B-Tier or below. In addition, we do follow the standard GBA Z-Crystal rules in no +1 omni-boost or Evasion to keep with consistency.  Once again, the reason there are designated Z-Captains is to relieve the burden of preparing for specific Z-Moves since they are in terms of competitive, the best lures in the game and pairing this with a powerful S or A Tier mon might be too much. So with that said, here are the following Z Captains for this team:

Entei:  The reason I gave Entei the Z-Crystal option might seem counter productive, but hear me out. Entei has a rather shallow movepool with only a good amount of Fire-type options in Sacred Fire and Flare Blitz, both of which are powerful STAB for Entei. In turn, do feel Entei's base 115 Attack stat is solid enough to utilize Inferno Overdrive from Sacred Fire and Blitz, as well as some interesting options like Stomping Tantrum, Stone Edge, or Iron Head. Entei also has some interesting setup Z Moves in Z-Howl and Z-Sunny Day respectively, which might be helpful in giving my Fire-type an extra boost in Attack or Speed. Overall do admit that Entei might have a limited movepool to abuse the Z-Crystal, but its a good candidate should the need be there. 

Kyurem: Once again to over hyper a Pokemon, Kyurem is one of the underrated Pokemon to chose from a Pokemon Draft League, however do care to listen about its potential as a Z-Crystal wielder. As mention, Kyurem has been blessed with a base 130 offensive stats from both the special and physical side and surprisingly enough has a solid selection of Z-Moves to chose from. Nearly all Kyurem's Dragon and Ice-type STAB are amazing Z-Move options to select as well as moves such as Earth Power, Psychic, Shadow Ball, Focus Blast, Stone Edge, etc. As I mention with Entei, Kyurem has ways to boost its speed such as Z-Hail, which gives it +1 Speed while summoning Hail, so guess you can figure out what happens next. Do feel like Kyurem will likely be the main Z-Move holder of the team as given from two matches into this season. 

Metagross: The last Z-Move Captain of the team is no other than Metagross, which to be honest is a great Pokemon to have it on with its offensive power. Partly the reasoning of using Metagross as a Z-Move user was my experience using one and notably facing many in the VGC 17 format back a several months ago. One thing to note from Metagross is paired with its Clear Body ability, Metagross's stats including Attack and Special Attack are safe from any drops. Essentially Metagross will hit its opponents without having fear of say an Intimidate or other potential stat modifiers. As a pseudo-legendary, Metagross yields a strong physical movepool from the likes of Meteor Mash, Hammer Arm, Earthquake, Thunder / Ice Punch, and other to select from. Metagross has a respectable base 95 special attack it can utilize with moves such as Grass Knot, Psychic, Flash Cannon, and others should I decide to use them. Based on how I've seen Metagross play in VGC, do feel alot of its Z-Move potential comes from having gain a boost into its attack / moves or the again the surprise factor to lure in many Pokemon. Hopefully this can translate into league play and Meta can  be one of my best offensive Pokemon. 

Overall Summation of the Team

In terms of how I feel about the new LA Nidoking squad, do feel like it has a solid chance to win the NBA Title once more thanks to its coveted bulky offensive approach. Likewise, wanted every Pokemon on this team to fulfill a certain role that any one else lacked, and not try to over extend ourselves from and offensive, yet more importantly defensive approach. Think of it this way, Florges will likely be the team's main special wall with that gargantuan 154 special defense, not the primary physical wall or setup sweeper since there are better Pokemon to fill these roles. The same goes to Nidoqueen as it can a reliable offensive hazard setter, but not the main option. When restructuring the team, wanted to have Mega Lopunny again given its rather ridiculous base 135 speed and most importantly its ability to effectively clean teams with STAB HJK or Return. Guess having all these walls and bulky offensive Pokemon allows Mega Lopunny to potentially pick off opposing team towards the mid-to-late game.

Do want to emphasis I'm not excluding the rest of my team not mention in the above statements, rather they have their roles to fulfill. In terms of wall breaker, Entei, Nidoqueen, Kyurem, Metagross, and Primarina can all serve such offensive roles thanks to their powerful STAB, high stats, and coverage options. Even so, my defensive wall core of Florges, Zapdos, Miltank, Nidoqueen, Tangela, and even Kyurem can act as the main defensive anchor of the team while still inflicting good chip damage here and there. Finally my faster threats with Entei, Kyurem, Ribombee, and of course Mega Lopunny can either initiate the team offense, or clean the weaken teams. Do feel our type synergy is rather amazing for our team given the strong Steel-Dragon-Fairy core in Metagross, Kyurem, and Florges/Primarina. 

If there's anything still "lacking" on this team, its basically the lack of more potential hazard options notable a Spiker. Most of my successful Draft teams involve a team with a wide array of entry hazard and hazard control. In this case, Zapdos, Forges, and Cough Ribombee Cough are decent hazard control where as Metagross, Nidoqueen, and Miltank can setup Rocks or Toxic Spikes respectively. This is a minor nitpick given most of these Pokemon do their jobs well however Spikes can be nice to have to deal 12.5% damage against grounded targets as oppose to maybe Stealth Rocks at times. Do feel like Toxic Spikes with this team is essentially its  bread and butter, but having more bulk and hazard options can help. On a last note, do feel like I want to get a good Dark or Ghost-type for my team to alleviate the potential Psychic weakness, but looking at the matchups do want to save those transactions and trade options for possibly later in the season. 

Closing Remarks

Once again, do feel like the reorganization of the current NBA LA Nidokings team is one of the best I've done so far, but will let my play and results do the talking.  Its nice to bring back Mega Lopunny for this season as well as most of the old and new members of the LA Nidoking member I've used from past seasons. As per summation, I'll probably do a summations of Week 1-6 and then Week 7-12 leading up to the NBA playoffs. If we manage to get to playoffs, then expect at least an analysis of the post season from me. Likewise, the LA Nidokings will do their best, and have no regrets in battle.