Pokemon VGC Regulation H First Impressions and My First Team

Exploring the early format teams:

The first thing I knew about Regulation H was the memes of Palafin being the ex you text back after Urshifu’s ban. And I did think to myself that it would be now a stellar option in this format given that Pelliper, being a rain setter has already proven itself so well and we know how good Palafin could be when it doesn’t have the relative water types to outshine it. I quickly logged onto the showdown chat and asked away what was the core; the answer that I got was “Palafin, Pelliper, Incineroar, Amoonguss and Archaludon”… this was five members for a full team of six right here so I got to testing.

I was pleasantly surprised by how good Archaludon was in this format. It was not only a threat on the special attack side with stacking up boosts from electro shots, but stamina gives it a devastatingly powerful option in body press to start stacking KO’s when left unchecked. Other than that, with the format being so fresh, it felt as if the team didn’t stick to me.

Then I went on to exploring the other talk of the town, dondozo and tatsugiri. Yes I did much better with this team given the pressure the lead of dondozo + offensive partner would provide capitalizing on that to pick up early KO’s but with being as unexperienced as I am with dondozo and the fresh format having a lot more options for clear smog of haze pokemon added with the dex expansion, I found I stumped myself in closed team sheet quite often. Tatsugiri also felt like a dead slot, only being there to combine with Dondozo. The main takeaway from this team was how I liked playing Gholdengo a ton, the setup with nasty plot + firing off +2 STAB and often tera boosted make it rains would immediately win me games.

With dondozo not sticking either, I wanted to build a more solid foundation around Gholdengo this time. A mon I was familiar with when I played Toler Webb’s regionals winning team way back in Reg F for the brief time I played it… Once again it felt being back to square one as the Palafin core fit this mon like a glove. For the last partner I went with Hydreigon, which in this early format can provide me with an alternate offensive output, have strong earth powers against Archaludon and Kingambit and also wall psyspam to some extent.

What I liked about this team was connecting with Amoonguss’ utility all three of its movs worked really well in every game I brought it to. Palafin hero forme was an absolute beast with Pelliper by its side. Incineroar was something I didn’t bring much to my games. Moreover with earth power on hydreigon not being able to OHKO either Archaludon or Kingambit was something that could allow them to get out of hand quick. The infamous Mausape combination was something I wasn’t fully able to figure out with having practically 0 resists to rage fist and drain punch in tandem, smart plays can often give my opponents the winning edge here.

The ideas to change or improve upon this team was keeping what I liked thus far and adding on what I think could work:

In concept 1: Palafin, Pelliper and Gholdengo will stay… for the last three slots, I can try Rillaboom to more actively counter psyspam and Gastrodon which walls 5/6 members of the previous squad, then go with a combination of Farigaraf and Blood Moon Ursaluna to wall the Mausape lead, with psychic noise Annihilape would be in a stalemate.

Concept 2: Palafin, Pelliper but now with Archaludon and the aforementioned three to round out the core.

Concept 3: The Archaludon concept but instead of Farigaraf being the source of speed control, I go with Whimsicott (potentially with beat up) to activate the outcomes in my favor. There is also bits of talk around beat up arcanine + whimsicott, something I figure I could try out for this team in particular, also helping me to round out the Fire, Water and Grass core.

Taking a good look at the format

Using my 'top notch' PowerPoint skills I made a visual to held guide my teambuilding checklist and outline the metagame. This definitely helped me view what I needed to go forth with.

I started up again with Archaludon. Yes Gholdengo was feeling great with Amoonguss, but admittedly the approach of a setup, then recovering with pollen puff and getting calls right in a longer more drawn out game was something not aligned to my play style and felt like a drag to play with. These Archaludon versions now had Rillaboom instead of Amoonguss after realizing how important it was to keep a Gastrodon in check. And the last mon was Blood moon Ursaluna, the premier mon to counter opposing archaludon, something the gholdengo versions were struggling with.

I was really liking the first four slots of the team, archaludon, palafin, pelliper and rillaboom, blood moon ursaluna felt like a dud as it wouldn’t be able to do much, its speed even in the maxed out sets lacked and if I was to go speedy, then the bulk was lacking, I decided to drop this idea, along with any potential partner I was testing for the last slot. The final concept came with making a swap on the final two slots with the well-known Mausape combination and it was an instant hit.

The blood moon ursaluna slot in theory was here to counter the opposing Kingambits, have a strong offensive option into Archaludon, Annihilape with the bulk up or rage fist stacked boosts could do that very well. Also the fact that now I have a pokemon to directly put off intimidate users, more speed and recovery options on my side, this one felt like the sauce. Not to mention maushold can up the defensive potential of both Archaludon and Palafin and can also boost up Archaludon by going for a side beat up. This is the final version of the team I stuck to, following is a bit of individual analysis with the calculations I made:

The Team:

INeedAHero! (Palafin) @ Splash Plate  Ability: Zero to Hero  Level: 50  Tera Type: Water  EVs: 180 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 68 Spe  Adamant Nature  - Wave Crash  - Jet Punch  - Haze  - Protect

Didn’t need to run detailed calculations, I was extremely impressed time and again with the amount of offense this guy can put out on the field. Often the bait and switch target for the team on leads.

BigMouth (Pelipper) @ Focus Sash  Ability: Drizzle  Level: 50  Tera Type: Stellar  EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe  Modest Nature  IVs: 0 Atk  - Weather Ball  - Hurricane  - Tailwind  - Protect

Again a very standard option and as good as it gets. I personally did not see the value in keeping wide guard and having tested Whimsicott on earlier versions realized how good of a lead can tailwind provide me. I chose tera stellar to up the damage potential for an already deceptively hard hitting mon like pelliper and it saved me in a few games, given I have Archaludon’s stamina and an Annihilape in the back people were generally hesitant to bring out their fake out users to every game or lead them, saving me the need for a tera ghost.

London,Paris&Tokyo (Archaludon) @ Assault Vest  Ability: Stamina  Level: 50  Tera Type: Grass  EVs: 156 HP / 4 Def / 148 SpA / 4 SpD / 196 Spe  Modest Nature  IVs: 0 Atk  - Electro Shot  - Draco Meteor  - Snarl - Body Press

·         252+ SpA Life Orb Tera-Normal Ursaluna-Bloodmoon Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Tera-Grass Archaludon: 79-94 (47.8 - 56.9%) -- 91.4% chance to 2HKO ·         252+ SpA Life Orb Tera-Normal Ursaluna-Bloodmoon Blood Moon vs. 220 HP / 4 SpD Archaludon: 162-192 (83.9 - 99.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO ·         252+ SpA Life Orb Tera-Normal Ursaluna-Bloodmoon Blood Moon vs. 212 HP / 92 SpD Archaludon: 146-172 (76 - 89.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (After 1 turn of life orb damage) ·         +4 0 Def Life Orb Archaludon Body Press vs. 244 HP / 0 Def Tera-Normal Ursaluna-Bloodmoon: 252-299 (115 - 136.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO ·         +1 4+ SpA Life Orb Archaludon Electro Shot vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Palafin-Hero: 286-338 (138.1 - 163.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

I figured I would mostly just click electro shot onto fairy types like Sylveon or Primarina anyways and didn’t need a flash cannon for the team, instead I chose to go with snarl, something that can greatly help me in Psyspam matchups. I tried to go for as much speed and offense as possible after surviving the most essential calcs I could think of.

Tera grass works well for this team given Amoonguss can always be troublesome if left unaccounted for and it allows me to resist the opposing Blood moon Ursaluna’s earth powers. With on field combinations like tera grass Archaludon + Maushold/Rillaboom or even Pelipper, Amoonguss is almost going to be in a stalemate position.

MonkeyDo2 (Rillaboom) @ Sitrus Berry  Ability: Grassy Surge  Level: 50  Tera Type: Steel  EVs: 244 HP / 44 Atk / 4 Def / 132 SpD / 84 Spe  Careful Nature  - Fake Out  - Grassy Glide  - Wood Hammer  - U-turn

·         252+ SpA Pelipper Hurricane vs. 244 HP / 132+ SpD Rillaboom: 170-204 (82.5 - 99%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery and Sitrus Berry recovery ·         Grassy Glide + Wood hammer in a 1v1 would get me the win: 44 Atk Rillaboom Wood Hammer vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Pelipper in Grassy Terrain: 111-132 (81.6 - 97%) -- guaranteed 2HKO ·         44 Atk Rillaboom Wood Hammer vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Palafin-Hero in Grassy Terrain: 228-270 (110.1 - 130.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO ·         44 Atk Rillaboom Grassy Glide vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Palafin-Hero in Grassy Terrain: 104-126 (50.2 - 60.8%) -- 85.9% chance to 2HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery ·         252+ Atk Mystic Water Tera-Water Palafin-Hero Wave Crash vs. 244 HP / 4 Def Rillaboom: 113-134 (54.8 - 65%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery and Sitrus Berry recovery

Yet again a simple mon, something I got quite some experience with in regulation G, but now it exists in a much more different format. Everything is standard except this is a Sitrus berry set to give me more bulk in the case of assault vest being taken. Tera steel works really well as the assault vest variant I tested earlier, firstly would take a lot away from Archaludon’s potential so I had to drop it, but in relevance to the tera type; my calculations were to survive moves like full powered blood moons or Salamence hurricanes. Given Rillaboom becomes an important pivot in the psyspam matchups, tera steel can be protective in those scenarios too.

MouseySee (Maushold) @ Safety Goggles  Ability: Friend Guard  Level: 50  Tera Type: Ghost  EVs: 252 HP / 44 SpD / 212 Spe  Timid Nature  - Follow Me  - Beat Up  - Super Fang  - Thunder Wave

Outspeeds +nature base 105, Pawmot was the reference. 252+ SpA Choice Specs Gholdengo Make It Rain vs. 252 HP / 44 SpD Maushold: 153-180 (84.5 - 99.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO 252+ SpA Life Orb Tera-Normal Ursaluna-Bloodmoon Hyper Voice vs. 252 HP / 44 SpD Maushold: 133-159 (73.4 - 87.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO 252+ SpA Archaludon Draco Meteor vs. 252 HP / 44 SpD Maushold: 141-166 (77.9 - 91.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO 252+ Atk Mystic Water Tera-Water Palafin-Hero Jet Punch vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Maushold: 142-168 (78.4 - 92.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Again something I tried experimenting with but this is where I ended up. I didn’t need to use protect a ton given that people cannot bring out the poster boy of fake out; Incineroar against the mausape lead and Super fang + thunder wave both felt important to the team’s needs. You will see that my Annihilape is not highly offensive and needs setup, many of the mid bulk and almost all bulkier mons are calculating to survive the beat up + rage fist attack, in these cases going for a super fang + rage fist results in a KO, whereas otherwise playing out with Annihalpe as the sole damage contributor would spell things differently for the team. Thunder wave helps to give my team an edge against the many mirrors I will face as this team is particularly grafted from the crème of the crop mons of this early meta.

MonkeyDo (Annihilape) @ Leftovers  Ability: Defiant  Level: 50  Tera Type: Steel  EVs: 188 HP / 20 Atk / 4 Def / 84 SpD / 212 Spe  Jolly Nature  - Drain Punch  - Rage Fist  - Bulk Up  - Protect

252+ SpA Life Orb Mind's Eye Tera-Normal Ursaluna-Bloodmoon Blood Moon vs. 180 HP / 84 SpD Annihilape with Friend Guard: 175-207 (84.1 - 99.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery 252 SpA Life Orb Hydreigon Draco Meteor vs. 180 HP / 84 SpD Annihilape on a critical hit with Friend Guard: 156-185 (75 - 88.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery 252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera-Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 180 HP / 84 SpD Annihilape in Sun with Friend Guard: 177-208 (85 - 100%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO +2 252+ SpA Tera-Fairy Gholdengo Make It Rain vs. 180 HP / 84 SpD Annihilape with Friend Guard: 127-151 (61 - 72.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery 252 Atk Sharp Beak Talonflame Brave Bird vs. 180 HP / 4 Def Annihilape: 216-254 (103.8 - 122.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO 20 Atk Annihilape Rage Fist (250 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Talonflame: 213-252 (138.3 - 163.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO 20 Atk Annihilape Rage Fist (250 BP) vs. 236 HP / 44 Def Gholdengo: 320-380 (166.6 - 197.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO 20 Atk Annihilape Rage Fist (250 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Tera-Fire Torkoal: 121-144 (68.3 - 81.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO 20 Atk Annihilape Drain Punch vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Hydreigon: 108-128 (64.2 - 76.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO Super fang support: +1 20 Atk Annihilape Drain Punch vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Tera-Normal Ursaluna-Bloodmoon: 126-150 (57.2 - 68.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO +1 20 Atk Annihilape Drain Punch vs. 236 HP / 20 Def Incineroar: 156-186 (78 - 93%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Testing with Gholdengo at a point, I would keep getting caught by late game Annihilape that were faster than me, so that was my goal with this EV spread, to outpace all Gholdengo. Maushold’s friend guard greatly contributes to its survivability as well as damage output where it would have lacked due to almost half of the EVs being invested in speed. Tera steel is again the choice as a defensive option given the strongest spread attacks this lead can face off against are expanding force, hyper voice and make it rain, all of which steel type resists. Given that Pelipper is brought to every game, having that extra layer of padding against fire types and fire type offense is another assurance factor to keep steel as my tera type.

 This was basically it from my end, hope you guys enjoyed reading through. if you can to give this team a try, here is the full paste: https://pokepast.es/5f89009a4bbdcdc7 Bye for now!

 A Fishy Update:

Here's the full paste for the updated version of this team:

https://pokepast.es/bfd3a56973feea27 

I started noticing a few things I could improve upon with the Palafin version of this team, first change came with some EVs and then the next was for my decision to just give a try to Basculegion.

It was particularly because of the typhlosion and Whimsicott matchup which was basically unwinnable between their sunny day setting whimsicott, Basculegion provides me an out into that. Moreover I can use rillaboom to make way against that archetype by switching my Rillaboom’s tera type to rock.

Thinking I could improve upon some speed Evs. Archaludon was bumped up to outspeed timid 252+ Pelliper and Annihilape was bumped up a simgle point to outspeed timid 252+ Glimmora.

Now I can directly go for offense with Basculegion alongside Pelliper. Basculegion can be brought as the 3rd/4th mon, Palafin could not. Palafin required a passive turn of switching which can be very predictable, Basculegion does not.

Most importantly Basculegion gives me an out into the Typhlosion and Whimsicott combination where I can switch to Pelliper turn one and go for a Aqua jet OHKO into Typhlosion before sunny day gets set up.

Here are some convincing calculations I ran with Basculegion to familiarize myself with this big boy:

252+ Atk Choice Band Basculegion Aqua Jet vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Typhlosion-Hisui in Rain: 188-224 (126.1 - 150.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO 252+ Atk Choice Band Basculegion Wave Crash vs. 236 HP / 44 Def Gholdengo in Rain: 226-267 (117.7 - 139%) -- guaranteed OHKO 252+ Atk Choice Band Basculegion Flip Turn vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Gholdengo in Rain: 118-141 (72.3 - 86.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO Made a reference calc to see what does more damage: 252+ Atk Choice Band Basculegion Last Respects (200 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Forretress: 190-225 (126.6 - 150%) -- guaranteed OHKO 252+ Atk Choice Band Tera-Water Basculegion Wave Crash vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Forretress in Rain: 230-272 (153.3 - 181.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO