Smeargle [QC 2/2] [GP 2/2]

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Trelloant

Trelloant

[OVERVIEW]
Smeargle is a entirely unique Pokemon due to it being the only one that learns the move Sketch, which allows Smeargle to learn any move in the entire game. This is Smeargle's saving grace, as it has an awful base 35 Defense and 45 Special Defense. Its base 75 Speed gives Smeargle the ability to do its job well enough. However, Smeargle is easily shut down by common Prankster and fast Pokemon with Taunt such as Thundurus and Talonflame.

[SET]
name: Paintin' the Void
move 1: Dark Void
move 2: Follow Me
move 3: Spiky Shield / King's Shield
move 4: Tailwind / Fake Out
item: Focus Sash
ability: Moody
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dark Void puts both opposing Pokemon to sleep and can completely turn around a match. Once the foes are asleep, Smeargle's teammates are free to set up; Follow Me can be used to keep your sweeper from taking damage or being statused. However, due to Smeargle's incredibly low defensive stats, be aware that this is almost always a one-time use strategy. Spiky Shield protects Smeargle from Taunt users and damages foes that target Smeargle with physical attacks that turn. Running King's Shield is incredibly risky, as it still leaves Smeargle susceptible to Taunt and other status conditions, although it does allow it to cripple physical attackers. Tailwind can be used in the final slot to give both Smeargle and its teammates a Speed boost, and Fake Out can be run to incapacitate a threat for one turn.

Set Details
========
252 Speed EVs allow Smeargle to be as fast as possible so that it can spam Dark Void and put foes to sleep. The 252 EVs in Defense let Smeargle survive a Power-Up Punch from Mega Kangaskhan. Moody is an unreliable ability, but it can be beneficial, as getting an accuracy boost can put you in a good spot for the entire match. Just remember to watch Smeargle's boosts and react accordingly to each one. Focus Sash is needed so that Smeargle is not OHKOed and is able to at least use Dark Void once.

Usage Tips
========
Leading with Smeargle and going for Dark Void or Fake Out is generally the best option, as it is very difficult to switch it in later in the match without breaking its Focus Sash. You can continue to spam Dark Void or Follow Me so that your attackers can safely set up. Be careful when using Follow Me, as Smeargle's defenses usually only allow it to use the move once. When Smeargle is facing a Taunt user, the best option is to use Spiky Shield then Taunt or KO the foe.

Team Options
========
Mega Kangaskhan is one of the best partners for Smeargle, as it is completely free to set up with Power-Up Punches or just dish out crazy damage after Smeargle uses Dark Void. It can also use Fake Out to guarantee that Smeargle can Dark Void the first turn. Other setup sweepers such as Mega Salamence, Azumarill, Aegislash, and Scizor are also generally good partners for Smeargle. Another strategy is to pair Smeargle with Perish Song Mega Gengar, as Smeargle can spam Dark Void for the three Perish Song turns, making the foes unable to react.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Even with its endless movepool, Smeargle is very limited in the items it can use effectively. Running Choice Scarf over Focus Sash can allow Smeargle to outspeed most of the metagame. However, this will make Smeargle huge Taunt bait and cause it to lose all the versatility it could possibly have. Smeargle could also run Encore or Taunt to increase its usefulness outside of Dark Void spam; however, Whimsicott and other common Prankster users like Thundurus do that much better. Smeargle could also run the move Trick Room to allow slower Pokemon to move faster, but this generally goes against Smeargle's goal of outspeeding and putting as much to sleep as possible. Wide Guard and Quick Guard can protect Smeargle from the priority or common spread moves such as Hyper Voice and Rock Slide that threaten it. The final useful move choice would be Transform. Smeargle would most likely use Transform when paired with or against a Pokemon such as Mega Kangaskhan or Mega Salamence and with an EV spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe, as the only useful stat Smeargle has when it Transforms is HP. Finally, Own Tempo can be run over Moody as a much more reliable ability, even if you miss out on key stat boost that could win you games, due to Own Tempo not having a chance to lower useful stats such as accuracy and Speed.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Multi-hit Moves**: Multi-hit moves can break Smeargle's Focus Sash, defeating the purpose of running it to survive at least one attack from a foe. The main threats to look out for are Mega Kangaskhan and Double Kick Terrakion, as both of these Pokemon are able to outspeed Smeargle and KO it with their multi-hit moves.

**Priority**: Pokemon with priority moves can usually break Smeargle's Focus Sash, not giving it a chance to use Dark Void at all. There are many priority users in the current format, with some of the most popular including Conkeldurr, Talonflame, Breloom, Metagross, and Infernape.

**Status Prevention**: Status prevention stops Smeargle from spamming Dark Void and doing its only job. The moves, items, and ability that stop Smeargle are Safeguard, Taunt, Substitute, Chesto Berry, Lum Berry, and Insomnia.

**Damaging Weather**: Hail and sand take away 1/16 of Smeargle's HP, breaking its Focus Sash or KOing it once the Focus Sash has been broken.
 
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would probably mention Tailwind as an option with Geomancy an them as you can easily set it up when pokemon are asleep.
 
Overview
  • It's probably worth stating upfront that Smeargle is only viable because of one move, Dark Void.
Set
  • Tailwind is a good candidate for Move 4's first slash. It's a good fit on the majority of teams, unlike Transform which should generally only be used with Kangaskhan or another setup sweeper.
  • Geomancy should be moved to Other Options because it's very niche. You have to build your entire team around it, because if you lose the boosts you spent so many turns accumulating then you're likely to lose.
  • Slash Moody with Own Tempo. A few Moody boosts can have a drastic effect on the game, especially Speed boosts, and Smeargle has plenty of opportunities to rack them up thanks to Dark Void and Focus Sash.
  • Timid should be the main slash to reduce Foul Play and confusion hits. Jolly should only be used with Fake Out.
Set Details
  • An EV spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe should be recommended when using Transform, because HP is the only stat of Smeargle's that doesn't change when it uses the move.
Usage Tips
  • Follow Me isn't used because you want Smeargle to faint. It's used to protect a teammate from status/damage.
  • Spiky Shield is only the correct response to Taunt if your partner can stop the Taunt user on the same turn. Otherwise, you haven't improved your field position for the following turn.
Team Options
  • The reader can assume everything in the analysis is a "viable strategy" unless stated otherwise, so you don't need to specify. Kangaskhan is more like the Smeargle partner anyway, so up-play it a bit.
  • Elaborate on just "Setup Sweepers". Mention that Smeargle's moves, Dark Void and Follow Me, do a good job of buying turns for them to use their respective setup moves.
  • What is "new popular tauros team"? Do you mean Frost Breath + Anger Point? Add Frost Breath to other options and mention Tauros there if so. You should be talking about the main set here.
  • "most Pokemon in general enjoy Dark Void support" - This doesn't help the reader make a decision. Remove it.
Other Options
  • "every support move in the game" - It does have access every move, but they're not all viable. Remove this.
  • Mention that Smeargle is pretty slow for an Encore user. Prankster/Faster Pokemon are usually the best Encore users because they can lock an opponent in before they can change moves.
  • Remove the Spore mention. At that point Smeargle's moveset is Spore / Follow Me / Spiky Shield. Look familiar? Amoonguss does it better because of its superior bulk.
  • When mentioning Geomancy state that it should only be used with a Power Herb and Baton Pass/Heart Swap, to pass the stat changes onto a teammate. Preferably one with a spread move like Hyper Voice Mega Salamence.
  • Choice Scarf allows Smeargle to put most unboosted foes to sleep sooner, but cuts into its versatility.
  • Wide Guard is another way of protecting Smeargle and its teammates, as it stops spread attacks.
Checks and Counters
  • I think the first two headers should be changed to 'Multi-Hit Attacks' and 'Priority'. Pretty much anything can bring Smeargle down to its Focus Sash, so Fighting being super effective isn't specifically what counters it. Under Multi-Hit Attacks you can mention Kangaskhan and Double Kick Terrakion, and under priority you can mention Breloom, Conkeldurr, Talonflame... but not Sucker Punch users.
  • Change "Lum Berry" to 'Status Prevention'. You can lump Lum/Chesto Berry with Taunt, Safeguard, Substitute etc...
  • Add a header for 'Damaging Weather'. Sand and Hail break Smeargle's Focus Sash, making it easier to KO.
 
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IK this is super knitpicky, but I'd unslash Jolly because it is strictly inferior to Timid as Fake Out isn't doing any actual damage to anything anyway and you can reduce damage from some random Foul Play (and confusion if Moody).

Also move Transform to OO as its super situational/really rather bad. It is just so hard to actually get it to work because it relies on all of the following conditions:
  • Smeargle not getting double-targeted
  • Your opp not having any priority
  • You or your opp having Kanga/Mence/whatever out on the field already
  • Smeargle's sash being in tact
Remove the point about not using Fake Out alongside other users, as it can be nice to free up what your partner wants to do on turn 1. Dual Fake Out users is far from a bad thing, and if anything you should be encouraging it - not deterring it.

Another nitpick, but switch the order of abilities so that Moody is listed first because generally speaking ur opp won't try to confuse Smeargle anyway as it is usually better to double-target it or break its sash with a Fake Out or something else anyway, wheras it is sweet AF to get an evasion boost from Moody. This means that Moody is the better ability 9/10, and you should put more emphasis on the idea that the main reason to use Own Tempo is not to prevent confusion but rather to avoid the chance of random accuracy/speed drops due to Moody.
 
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You seem to have deleted a lot of stuff from the Overview. Add in that it creates pressure from team preview (your opponent will often feel forced to lead something that can check Smeargle, even if you don't end up bringing it), has terrible bulk and a middling speed stat, and is completely shut down by common Prankster Taunt. In "Checks and Counters", split 'Multi-Hit Moves' and 'Priority' into separate categories, and explain why they're good against Smeargle in addition to just listing examples.
 
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Okay this is looking pretty good but there are quite a few things I catched.

Moves
You have to say what kings shield, tailwind, and fake out do. They are filler moves but you still need to say why they are there.

Set details
You mention Jolly instead of timid, when timid is on the set. You also talk about own tempo when moody is the main ability. Also I guess put Own Tempo into other options.

run 252 HP/4 Def/252 Spe if running protect because transform keeps the HP stat.
Click to expand...
This doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Did you mean to say transform instead of protect, or?

Team options
Mention Fake Out users since they can give Smeargle basically a free Dark Void

That's about it of what I caught, I'll stamp this when you've implemented it
 
Yeah that looks good, qc 1/2

FNRsiM8.gif
 
uhh how do I change the name? do I just make a new thread? that doesnt seem right though.

EDIT: figuered it out. also QC tagged it.
 
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Overview:
Mention how Smeargle's moveset is pretty flexible and can be changed depending on the team, as Sketch can allow it to learn pretty much any move in the game

Team Options:
Give some examples of setup sweepers that pair well with Smeargle, such as Mega Salamence

Other Options:
Take out Geomancy mention, BP Smeargle in VGC isn't good
Take out Tailwind mention, it's in the main set so you don't need it in OO
Take out Frost Breath + Anger Point mention, it's not a very good combo
Add Wide/Quick Guard
Add Own Tempo, Moody can be pretty unreliable at times

Tag me once you've implemented these and I'll give you a check :)
 
I was referring to the writer, haha, only they or a mod can edit it. Anyway, Trelloant , can you please tag me again once you've put this through spellcheck and capitalized words such as "Pokemon" and removed sentences such as "Smeargle is one of those pokemon that the saying "Easy to learn, Nearly impossible to master-Writers note: Could someone confirm thats the actual saying? It sounds wrong to me rn- comes into play."? This would help out a lot and make checking go a lot faster because I'm spending most of my time correcting spelling (which is something you could fix on your own) right now instead of grammar, thanks! :)
 
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alright, I'm sorry. I wrote that in Word Pad, which unfortunately doesn't have spell check.

EDIT: I think the spelling should be a ton better now
 
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Whoops, forgot, but I'll do this now :)

[OVERVIEW]
Smeargle is a entirely unique Pokemon due to it being the only one that learns the move Sketch, [ac] which. Sketch allows Smeargle to learn ANY any move in the entire game. This is Smeargle's saving grace, [ac] as it has base 35 Defense absolutly pitiful bulk in a 35 defence stat and a 45 Special Defense. [period instead of comma] Its base 75 Speed gives Smeargle the ability to do its job well enough. but it has a middling speed stat in 75 that gives Smeargle the ability to spam the move that actually gives Smeargle its niche. Dark Void a had me down from Darkrai that puts both both of the opponents Pokemon to sleep, if it hits of course. However, [ac] Smeargle is easily shut down by common Prankster and fast Pokemon with Taunt such as Thundurous Thundurus and Talonflame and extremely fast Taunts such as ones from Pokemon like Talonflame. However if played correctly Smeargle is a Pokemon that can allow your teammates to absolutely tear through the opposing team while they sleep through the mass destruction.

[SET]
name: Paintin' the void
move 1: Dark Void
move 2: Follow Me
move 3: Spiky Shield / King's Shield
move 4: Tailwind / Fake Out
item: Focus Sash
ability: Moody
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dark Void is the main part of this set and all Smeargle's, as it puts both opposing Pokemon to sleep and can completely turn around a match. You can choose to spam Dark Void to guarantee that the opposing Pokemon will stay asleep. Once the opponents foes are asleep, [ac] Smeargle's teammates are free to set up; Follow Me can be used to keep your sweeper from taking damage or being statused to sweep through your opponent. Using Follow Me can allow you to keep Status and damage away from the set up sweeper you pair Smeargle with. However due to Smeargle's incredibly low defensive stats be aware that this is almost always a one-time use strategy on time use. Running Spiky Shield is almost always optimal as it protects you Smeargle from taunt Taunt users and damages foes who target Smeargle with physical attacks that turn and if you are hit with a physical attack you can do damage to the attacker. Running King's Shield is incredibly risky as you are susceptible to Taunt and other status conditions. [why mention King's Shield at all? why is it slashed if there's only risk involved?] For the final move slots many different move choices can be used. Tailwind can be used in the final slot to give both Smeargle and its teammates a Speed boost, or Fake Out can incapacitate a threat for one turn and Fake Out are the main contenders as they allow Smeargle to speed up itself and teammates or you can use Fake Out to flinch a threat to Smeargle or its teammate and put yourself in a favorable position throughout the game.




Set Details
========
252 Speed EVs allow Smeargle to be as fast as possible so that it can spam Dark Void and put foes to sleep. The 252 EVs in Defense let Smeargle The ev spread is incredibly simple, and for good reason. You want to run 252 speed investment with a positive nature so the you can go as fast as possible and out speed everything that is possible so that Smeargle can start spamming Dark Void. The 252 evs in Defense allow Smeargle to survive a Power-Up Punch from Kangastan Kangaskhan. Moody is an very unreliable ability, [ac] but it can be almost always beneficial, [ac] as getting an the turn one accuracy boost can put you in a good spot for the entire match. Just remember to watch your boosts and react accordingly to each boost. The Focus Sash is needed so that Smeargle is not OHKOed and is able to at least use Dark Void once kind of obvious to use as stated above Smeargles terrible bulk would normally mean it would get knocked out in one hit however by running the Focus Sash Smeargle is almost guaranteed to get one Dark Void off. Until Mega-Kangastan decides to attack you with a move not named Power-Up Punch. Then your in trouble.



Usage Tips
========
Leading with Smeargle and going for a Dark Void(Or Fake Out) is almost always a good option, however actually using the presence that Smeargle brings in Team Preview to your advantage is essential to success with Smeargle as knowing when and when not to bring Smeargle can make or break a lot of matches. When against Smeargle an opponent normally feels pressured into bringing an answer for the the Artist and if you decide not to bring it this can prove detrimental to his/her success as they are now bringing a Pokemon that may or may not be actually us full in the match up. [you say all of this but then said lead with it no matter what?]
As stated above just Leading with Smeargle and going for Dark Void or Fake Out is generally the best option with Smeargle, [ac] as it is very difficult to switch it in later in the match without breaking its Focus Sash switching in the Artist without breaking its sash is very difficult. Once the opponents are Asleep asleep, [ac] having your sweeper, [rc] Kangastan, Azumarill, or Salamence, [rc] set up and continue to win you the game is fairly easy. After using, and hopefully hitting the Dark Void, You can decided to continue to spam Dark Void or spam Follow Me so that your attackers can safely set up to keep the opponents attackers away from your own once they wake up. Be careful when using Follow Me, as Smeargle's defenses usually only allow it to use the move once of this however because Smeargle generally only uses Follow Me once. When Smeargle is facing a Taunt user, up against Smeargle's worst enemy,Taunt, the best option is to normally use Spiky Shield then Taunt or KO the taunt user foe with your own taunt or somehow KO the Taunt user.

Team Options
========
Smeargle being the possible threat that it can be there are many Pokemon that can be the partner(s) for it. Kangastan Kangaskhan is one of the best partners, if not the best, partner for Smeargle, [ac] as it is completely free to set up with Power-Up Punches or just dish out crazy damage to opponents after allowing Smeargle uses to go for a Dark Void with a or Fake Out. Mega Kangaskhan can use Fake Out, guaranteeing that Smeargle can Dark Void the first turn. Set up Other setup sweepers(like Kangastan) such as Mega Salamence, Azumarill, Aegislash, and Scizor are also generally good partners for Smeargle. Popular ones include Mega-Salamence, Azumarill, Aegislash, or Scizor appreciate being given free turns to set up for the sweep. Another strategy is to pair Smeargle with Perish Song Mega Gengar, as Smeargle can spam Dark Void for the 3 Perish Song turns, making the foes unable to react. [I don't know if I understood this section properly, especially "and then double switch to somehow set up Perish Song again" does Smeargle know Perish Song or does Gengar?] or Smeargle is to use him in Perish Trap as the partner for Mega-Gengar as Smeargle spams Dark Void for the 3 turns of Perish Song and then double switch to somehow set up Perish Song again. All the while giving the opponent no chance to react due to being asleep. As stated above with Mega-Kangastan pairing Smeargle with a Fake Out user can guarantee that Dark Void will go up on Turn 1.


[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Even with its endless movepool, [ac] Smeargle unfortunate even with its quite literally endless move pool is very limited in the moves/items that it can use effectively. Running Choice Scarf over Focus Sash can allow Smeargle to outspeed [no space] most of the metagame [no space]. [period] and put Pokemon EV trained to out speed Smeargle asleep to their surprise, However, [ac] this will make Smeargle huge Taunt bait and cause it to lose all the versatility that Smeargle it could possibly have. Smeargle could also run Encore or Taunt to increase its usefulness outside of Dark Void spam; [semi] however, [ac] Whimsicott and other common Prankster users like Thundurous Thundurus do that set much better. Smeargle could also run the move Trick Room to allow slower Pokemon to move faster but this generally goes against what Smeargle's goals in out speeding of outspeeding and putting as much to sleep as possible. Using Wide Guard and Quick Guard can have Smeargle protecting itself Smeargle from the priority or common spread moves such as Hyper Voice and Rock Slide that threatens it or common spread moves like Hyper Voice or Rock Slide. The final useful move choice for Smeargle would be Transform. Smeargle would most likely use Transform when paired with or against with/against a Pokemon such as Mega-Kangastan or Mega-Salamence Mega Kangaskhan or Mega Salamence and with an EV spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe, as the only useful stat Smeargle has when it Transforms is HP [why would Smeargle be paired with these? "Pokemon such as"... what sorts of Pokemon?]. Remember however that a spread like 252 HP / 4 DEF / 252 SPE would be much more useful as once you Transform the only stat that remains is HP. Finally running Own Tempo over Moody can be a much more reliable switch even if you miss out on key stat boost that could win you games. [why use Own Tempo?]


Checks and Counters
===================

**Multi-hit Moves**: Multi-hit moves can break Smeargle's Focus Sash, defeating the purpose of running it to survive at least one attack from a foe Due to Smeargle running a Focus Sash to guarantee that it will survive at LEAST on hit from an opponent a Multi hit Move that is able to OHKO Smeargle before Smeargle does its job can be huge. The main threats to look out for are Mega-Kangastan Mega Kangaskhan and Double Kick Terrakion, [ac] as both with Double Kick. Both of these Pokemon are able to out speed outspeed Smeargle and KO it with their Multi hit multi-hit moves.


**Priority**: Pokemon with priority moves can usually break Smeargle's Focus Sash, not giving it a chance to use Dark Void at all. Priority is Smeargles second bane of existence. Due to prioritys nature to move first in any given turn this can be used to break Smeargles Focus Sash and then have a pokemon that is faster than Smeargle KO it with an attack afterwards without being given a chance to actually use Dark Void or any other move. There are many priority users in the current format with some of the most popular including: Conkeldurr, Talonflame, Breloom, Metagross, [space] and Infernape. [period]


**Status Prevention**: Any form of Status Prevention can ruin a Smeargle users day. These prevent Smeargle to give all of the opposing Pokemon nightmares with Dark Void and thus stop Smeargle from doing its one and only job. Status prevention stops Smeargle from spamming Dark Void and doing its only job. The moves, items, [ac] and ability that stop Smeargle are Safeguard, Taunt, Substitute, [ac] a Chesto Berry, a Lum Berry, and the ability Insomnia being the most popular. Also the ability Insomnia, though unpopular, deserves to be mentioned as well.


**Damaging Weather**: Hail and sand Of the four weathers in Pokemon Smeargle only cares about two of them, Hail(However unpopular) and Sand. The weathers that have the ability to take away 1/16 of a none immune Pokemon's health points can beat Smeargle's HP, breaking its Focus Sash or KOing it once the Focus Sash has been broken by either Knocking out a Smeargle at its Focus Sash or breaking the Focus Sash to allow it to be KO'd next turn and prevent Smeargle from being able to feel safe with its Focus Sash intact.
1/2
 
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