(Approved by Eevee General & The Immortal)
Original Idea by & Co-Led with user A,
who's name is too short to be tagged lol (http://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a.241109/)
Original Idea by & Co-Led with user A,
who's name is too short to be tagged lol (http://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a.241109/)
Welcome to Imprisoned! This metagame is based on OU and has one unique twist: Once you use a move, your opponent is unable to use it for the remainder of the game. Look at it as a global, permanent Imprison (hence the very clever title: Imprisoned). These Imprisons stack, so it's possible to totally deplete the opponent's moves and force him to struggle! But you also expose yourself to the same treatment from your opponent, so clever thinking and solid teambuilding is key to succeeding in this OM.
Example:
A heated battle is about to take place! Trainer A (in this example, being the left side, the team with Zapdos on it) and Trainer B (being the right side, the team with Mega Charizard Y on it) are about to participate in an Imprisoned battle. Turn 1: Trainer A sends out Zapdos and Trainer B sends out Charizard. Charizard begins the battle by mega evolving and using the move Flamethrower. What happens now? Trainer A is now unable to use Flamethrower for the rest of the game, on any of his Pokemon. In this specific scenario, only one of Trainer A's Pokémon are even able to learn Flamethrower (Heatran). Trainer B's Zapdos uses Thunderbolt against Charizard. Therefore, Trainer A is now no longer allowed to use the move Thunderbolt. This doesn't affect Trainer A whatsoever seeing as how none of its Pokémon commonly carry Thunderbolt (Specs Thunderbolt Ferrothorn isn't a thing!)
Strategy:
We can expect trainers to carry unusual moves on their Pokémon in order to avoid being disabled. This means less of the popular moves such as Knock Off and Scald, and more of the more obscure moves that people would not otherwise carry, such as Heat Wave, or Surf. However, some moves are much too important to simply ignore. Take the following sets for example:
Aerodactyl @ Focus Sash
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Stone Edge
- Double-Edge
The fastest Stealth Rock user in OU and below. For many trainers, getting this move on the field is the most important objective of the early game. Using this set it's nearly guaranteed that you'll be able to set up Stealth Rock first, whilst simultaneously denying your opposition from using it. Be careful for Mega Sableye and its Magic Bounce, though. If a Stealth Rock attempt backfires (literally) it can prove to be devastating if you do not have unlimited means to remove them from the field.
Mew @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 252 HP / 224 SpD / 32 Spe
Careful Nature
- Defog
- Toxic / Will-O-Wisp
- Roost / Soft-Boiled
- Knock Off / Psychic
Somewhat of an anti-meta set. You totally shut down stall with the array of support moves open to you. Using Soft-Boiled allows you to wreck a Chansey without it even having entered the field, so the opponent surely keep their wits about them to make sure such a valuable move isn't Imprison'd. Roost is an option if instead you want to make Skarmory's (and a few other flying birds) a living nightmare. Physical attackers sure can make use of Skarmory being unable to recover off their chip damage. Team synergy is key in being successful, as this set shows.
Ferrothorn & Heatran
When I said team synergy is key, I wasn't kidding. Disabling the use of lethal attacks for your team-mates can prove to be a sound strategy. Take this scenario for example. Heatran can use some Fire type attacks such as Fire Blast, or Lava Plume. Once those moves are Imprison'd, Ferrothorn would stand a better chance against fatal opponents like Charizard Y, Volcanion, or even another Heatran. This relationship doesn't exactly work both ways, though. Ferrothorn offers nothing useful as protection for its teammate Heatran. It doesn't have access to any popular, good Ground or Fighting type attacks, so Heatran is left to fend for itself. Who knows, maybe you can pack a Landorus-T to take care of that issue...
Rules:
Clauses: OU Clauses
Unbans: Nothing as of yet.
Bans: Nothing as of yet.
FAQ:
Q) If I use a move, am I still able to use it?
A) Yes, you're able to use it as often as you want (being limited by PP still, of course). However, your opponent will never be able to use the move themselves.
Q) What happens when I'm unable to use any moves?!
A) You're forced to use Struggle, just like what would happen if you were hit with Imprison by a Pokémon with an identical moveset.
Replays:
(Message Scarfnaut / A or post on this thread to get your replays here:)
1) Scarfnaut vs Spandan :
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/rom-imprisoned-24800
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