______ _____ _ _ _ _ _ _____ _ _ | __ | / \ | | / / /_/ | \ / | / \ | \ | | | / \ || ___ || | / / _______ | \ / || ___ | | \ | | | \__/ || / \ || |_/ / | ___ | | \ / || / \ | | | \ | | | ____|| | | || | | / \ | | \ \ / / || | | | | |\ \ | | | | | | | || __ \ | \___/ | | |\ \/ /| || | | | | | \ \ | | | | | \___/ || | \ \ | ______| | | \ / | || \___/ | | | \ \| | | | | || | \ \ | |____ | | \ / | || | | | \ \ | |_| \_____/ |_| \_\ \_____| |_| \/ |_| \_____/ |_| \_\| _____ _____ / ___ | / ___ | / / / / / / / / /_/ / / /_/ / / / / __ __ / / / / \ \ / / / / / / \ \/ / / / / /____ \ / / /____ /_______| \/ /_______| Pokémon Fire Red/Leaf Green 2vs2 Strategy Guide by shiny zangoose Version 1.8 14/10/04 Copyright 2004 Alex Hunter. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Section 1 - Introduction and Disclaimer ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello! Welcome to the first FAQ to concentrate on the forgotten aspect of the third generation of Pokémon games: 2vs2 Battling. 2vs2 is actually very interesting and requires quite a lot more strategy to play than it does in the traditional 1vs1 battling. It also lasts a fraction of the time it does to play a proper competitive 1vs1 game, where battles can last well over 100 turns, while every 2vs2 battle that I have witnessed is over in around 20 turns max. Stall wars which are ever so common in 1vs1 with SkarmBliss and their fellow whores ruling the metagame just do not exist in 2vs2 meaning that some of the lesser known pokes get their chances to shine (and some of the old cronies still are as popular as ever). Now after a brief introduction on 2vs2 it is time for a brief introduction on myself. I have been coming to these boards since R/S was first released in America and then towards the end of the summer I became heavily involved in competitive online battling. However it is only in the past month or so that I have realised how much potential 2vs2 actually had in it after entering a 2vs2 tournament on netbattle. I had the same misconceptions as everyone else when I first started 2vs2. I used to think, "Get 6 pokes with EQ and who are immune to EQ then you are on to a winner!" However I was sadly proved wrong after my first attempt at a proper 2vs2 team was humiliated in a 6-0 thrashing. Now I have become very good at 2vs2 and it has taken over 1vs1 as my favourite battle style in the third generation of Pokémon. DISCLAIMER I would like to point out to readers is that this is a 2vs2 team building and combo FAQ, and does not include a walkthrough of the game, or 1vs1 sets. So if that is what you are looking for please try somewhere else, but make sure you read this first and find out why you should be playing 2vs2 anyway! Now that is enough for an introduction! Now on to the contents. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Section 2 - Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Section 1 - Introduction Section 2 - You are reading it right now fool Section 3 - Version History Section 4 - Differences between 1vs1 and 2vs2 battling Section 5 - Special Move Info in 2vs2 Section 6 - Team Building Tips Section 7 - Combos to try out Section 8 - Credits and Legal Stuff Section 9 - Contact Me ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Section 3 - Version History ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14/10/04 Version 1.8 - Yeah I really needed to proof read this FAQ more. I have corrected several things and added some more useful combos for you lovely people to try out. Please continue to send emails, as long as they are not stupid and spam >:( 15/9/04 Version 1.7 - This is the third version of the FAQ. This was made while I was waiting to see if version 1.5 was accepted. Here I have added a few more Combos to try out and corrected some spelling errors that I had made. I also changed the version number to version 7 because last time I submitted I foolishly left it as version 1 when it was supposed to be 1.5 :( 14/9/04 Version 1.5 - This is the second version of the FAQ. The first version will go down in history as one of those unfinished masterpieces. In this version I have added A LOT more combos for you the reader of this FAQ to try out. There is also some information about how to contact me to submit some sets of your own. There have also been some changes made thanks to IronHead in the proof reading department. Hopefully since you will be reading this it has been accepted. I have also changed the format of the Team Building Tips section. 11/9/04 Version 1.0 - Yeah this is the first version of the FAQ. It has the main bulk of information that you will need to know about 2vs2. I will add more and more as I learn more and more about 2vs2 battling. I will add some more combos as I discover them too. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Section 4 - Differences between 1vs1 and 2vs2 battling ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to this section that outlines the basic differences between 1vs1 and 2vs2 battling. I gave you a brief outline in the introduction, however I feel that that is not great enough for you to be able to create a good 2vs2 team. Below are the main differences between 1vs1 and 2vs2 battling: - You use 2 Pokémon at a time instead of 1. That means that you need to think about the effects that one Pokémon will have on the other. - Some of the moves have got different functions in 2vs2 than in 1vs1. There is a section in this FAQ right after this one that tells you which moves have changed in 2vs2 and there is also a little comment from me on how I rate the move in context of 2vs2 play. - Shell Bell has been changed meaning everytime a move hits, the Pokémon that used it will recover HP. For example if a Pokémon used Earthquake, then it would regain HP in proportion to the damage done to the first enemy Pokémon, regain HP in proportion to the damage to the second enemy Pokémon and if it hits your ally it will regain HP in proportion to the damage it does to that one as well. That means that you can regain HP up to 3 times each turn. Here is an example of this in action: Moltres used Heat Wave! (46% damage to Zapdos) Moltres's Shell Bell restored its HP a little! (11% damage to Kingdra) It's not very effective... Moltres's Shell Bell restored its HP a little! - Due to the fact that 2 Pokémon are allowed to attack at the same time, you can expect that the average 2vs2 battle tends not to last as long as a typical 1vs1 battle. It also means that the metagame is more based around attack or be killed than stall to death. It also makes Speed vital. - With moves that are not listed in the next section you get to choose a Pokémon that you would wish that move to hit. If it is in the section below then it has a different function. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Section 5 - Special Move Info in 2vs2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here I will list all the moves that are different than 1vs1 in their properties in 2vs2. That means it will list all the moves that will hit both opponents with half power, a random opponent, all Pokémon on the field except the user. I will also add a little comment on the move to say it I think it is worthwhile to use. Please remember that the base power listed is halved when it hits both opponents and that when it hits all Pokémon on the field except the user it maintains the base power listed. Acid Base Power - 40 Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - No point in using this move with a base 20 attack, which hits both. Air Cutter Base Power - 55 Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - The move is too weak when 2 opponents are in play so there is no point in using this move. Blizzard Base Power - 120 Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - A useful move to use if you like to play a bit risky. A STABed Blizzard hits both opponent Pokémon with 90 base power. Shame about the accuracy of 70%. Bubble Base Power - 20 Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - YES YOU MUST USE THIS MOVE! For the slightly slower of you that was sarcasm it hits both opponents with base 10 power so it should be avoided. Earthquake Base Power - 100 Hitting Info - All Pokémon on the field except the user Comments - Arguably the best move in 2vs2 (with the exception of maybe explosion). In my opinion I would have at least 2 or 3 users of this move on your team but having too many users can leave your team vulnerable. Eruption Base Power - 150 Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - Would be a class move in my opinion if there were some Pokémon that were fast enough to make use of it. Groudon would be a great user because with base 90 speed he is still quite fast and can really pack a punch because its base power would be 150 on each opponent at full health because the sun would be in effect. The trouble is, Groudon is banned from most competitive play so Eruption will never be able to have a place in 2vs2. Explosion Base Power - 250 Hitting Info - All Pokémon on the field except the user Comments - Another one of the best moves in 2vs2. The only downside is that the move protect is very common so if you get out predicted you can end up just fainting yourself, so you should be careful when using the move. Growl Base Power - N/A Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - Actually it is quite a good move if used right. If your opponent is using 2 Pokémon that are relying on physical attacks it can be quite useful in causing switches. Heat Wave Base Power - 100 Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - A good move if used in combination with sunny day because it can really hurt both opponents. However I would use it with fire blast in case you run into a Pokémon with flash fire or you NEED to get an OHKO on a Pokémon that could kill you if you don't kill it first. Hyper Voice Base Power - 90 Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - Not really good enough when you could be using a move like Earthquake. Icy Wind Base Power - 55 Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - The 100% lowering speed on both opponent Pokémon is useful in itself with speed playing an important part in 2vs2. The slight damage is useful as well. I personally have never tried it, but I suggest that someone out there gives it a shot. Leer Base Power - N/A Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - Meh could work well in conjunction with earthquake or another double damaging move...watch out for Pokémon with the Clear Body ability. Light Screen Base Power - N/A Hitting Info - Affects both Allies Comments - Great move. I always use it on my 2vs2 teams because it causes special attacks to do 2/3 damage and affects both of your Pokémon. Magnitude Base Power - Random Hitting Info - All Pokémon on the field except the user Comments - It is capable of doing more damage than earthquake, however the consistency of EQ means that Magnitude will forever be a redundant move. Muddy Water Base Power - 95 Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - Surf is better because again because of consistency. Even surf though should be used in conjunction with rain dance though to do enough damage to be plausible. Outrage Base Power - 90 Hitting Info - Random Opponent Comments - Should not be used. Plain and simple. Petal Dance Base Power - 70 Hitting Info - Random Opponent Comments - See comment about outrage. Powder Snow Base Power - 40 Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - Not worth using when there is blizzard. Razor Leaf Base Power - 55 Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - The base power is not high enough to warrant usage. Razor Wind Base Power - 80 Hitting info - Hits both opponents (2 turn attack) Comments - Since it is a 2-turn attack it is not worth using and the power is not high enough to mean that it should be used. Reflect Base Power - N/A Hitting Info - Affects both Allies Comments - Again an amazing move. Makes physical attacks hit with only 2/3 damage for both of your Pokémon. With earthquake and explosion being common moves reflect means that you have a good chance of actually surviving a hit (if you are at full health). Rock Slide Base Power - 75 Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - A really important move in my opinion. Many people use flyers to counter the common usage of EQ, therefore to get an attack that can hit both of the flyers with super effective damage is very good. It can also flinch the opponents and if you are really lucky you can get a double flinch. It is also a great counter of "Follow Me" where people get either Togetic or Clefable to use Follow me while another Pokémon uses a stat upping move. I would suggest at least one of your pokes should use this move (preferably STABed with choice band). Aerodactyl utilises this move best with himself being immune to EQ. Safeguard Base Power - N/A Hitting Info - Affects both allies Comments - Not as useful as reflect or light screen for the simple fact that status is not as common in 2vs2 as it is in 1vs1 because 2vs2 is more about fast sweeping. However it could be useful as a filler on one of your Pokémon so you have got the protection if you might need it. Selfdestruct Base Power - 200 Hitting Info - All Pokémon on the field except the user Comments - Naturally not as good as explosion but can be good on a Pokémon like snorlax as a finisher because it gets stab off a high attack. Spikes Base Power - N/A Hitting info - Hits both opponents Comments - Since it causes both sides of pokes to be affected when they switch in it could be quite useful, however with earthquake being as common as it is, very few Pokémon used in 2vs2 would actually be hurt by spikes since most of them have Levitate or are a flying type. Splash Base Power - Infinite Hitting Info - Kills every pokemon in the opponents team Comments - If you didnt realise this was a joke then please refer to your only option :S String Shot Base Power - N/A Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - Why use this when you could use icy wind? Surf Base Power - 95 Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - A very useful move if accompanied with rain dance. Kingdra is a great example of a Pokémon that can use it to great effect. Sweet Scent Base Power - N/A Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - Yes everyone use this move! It is undoubtedly the best move in the whole of 2vs2. Swift Base Power - 60 Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - Useless. Since the base power is halved you would be better off using a move that could actually do some good Tail Whip Base Power - N/A Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - Same as leer. Teeter Dance Base Power - N/A Hitting Info - All Pokémon on the field except the user Comments - Would be great if there were better users of the move. The Pokémon that can use it have the rather large handicap of being too predictable. However all round confusion is good when teamed up with something with own tempo or protect. Thrash Base Power - 90 Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - See outrage Twister Base Power - 40 Hitting info - Hits both opponents Comments - Not enough damage to warrant use. Water Spout Base Power 150 Hitting Info - Hits both opponents Comments - Again like eruption it would be great in 2vs2 if there were some faster users. Kyogre would be great in 2vs2 with this move because it is relatively fast. It's a shame really 2 moves that would be great in 2vs2 are limited because their best users are banned. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Section 5 -Team Building Tips ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ok. Now that you know what all differences moves have in 2vs2, it is time for you to make a team. In my opinion there are things that are must haves in 2vs2 and here is a little list of them: - Flyers/Levitators: Make sure that you get at least half your team immune to earthquake. If you don't then you are going to be vulnerable. Very vulnerable. Also try and make sure you get a good mixture of flyers and levitators so that the shared weaknesses of your team don't rise too high. - Earthquake Users: Earthquake is a great move in 2vs2. You should have at least 2 Pokémon using this move but no more than 3. If you have more than 3 then you are going to be vulnerable to a team full of flyers and levitators. - Explosion Users: Explosion is one of the best moves. Try and get something that can explode and cause massive damage all round. You should have no more than 2 exploders because then Pokémon with the damp ability will hamper your progress. - Protect: Protect is an essential move in 2vs2. You will need it for when someone uses Explosion on your team, or when you can predict someone will want to focus their attacks on one Pokémon while the other Pokémon laughs as it gets a free attack in. Again try and shove on protect on most Pokémon on your team. - Ghosts: I would strongly suggest that you have a ghost on your team. Even though there are few options, most fit well on teams. Ghosts are good because they are immune to explosion and means that if you expect an explode you can switch in your ghostie and then he won't take any damage. Gengar is the best for this role in my opinion because he benefits from Levitate. - Light Screen/Reflect: Another thing that I would strongly suggest is to have a Pokémon that can set up the two screens so that you can be slightly more protected against attacks, meaning you will last longer to dish out damage of your own. - Type Balance: Try and get a reasonable type balance so that you do not have too many shared weaknesses. Make sure that you don't have more than one thing weak to earthquake or you are in trouble. Ice and Electric is another thing you need to watch out for because if you put a lot of Flyers in you are going to find that your weaknesses add up. - Intimidate: I would suggest that you used a Pokémon that makes use of the ability intimidate because it affects both of the opponent Pokémon. It can also force switches meaning you can get in free moves like dragon dance or a free attack. One common strategy that leads from this is the strategy of leading with two intimidators and hoping that you can catch some Pokémon that rely on physical attacks. That can then mean you can get some stat uppers while they switch out to something else. That is the main reason I usually lead with Special Attackers. - Moves that hit both Opponents: Please, when you are using attacks that hit both pokemon, make sure that you take the fact that the base power is halved and that if you used a different move like Fire Blast or Hydro Pump you could get an OHKO or near to one. However if you use these moves properly it can save you, because you do not need to worry about people protecting some of your moves, which can be really handy in 2vs2. Remember you can still do quite a lot of damage with these moves to both of the enemy pokemon, but be sure that if you use these moves in conjunction with their higher base damage partners, so you can choose which move is best to use in a certain situation. I hope I made this bit clear, if you didn't understand it then please would you email me so that I can change it so that everyone can understand this important aspect. Also there is this little formula that I use when I am composing a new 2vs2 team: - One Pokémon that can take Special Hits well. - One Pokémon that can take physical Hits well. - Two special attacking Pokémon that work well in combination. - Two physical attacking Pokémon that work well in combination. With that formula usually it gives a good success rate. Some of the positions can overlap as well, meaning you can get something that can take physical hits well and also dish them out leaving a gap for another Pokémon that can take up another slot. Well those are some of the more essential things that you need to make a team that can compete on the highest level. Here are some other general stuff that you should try and take advantage of. There is also some criticism on some of the common strats that are not as effective as they are cracked up to be. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MIMICING ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Mimicing is a very useful thing to take advantage of in 2vs2. You can mimic your allies move and then use that to your advantage. It can be very useful if there is a Pokémon that you think that would own if it could only just learn a certain move. Well with mimic you can get that extra move. A good example is EggyTres that IronHead and I came up with where Moltres Mimics Exeggutor's Solar Beam after setting up sunny day. It can work wonders if people don't expect it. You can also mimic follow me which is quite good because the current users of follow me are not really built especially for the task. I saw someone use this on Netbattle and it was unexpected, which makes it a very nice thing to try out. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SKILL SWAPPING ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Skill Swapping is another good tactic. Skill Swapping levitate on to Metagross can almost make it unbeatable as it sweeps the entire field. Another thing you can try is to skill swap slaking. However this is a very risky strat because skarm is still a bit annoying in 2vs2 for the sole reason that it is immune to EQ AND can take the physical hits with taking as much damage as a fly does when banging into a solid metal wall. Well that is kinda what skarmory is! There are also other things that you may wish to skill swap, but remember the longer the chain, the less likely that it is going to work. Swapping pure power on to slaking via a chain is possible, however it takes time to setup and might not work. REMEMBER THAT WONDER GUARD CANNOT BE SKILL SWAPPED. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SWAGGER/FLATTER WITH PERSIM BERRY/OWN TEMPO ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Swagger/Flattering with your ally having the Own Tempo ability is something that you can try while gaining the attack boost and avoiding confusion. However due to the lack of good Pokémon with the own tempo ability the same effect can be gained if you used a Pokémon with the item persim berry, which cures confusion. However with using the berry it means you can only do this once on that Pokémon meaning that it is not as good as it may seem. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ TEETER DANCING WITH PROTECT/OWN TEMPO ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Teeter Dancing when a Pokémon uses protect is another good strat which can work wonders if you are lucky and it gets set up. However the main users of this (Spinda/Cacturne) are Pokémon that are quite predictable meaning that the opponents can attack these Pokémon fast at the start in an attempt to avoid teeter dance from being used. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ HELPING HAND ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Using helping hand is another good strat that you can try out. This can really help quite a lot on a Pokémon that normally could not OHKO a certain Pokémon Pokémon but with the boost that helping hand gives it can OHKO it without trouble. It works well with special sweepers. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ LIGHTNING ROD ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Another thing you might want to try out is a Pokémon that is weak to electric and a Pokémon with lightning rod. The trouble is that most of the Pokémon with lightning rod are not that good unfortunately or it would be something to try out. I would suggest Marowak as your best bet, because he is not weak to Earthquake and he is immune to electric. Another classic example of using lightning rod is to have Rhydon and Gyarados, with Rhydon having protect. This means that Rhydon can protect on the Gyarados earthquake, and also meaning if the opponent wants to earthquake to get rid of rhydon then it will be a wasted move. Thanks again to IronHead for pointing that out. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ IMPRISON ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Imprisoning some of the common moves of 2vs2 is another thing that you could try to do. Moves like Earthquake and protect can be really annoying in 2vs2. The solution? Imprison them! I saw MasamuneXGP from netbattle do this when facing one of my preliminary 2vs2 teams and it absolutely owned. A good Pokémon to use this particular strat is Dusclops. This is because it has good defences to withstand attacks and because it is a ghost type and is immune to exploders. A very good strategy and props to Masa who I think used it first. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ POISONPOWDER + GUTS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Poisonpowder + Guts is in my opinion one of the most overrated 2vs2 combos that exists. As soon as you see a Pokémon with guts and a Pokémon that can use poisonpowder you know what is going to happen. That means you will focus your attacks on the Pokémon with guts and it will most likely faint, and then the opponent will then send out a Pokémon to replace it and that will get poisoned. There was this time when I was on netbattle and I was facing such a combo. There was an Ursaring and a butterfree. With me having at least half a brain I could guess what was going to happen. I then killed Ursaring with ease and then the fool decided to send out umbreon. Butterfree used poisonpowder and the end result was that both the opponents' Pokémon were poisoned. The only thing that that strat managed to achieve was me bent over in laughter. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ FAKE-OUTING ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Fake Outing is actually something that I have seen work well. I can't remember who I was facing on Netbattle but fake out can take out one of your Pokémon which you would expect to be able to kill one of theirs meaning the second ally Pokémon can then kill the Pokémon that was faked out. A very interesting thing to do. The down side naturally is that it can only be used on the first turn but usually one fake out can really ruin your strategy. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ FOLLOW ME ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Follow Me + Stat upping is something which I have seen and not liked. It can work with the right Pokémon but usually it is easy to counter with a Pokémon like Aerodactyl using rock slide. WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT USE FOLLOW ME + BELLYDRUM CHARIZARD. It just does not work and it is just screaming out for a rock slide which is the usual follow me counter. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DOUBLE EXPLODING ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Double Exploding if used right can take out 4 opponent Pokémon at the cost of 2 of yours. I have managed to pull it off once or twice and it has been quite fun. I got a metagross and used agility and then Gengar uses Protect so that he will be able to take no damage so he can explode next turn. Metagross then explodes which takes out 2 of the opponent Pokémon. The opponent then sends out two fresh Pokémon which are then subject to an explosion by gengar which can either faint or badly damage both opponent Pokémon. The trouble with this combo is that if you get out predicted you can get screwed up badly. But if you are playing someone who dosen't know the importance of protect in 2vs2 you are well and truly in the money. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ RAIN DANCE/SUNNY DAY ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Rain Dance/Sunny Day theme teams are fun. However make sure that your entire team does not revolve around sunny day or rain dance. If you do you will be weak to teams that so similar things. For example if you used rain dance your opponent could predict this and then attack using Hydro Pump and Thunder while you are on the set up turn. It is best to have 3 pokes relying on Sunny Day/Rain Dance and 3 that do not need it. Because if you have your whole team dependant on it and your sunny dayer/rain dancer gets killed then your whole team goes down the drain. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ FOLLOW ME PUNCHING ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Follow Me Punching has been suggested by people as a potential good strat for 2vs2. In theory it would seem that it would work quite well as no-one could directly hit the Pokémon that plans to punch. However there are massive problems with this suggested strategy. The thing is that moves like Earthquake , rock slide, surf and the like, all hit the other Pokémon as well as the one that uses follow me. That would mean that the Pokémon who was going to focus punch would not be able to focus punch and at the end of the turn you would end up with one poke that has taken a load of damage for no effect. That is why I do not believe that Follow Me Punching is a good idea. However if you do manage to come up against someone who tends not to like double hitting moves then this might work, but in general I would give this tactic a skip. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ENDURE-EXPLODE-REVERSALING ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ EndureExplodeReversaling is another strategy that has been built up as a good thing for you to try and do. However there are quite a few flaws with this. The first of these is that there are 2 Pokémon you will face, you can only hit one of them and the one that you do not hit, will kill you. Also with double intimidate being a common tactic your attack will be 2 levels lower meaning that you will not do as much damage as you would intend to do. Also it can get screwed over by people who use protect on the explosion, because when you see certain pairs, you can be pretty certain what it is meant to do unless your opponent has stuck two random Pokémon together in hope that it might work and they will scrape a win. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ INSTANT-REST-BELLING ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ InstantRestBelling is a possible in 2vs2 where you use rest and get a heal-beller that uses heal bell on the turn that you use rest. It can work wonders if your Heal Beller doesn't get killed because the only feasible one to use in 2vs2 is Miltank because Bliss dies too easy to physical attacks. It also dies to explosion too. However it might be worth a shot if you want to try and make 2vs2 as bad as 1vs1 is, but hopefully you shall all be proved wrong! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ TAUNT-EXPLODING ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Something me and IronHead were discussing. It is kind of an extension to the double explode I was talking about before. You get 2 pokes who can explode to use taunt meaning that the other pokes can't use protect for the next turn. Then on the next turn you use explosion on both your pokes, and if you are lucky then you can kill 4 pokes in one go. Weezing is a great Pokémon for doing this because it can use Fire Blast Shadow Ball Taunt AND Explode. That means it can counter the inevitable steels/ghosts that are going to be switched in when predicting the explosion. Untested but in theory it could work well. That is all I can think of as strategies go. Now in the next section you will find a list of combos that you may wish to give a go when playing 2vs2 in the future. Quite a few of these combos are common and known as standards in 2vs2. Others I have made up myself. However if I have made up a combo that you think you made up first, all we can put it down to is that great minds think alike. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ROLE PLAYING ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Role Playing is a possible stratagy that you might want to try out, where you take the ability of your partner pokemon or the opponent. A great user of this would be stantler, because it gets intimidate which is an ability that is not very useful after he has been switched in, and if he switches out his ability will have the same effect again. You can role play things like swift swim or levitate. It is however quite risky but if you do get it set up it can be quite sexy. You could also role play pure power off medicham and get powerful attacks etc. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ PSYCH UP ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Psych up is another risky thing that you might want to give a shot. You could get a poke to stat up like salamence or gyarados, then send in a pokemon that Psychs up these changes. However since stat up moves are not that common in 2vs2 it is not as good as it first may seem but it might be worth a shot if you like to live on the edge :) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Section 6 -Combos to try out ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to the Combos to tryout section of my FAQ! The combos here will be put in a specific format so that it is easy to understand what is going on. Here is the template for all the combos that will be listed below so you can gain the most out of this section: =============================================================================== -Pokémon 1 + Pokémon 2 Combo: Pokémon 1's Moveset: Pokémon 1@item Personality: Which stats to focus Evs in Move 1 Move 2 Move 3 Move 4 Pokémon 2@item Personality: Which stats to focus Evs in Move 1 Move 2 Move 3 Move 4 Comment: This is where a comment about how to use the strategy and what I think about the effectiveness of the strategy =============================================================================== Ok then now that I have explained the format to you, here are a list of some of the combos that I think you should try out. =============================================================================== -Slowbro + Slaking Combo: Slowbro's Moveset: Slowbro@leftovers Bold: SpAtt Def HP and SpDef Swagger Skill Swap Psychic/Ice Beam Surf Slaking's Moveset: Slaking@leftovers Jolly: Attack Speed (SpDef HP Def if you want a more tankish slaking) Return Earthquake Shadow Ball Slack Off Comment: This is a strategy that is used in Colosseum. Unfortunately it does require a fair amount of setup but you can give one of the enemy pokes truant which can force a switch. What you do is you use Slowbro to use skill swap on slaking. This then gives Slaking Own Tempo. Slaking then hits a powerful attack. The second turn slaking can Return away and on this turn you can switch out slowbro for another poke is you want to avoid messing around with the rest of the setup that's needed for this . On the third turn slowbro skill swaps truant on to the opponent and then on the 4th turn swaggers at slaking. Keep Swaggering until you die, or attack if you wish. Then send out a Pokémon that is immune to earthquake (preferably a special attacker that can take down skarmory) then watch slaking sweep. In my opinion it is a rather over rated strategy because it takes so long to set up, however if your opponent lets you set up you should have an easy win. =============================================================================== -Kingdra + Zapdos Combo: Kingdra's Moveset: Kingdra@leftovers Modest: SpAtt Speed Rain Dance/Protect Surf/Hydro Pump Ice Beam Mimic Zapdos's Moveset: Zapdos@leftovers Timid: SpAtt Speed Rain Dance/Protect Thunder HP Ice Thunder Wave Comment: My variation on the traditional Kingdra + Zappy combo is where you get kingdra to mimic thunder off zapdos and laugh as pokes go down the toilet. Only one of the two Pokémon needs rain dance however so keep that in mind. Give protect to which ever Pokémon you feel in your opinion needs it the most. Once set up I have managed to sweep entire teams with it. It was this combo that single handily helped me in my first battle in this 2vs2 tournament that I am participating in. Surf is very good on kingdra, however I prefer to use Hydro Pump because with Hydro Pump you are virtually guaranteed to get an OHKO on things but with surf you are not. A very good combo to use. =============================================================================== -Gengar + Metagross Combo: Gengar's Moveset: Gengar@leftovers Hasty: Speed Attack Skill Swap Psychic/Shadow Ball Protect Explosion Metagross's Moveset: Metagross@leftovers Adamant: Attack Speed Defence Meteor Mash Earthquake Explosion Agility Comment: Another one of my 2vs2 concoctions. It was explained earlier on when I told you about double exploding. Skill Swap is very useful if you want metagross to sweep before exploding and sacrificing gengar. This combo has again saved me many many times before but it is very risky and difficult to pull off. =============================================================================== -Salamence + Gyarados Combo: Salamence's Moveset: Salamence@leftovers Modest: SpAtt Spd Fire Blast Hydro Pump Protect Dragon Claw Gyarados's Moveset: Gyarados@leftovers Jolly: Attack Speed Defences Earthquake Dragon Dance HP Flying Protect Comment: The idea of this team pairing is double intimidate. You get 2 Pokémon that have intimidate and it then forces your opponent to switch if he uses two physical Pokémon. The idea is that Salamence attacks with the special attacks and that Gyarados attacks with the physical attacks. You can also go with both of them as physical attackers, but then in my opinion that leaves you vulnerable to Pokémon like Skarmory who is still an evil thing in 2vs2. Overall it is a very effective combo but if you face two special attackers at the start, you can end up getting messed over. =============================================================================== -Aerodactyl + Claydol Combo: Aerodactyl's Moveset: Aerodactyl@choice band Jolly: Attack Speed Earthquake Rock Slide HP Flying Double Edge Claydol@leftovers Calm: Hp Def SpDef Earthquake Ice Beam Light Screen Reflect Comment: The great thing about this combo is that everyone expects claydol to explode. That means that they will protect. That means that claydol can get a free turn to get up a screen and then Aero can then wait until next turn to do the damage. Then you can take advantage of double Earthquake. Then when they send out Salamence for Intimidate to stop the damage from physical attacks, claydol Ice Beams it to death. The amounts of times I have seen people switch in Salamence in on these two, and the look of surprise as they are ice beamed back to hell. Double Screens and psychology work to your advantage in this combo. =============================================================================== -Exeggutor + Moltres Combo: Exeggutor's Moveset: Exeggutor@leftovers Modest: Speed SpAtt HP Sleep Powder Sunny Day Solar Beam Psychic Moltres@leftovers Modest: Speed SpAtt Fire Blast Heat Wave Mimic Protect Comments: Ah the brain child of me and IronHead. Once set up this combo is a beast. Sleep Powder is a great disabler as Moltres gets to Heat Wave everything in existence...however the slight disadvantage is that it is difficult to set up if the opponent focuses all its attacks on the eggmonster. I have seen this in full flow and I must say that it is frightening. Eggy is slow enough to get a sunny day in so that if it was facing ZapDra it would override the rain dance, which is always a huge plus. =============================================================================== -Zapdos + Nidoqueen Combo: Zapdos's Moveset: Zapdos@persim berry Modest: SpAtt HP Def SpDef Thunderbolt HP Ice Agility Thunder Wave/Protect Nidoqueen's Moveset: Nidoqueen@leftovers Impish: Attack Def HP SpDef Flatter Protect Earthquake Sludge Bomb Comments: This was sent in to me by rhythm. It is the standard "flatter + berry combo" which I told you about before. It is quite cool if you get it to work. Agility means Zappy can get more focused on Def not speed and then Queen Flatters Zappy for huge SpAtt boost. Then Queen can EQ without fear of hurting Zappy. Quite a good combo if it can get setup. =============================================================================== -Jumpluff + Umbreon Combo: Jumpluff's Moveset: Jumpluff@leftovers Jolly: Spd Hp Def SpDef Leech Seed Sleep Powder Encore Protect Umbreon's Moveset: Umbreon@leftovers Impish: HP Def SpDef Mean Look Toxic Rest Protect Comments: This is a combo that attempts to bring the stallish metagame of 1vs1 into 2vs2. The idea is that Umbreon Mean Looks while Jumpluff Leech seeds. Umbreon Mean Looks both and Jumpluff leech seeds both. That would mean that Jumpluff would regain A LOT of HP back each turn. Jumpluff can also use Sleep Powder on the first turn to help the set up of this combo. Encore is useful to encore Earthquake because Jumpluff will not be taking any damage. I have been meaning to test out this combo for some time now and I will get back to you my faithful FAQ readers and tell you the results. ============================================================================== - Clefable + Gyarados Combo: Clefable's Moveset: Clefable@leftovers Calm: HP Def SpDef Follow Me Softboiled/Moonlight if you dont have box Protect Thunder Wave Gyarados's Moveset: Gyarados@leftovers Jolly: Spd Att Defences Dragon Drance Earthquake HP Flying Protect Comments: This is the infamous 2vs2 move "Follow Me". The best use of it so far is for stating up with one Pokémon while the other one gets used as a punching bag. It can work quite effectively unless naturally your opponent is clued up to the ways on 2vs2 and has a Pokémon that carries rock slide. I have seen similar things tried and failed and some tried and turning out quite well. If your opponent has no follow me counter on his team then you should be really happy. Remember folks that Clefable with Softboiled is only available via Pokémon BOX. =============================================================================== - Rapidash + Tauros Combo: Rapidash's Moveset: Rapidash@leftovers Jolly: Att Spd Bounce Overheat Return Protect Tauros's Moveset: Tauros@leftovers Jolly: Att Spd Return Earthquake HP Ghost Iron Tail Comments: Old school stuff here made up before the game was even released by a guy called "farfetch'd" on the R/S board. The idea is that tauros uses Return on the first turn on a Pokémon, then Rapidash uses bounce. On the bounce, tauros uses Earthquake which damages both of the opponents assuming they do not have levitate or are a flying type. The thing is with bounce is that they do not know who the intended target is so they can't get a free switch to something else. This is really just in to give you an idea of what some people predicted the 2vs2 metagame to be like. ============================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Section 7 -Credits and Legal Stuff ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ok first I will deal with the Legal Stuff then I will go on to thanking all the wonderful people out there who made this guide possible...so on with the legal blah. Firstly concerning the content of this FAQ: This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. Secondly I need to point out that I don't own Pokémon and that it all belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak. Just to make sure that that covers it I will have to add this notice as well to prevent me from getting sued. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. Now on with the credits! Here is a list of people/random objects/things I would like to thank for making this guide possible: - Nintendo/Game Freak: Thank you guys for making one of the best series of games ever! The hours of entertainment you have managed to give to me and millions of other people throughout the world is enormous. A big thank you and I hope as a fan there will be many more games to come! -GameFaqs/CJayC: Thanks to you for your wonderful site and for hosting this FAQ. This site again has provided many people with great information and hours of fun browsing the boards. Keep up the good work! -My Brain: Thanks to my brain for helping me type this FAQ out and allow me to play games. Good Job son! -Notepad: Thanks Notepad for letting me type this FAQ. Simple but effective. -Metapad: Thanks metapad for being better than notepad. Since I own a tacky PC notepad will not allow to have large files saved. Therefore I turned to you metapad person. Thanks a bunch! -mIRC: Thanks mIRC for letting me chat to many people out there and play Pokémon via the bots. -Netbattle: For the listings of all the attacks so I could check up on their effects in 2vs2 play. And also for helping me battle after the bots stopped coming. Netbattle can be found at http://www.netbattle.net. -Netbattle Forums: There was a topic on the Netbattle Forums about 2vs2. On there, there was some suggestion of some strategies that might be useful in 2vs2. I did some research into them and I am putting my results into this FAQ. If you contributed to that topic on Netbattle then this thank you extends to you as well. Now it comes to actual people who have helped me throughout my time playing Pokémon. In no particular order here they are: -IronHead: A big thanks and a hug for IronHead who has always been very friendly from ever since I first met him on mIRC. Thanks for helping me out on some of my teams and helping make up some strats in 2vs2 like EggyTres which is mentioned above. Also an even bigger hug is needed for helping me proof read the FAQ. Thanks a bundle dude! -Redeyesruler190: Thanks to you for getting me on to mIRC in the first place. Without you I would never have met such people as I have over the past year and a bit. Good Luck Redeyes wherever you are. -Ultima96: Thank you Ulti for being my mentor as it were. Thanks for showing me how to play. Also for being a great laugh in chat. -Synre: For showing me that there is no perfect team and you should always keep trying. The amount of times I have made a team that I thought was unbeatable just to see it be destroyed with ease by your teams. Thanks man. -AJ: For like taking over ownership of #gfaqs. And also for being a great battler and always giving me great battles. -Shroomie: Thanks for just being around. You always seem to cheer up even the most darkest of days. Good Luck with Cross Country! -Asuka: For being a great sparring partner in battles and also being brave enough to sport a bright pink shirt in public. -LordS: Because he is a great battler and has helped me grow in experience by insulting me every time I make a mistake. -NdMan: Andy for being English and one of the best battlers out there. Also according to him I need to add "sexy" to my FAQ 56 times. Only 55 now :p. Also thanks for making Darkpad which had so much potential. Its just a shame that there are no longer any bots to run it on :( -Blueshirt: Thanks for pointing out some silly errors of mine, also thanks for being such a great dude in the community in general. Also regarding this comment you sent do me: "I am completely pwning you in the use of the word "sexy". At last count I had somewhere near 100 ;)" sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy sexy Ha owned :P -Rhythm: For being an easy battle to get my confidence up! Just kidding myles, thanks for being around and being fun to talk to all that. -Kari & Mewtwo: For making a 2vs2 tourney that really got me into 2vs2ing without that I would have never known as much as I do now about the subject. Thanks a lot for uncovering an aspect to Pokémon battling that I had never tried before. And finally a big shout out to you. The reader of this FAQ. By reading this you are making me feel that my work has been useful and has helped you become a better 2vs2 player. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Section 9 - Contact Me ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you wish to contact me with suggestions for the FAQ, have a combo to submit or feel that you should be included in the credits, then you can contact me via my email address: shinyzangoose@hotmail.com Some rules about sending me emails are listed below: - Don't email me asking help for the game, or for 1vs1 strategies. If you want 1vs1 help I suggest that you look at Blueshirts excellent guide. Infact I am so nice here is a link! http://db.gamefaqs.com/portable/gbadvance/file/pokemon_frlg_moves.txt - Don't ask me to create a team for you or to rate an existing one. I will not reply because I have better things to do. If you post it on the boards however if I am drifting past it I will rate it there. - Make the subject of your email "2vs2 FAQ". If that is not the subject then I will not read it. Plain and simple. - No attachments whatsoever. If you send me an attachment on your email then I will just ignore it even though it may be innocent. - If you submit information and would like to be included in the credits, please tell me by what name I should put in there. - Tell me what site you viewed this FAQ from please. So on that note until next time, Toodles! ______________________________________________________________________________ END OF FAQ. HOPE YOU ENJOYED READING IT!