/vp/'s collaborative guide to VGC for beginners.

Hello there and welcome to VGC General.

If you're looking here, then I guess you want to get into VGC as a competitive format, but don't know where to start.  Before we begin, I need to make a few things clear.


This guide is not the following:
-Teaching you what EVs and IVs are.  There are other guides for that are much more comprehensive and can explain the math better than I can.  I am writing this guide under the assumption that you have a basic understanding of what EVs and IVs are.
-Not a Team Building Guide (though there will be some mention of it throughout the guide when necessary)
-Not an Absolute Guide.  It is just a primer to help you get started.

*Getting Started*

First, let's start off with what VGC is.  It is a competitive format introduced by The Pokemon Company International (TPCi for short).  As opposed to singles, this is a doubles format.  Here are some things to keep in mind in regards to VGC's rules.
-You have a team of 6 pokemon, but you can only bring 4 out at time for battle.
-All Pokemon are set to level 50.
-The Item Clause is in effect so no 2 of the same items on two pokemon
-The Species clause is effect so no 2 of the same pokemon on a team
-For VGC-14 in particular, only pokemon in the Kalos Dex and are bred/caught in Kalos are allowed.
-In official tournament setting, it is best out of 1 during Swiss and best out of 3 during Top Cut/Knockout Rounds.

Because the Kalos dex is pretty big, you do have a plethora of Pokemon to choose, which overwhelms some newcomers.  When you're overwhelmed, you tend to make mistakes, which is fine as long as you are able to learn from it.  Here are a few common mistakes I see people make and how to rectify them.

-"Using 252/252/4 EV spreads"
This is fine for singles because pokemon are set level 100, where they get the most benefit from maxing out a stat, but because the teams are set to level 50 for VGC, the pokemon may not enjoy the full benefit of a maxed stat in terms of 252 evs.  Some Pokemon may enjoy this sort of spread depending on the pokemon's stat or their role (namely Mega-Kangaskahn and Aegislash), but generally, it's best to make a mixed spread instead of banking all on 2 stats. Look at some team reports on Nugget Bridge to get an idea of what EV spreads look like for VGC.

-"Not Using Protect"
Okay, this might be a little weird because there are some pokemon that can get away without using it, namely Choiced Mons, Mons that have other means of protection (Detect, King's Shield, arguably Quick Guard), and Assault Vest mons.  However, if your Pokemon isn't carrying Protect in some way, you better have a good reason for it.  Here are a couple reasons why it's so good:
	-Scouts the opponent's team. It will let you have an easier time of predicting and lets you make moves or switches next turn 	with that knowledge in mind.
	-Prevents double targeting.  Again, we go back to prediction, but if your opponent decides to target a problematic pokemon on your team, but you predict the double targeting, you waste their turn and potentially let your partner do its job, giving you some momentum.
	-Speaking of wasting turns, it can be used to stall out Weather and Trick Room.  You can turn that 5 turn weather effect into just a 4 turn weather effect by just double protecting and the same goes for Trick Room.  Not every team uses weather and/or trick room, but it's nice to keep it in the back of your mind should you encounter said teams.

These are just a few of the benefits it brings to the table.  Protect is a wonderful tool in VGC, but remember that it can't be used consecutively. Smart use of Protect will get you far and help you to predict.

-"Using Field Hazards"
This works in singles because of the slower pace and more switches, but in VGC, Matches are very fast-paced and only 4 Pokemon are brought in battle, meaning that there will be fewer switches because direct counters to one particular pokemon on your team could be countered by another member of your team, which could be brought out onto the field alongside the pokemon being countered.  There are definitely more reasons not to bring them in, but these are the main reasons.

-"Using Mons that have Tutor Moves"
I'll keep this short. There are no tutor moves in X/Y, which means that particular mon was born/caught in another game.  To make sure your pokemon is legal for VGC-14 make sure to take care of the following:
	-It has a blue pentagon in the Summary.
	-Make sure it is somewhere in the Kalos Dex and NOT in the National Dex.


-"Not Using certain moves/abilities"-
This is a pretty important thing go over.  Certain moves and abilities have greater use in Doubles than in singles and I will cover as much as I can.
	-Spread Moves are a staple in VGC as being able to hit two pokemon is definitely good especially with STAB. However, keep in mind that spread moves are weakened to 75% damage in doubles.  So moves like (but not limited to) Earthquake, Rock Slide, Surf, and Heat Wave fall into this category.  Most teams have at least one pokemon with a Spread Move.  For a full list of spread moves, look here:

http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Double_Battle#Effects_on_moves

	-Some abilities have more utility in a Double battle. Lightningrod and Storm Drain are the ones that come to mind as they redirect moves to the pokemon with said ability and nulllify them (Mold Breaker obviously screws this over).  Telepathy is another one as it lets the pokemon with said ability avoid Spread Moves that affect all pokemon.  So stuff like Surf and Earthquake have no affect on pokemon with Telepathy.  Keep this in mind when picking pokemon because if they have an ability that works in Double, it may be worth it to get a Mon with the ability.

	-Certain Moves are more useful in Doubles due to how they work.  Rage Powder is one that comes to mind since it lets you redirect all damage done to the user, which is important since it can lets a partner pokemon get away unscathed.  Helping hand is also pretty useful since it gives your partner a 50% increase in their damage the turn it is used.  Heal Pulse is also useful since you now actually have a target to use it on, unlike in Singles.  Ally Switch is also pretty good and has a priority of +1, which could let one of your pokemon avoid non-priority moves by switching places with your partner pokemon.

Now with all this in mind, I hope you can look at VGC teams with a critical eye.

*Venturing to VGC Teams*
So now we're reaching the nitty-gritty part of VGC, which is deciding and making a team.  Yes, I said that this isn't a team building guide, but we will analyze a team to figure out why that team works, encourage you to play it, and with time, help you build your own successful team based on what you learned from that team.

Now that we know what mistakes are made, you can avoid them and make your VGC experience all that much better.

-Note for experienced singles players-
You may be inclined to get "creative" with your team choice because you may be a more experienced teambuilder, but VGC teambuilding is different from singles teambuilding.  There is a different mentality that goes with team-building in VGC. I ask that you guys follow the same advice I'm giving to newer players just so you can get a sense of how different Doubles is from Singles.  You may catch on faster than some of the newer players and that's okay, but swallow your creative pride so you can get some of the fundamentals down before you start making teams all on your own.

I'm going to say something that may sound a little condescending, but it's for your own good.  For the time being, you are NOT a teambuilder AT THIS POINT IN TIME.  You are going to suck at it if you go in with your regular singles team.  You may get a win or two via surprises, but it will not foster growth and understanding for the fundamentals in VGC.  Get that idea out of your head right now and do the following: COPY AND PASTE A SUCCESSFUL VGC TEAM.

Yes, I'm suppressing your creative intentions (possibly), but you need to know how VGC works first and what better way of doing that is by copying top players.  They know what it takes to make a successful team and create win-conditions.  Let's take the following team in this report for example  (Read it because I will not go over the sets of the pokemon, but why the team works):

http://nuggetbridge.com/reports/hail-hydreigon-1st-place-nugget-bridge-major-team-report/

Immediately, we see that the player has the team focused on Hydreigon hitting hard and the entire team is based on hitting hard and closing the game as soon as possible.  So how does he make that possible?  Let's look at some key aspects of the team.

-Choice of Mega Pokemon-
Since its inception, Mega Pokemon have had such a huge influence on team building to the point every team has a mega (or even two).  Our particular player has chosen M-Manectric as his choice of pokemon.  His reasoning for choosing the pokemon is sound.
-Intimidate helps to increase the physical bulk of all his pokemon, namely Hydreigon, and uses Volt-Switch to abuse that fact.
-Regular Manectric can help redirect Electric attacks for Azumarill, which makes it a smart switch-in when predicting Electric attacks on Azumarill
-Can take care of some of the faster dragons Hydreigon has trouble with, namely Salamence and Garchomp.

-Immunity-
This team abuses type-immunity to help intended pokemon to survive.  For example, Hydreigon, which is the Star of this team, his role is to hit hard, but to particular Pokemon, he is an out to some attacks.  To Manectric, Aegislash, and Tyranitar, he is a fantastic switch-in to Earthquake thanks to its ability Levitate.  For Amoonguss specifically, Hydreigon and Tyranitar provide a switch into Psychic attacks.

Then we have Azumarill.  Thanks to its Dragon immunity, Hydreigon can safely switch to Azumarill (Maybe before or after firing and locking itself into a move) when it sees a faster dragon, like Garchomp or Salamence.  Azumarill can potentially set-up Belly Drum to wipe out most pokemon with its ability, Huge Power and +6 boosted Attack.  The entire team can benefit from Azumarill's immunity to Dragon, but Hydreigon in particular benefits the most.

Then there's regular Manectric.  We covered this already, but reiterate, regular Manectric has Lightning Rod to provide an electric immunity for Azumarill.  It may be smart to keep Manectric in its base form for a little while till all Electric type threats are eliminated.

Lastly, we have Aegislash.  Boasting three immunities (Fighting, Normal, and Poison), Aegislash can switch in for its team.  Its Normal  immunity is great because Fake-Out is a common move on a lot of pokemon because of its 100% flinch rate.  If you can predict, Aegislash can take a Fake-Out for a pokemon and maybe set-up a Subsitute to stay on the field a lot longer, causing your opponent to focus on it while your other pokemon does its work or taking out other pokemon while Aegislash hits the opponent team.  Its Fighting immunity can help Tyranitar and Hydreigon out and its Poison immunity can come in handy for Azumarill's poison weakness.

The point I'm trying to make here is that switch-ins are indeed pivotal to the success of this team and other teams.

-Win Conditions-
Every team needs a win-condition and this team's win condition is close the game as fast as possible.  We see some of that when we analyzed the immunities.  On the team, there 4 very hard hitters:  Hydreigon, Azumarill, Aegislash, and Tyranitar.

-Hydreigon as a win-condition is a very good one.  Able OHKO any common pokemon with its STAB Draco Meteor and severely damage others with its coverage moves, Hydreigon is no slouch in the powerhouse department.  So how does it accomplish the win-condition?  By being able to stay on the field of course!  Like it's already been stated, Manectric can help out Hydreigon's bulk via Intimidate, which means it can stay on the field longer.  Amoonguss can help redirect attacks that harm Hydreigon via Rage Powder or can make its threats a non-factor via Spore.  If Hydreigon is able to get KOs in some way, you limit the opponent's options for dealing with it and being that much closer to closing the game.

-Azumarill as a Win-Condition is a great alternative one.  Azumarill has STABand great coverage with its two moves of choice, Aqua Jet and Play Rough.  With a Belly Drum and Huge Power, Azumarill can OHKO most pokemon with minimal or no investment in its defenses.  If you can set it up, you can potentially close out the game or just OHKO pokemon that are giving your other ones trouble.

-Aegislash may seem a little weird because it lacks an item or move that boosts its attack, but its immunities and resistances accompanied by its potential base Attack of 150 makes it a decent Win-Condition.  With Substitute on the field and its potential threats taken care of, Substitute can be a pain to take down and by the time it is taken down, the opponent may not have an out to Aegislash's attacks.

-Tyranitar as a win-condition is strange because of Weakness Policy.  It needs to take a Super-Effective hit to get a +2 to its Attack stats.  Letting it take an SE hit might seem detrimental, but the team is designed to help Tyranitar take hits.  Manectric's intimidate helps on the physical side of things while Tyranitar's Own Sand Stream boosts its Special Bulk by 50%.  If you haven't caught on to what Tyrnitar is designed to do, here is a short version of it:  Tank a hit as you Dragon Dance and hit back with a +3 STAB Crunch/Rock Slide as your +1 speed let's you outspeed almost everything in the meta.  It requires a decent amount of prediction, but it's will worth the risk as you can KO a lot of pokemon that are Neutral to your STAB attacks.

-Summing it Up-

So what fundamentals can we take away from this team?  Let's take a look.

-Prediction
Half of the game is team building, but the other half is predicting.  The situations I laid out in the immunities section aren't guaranteed.  Yes, the Garchomp that comes in may just Earthquake kill your Manectric, but if they predict your prediction by using Dragon Claw instead, otherwise known as switching in your Hydreigon to dodge the Earthquake, Hydreigon may take some serious damage from Dragon Claw.  However, this situation happens a little more at higher level, but the sooner you can start making basic predictions, the more you'll be able to make your own advanced predictions.

-Team Building
Like I said, it's not a guide to team building, but if this analysis has shown anything, this player knows how to make a team that works.  That's why I strongly suggest copying and pasting a team on Showdown's VGC and learn how it works.  The sooner you understand why that teams works, the more likely you'll be able to make your own team based on the fundamentals of that team.

-Win-conditions and momentum
Making predictions lead to momentum building or loss.  If you can build momentum, you are that much close to your win-condition.  Whether your win-condition is to close the game quickly, or to set-up Trick Room/Weather, building momentum is key and you do that by either KOing pokemon or making certain pokemon a non-threat via status or stat drops.  Vice Versa, the same can happen to you and at that point, you may lose, but that's why it all comes back to prediction and its your predictions that can setup the win-condition or take you out of an unfavorable situation.

-Loss
Remember that it's okay to lose so long as you look back on your loss.  Save your replays and look at them.  What could you have done differently?  Is there a situation that you could have changed by bringing in a certain pokemon or using Protect at the right time? My point being is that Loss is a learning experience that will make you less likely to lose the next time IF you can look back with a critical eye.

*Final Words*
Maybe I should have put this at top, but I am by no means an expert on VGC.  In fact, I only started a few months ago.  However, I know what it's like to be a beginner and not knowing where to start.  I had nothing to go on until I started watching videos on Youtube and reading reports on Nugget Bridge and even then, I only caught on because I have experience in singles (Smogon and a College Meta).  I know what it's like to be frustrated and hating defeat, but if you are able look back on your defeats, learn, and ask for help when necessary, then you can have a successful team.  Who knows?  Maybe you'll be the next Se Jun Park with your own creative spin.  However, before you become a Champ, before you even enter a tournament, before you even decide to make your own team, remember that everyone starts out as a beginner or a noob.  If you have an open mind and a drive to get better, then you'll be able to see your results.  It's not an overnight process, but you'll definitely see it.

Global Link stats
http://3ds.pokemon-gl.com/battle
http://3ds.pokemon-gl.com/competitions/

Listed here are the official statistics section of the Global Link.  That way, you can look at past tournaments and competitions and see some common teams, movesets, and strategies.  They aren't reports articles so you will have to be able to analyze them yourself, but after reading all of this and practicing for a bit, I'm pretty sure you can do it.  You may need to make a Trainer Club account to view them, but it's worth it.

Good luck, fellow anons.

-An Anon who loves VGC.