So I won the open and I promised UT I would make a post after I got knocked out, which technically means I’m not even required to do this but doing it anyways.
R1 vs UT
https://pokepast.es/37702b01eb5511b2 (L)
This team is built around the idea that scream tail with psychic noise can help walking wake break through bulky resists like empoleon. UT brought band roaring moon and I lost a mon every time it came in. Don't think this team is that good anymore, it did kind of start a revolution of people running psychic noise on scream tail though so proud of that at least.
https://pokepast.es/b75f5a9380e10155 (W)
Early on I learned stall was good in this tier (it fell off a little during the duration of the open) so I built my own version. UT brought a team that could not break through and I won in an easy game without losing a mon. This team got me great results on ladder and it should still do decently there even now.
https://pokepast.es/d353ffe55ff401cf (W)
I had not really thought about which team to use during g3 of this match, and I accidentally loaded a team that I didnt think was good because it lacked speed control, whoops. I got punished for it and only won because I won 2 speed ties with my iron moth vs UT’s Latios. 75% of the time I would have been out round one instead of winning the tournament. This was the series I was closest to losing during the entire tournament, part of that was me being quite new to the meta. But part of that is also UT being a great player.
R2 vs Codename C.A.T
https://pokepast.es/37ae635e1a79ae07 (W, W)
This week I really started liking building aaa again and got some nice results. I also used this team vs my w3 opponent because I really enjoyed using it. This is my favorite team from that time and I think it still holds up now.
https://pokepast.es/7249024c8a26d093 (W)
This is the other team I used, it used to be quite decent but I think the metagame has developed past it and there are better options now.
R3 vs Don Bork
https://pokepast.es/576af0eba94f9848 (W)
I really started noticing how broken hazards are in this meta, corviknight and great tusk are the only good removal options and both are pretty exploitable. From here on out you will see that every single team I built abuses hazards in some way.
https://pokepast.es/ddccdf9bcd80d105 (L)
Speaking of hazards, the other team that I used actually aims to use them as the main tool for progress.
R4 vs ghostlike
https://pokepast.es/7c7739df7a8ebf8b (W)
I knew I had to step up my building if I wanted to beat ghostlike because they are really good and not scared to use preparation to get an advantage. So I decided that I would build with a couple mons I had not used before. I think this team is pretty nice, mglo hands is slept on, that mon is a huge threat.
https://pokepast.es/80d13505aa9f4a5f (L)
This team was built with the idea that future sight + zamazenta destroys absolutely everything. Problem is actually setting that up. Especially with the uptick of roaring moon usage at the moment makes this team very inconsistent as you have to get many predictions right. The team is also pretty weak to special attacking ghosts.
https://pokepast.es/6ded57eeecee6e3f (W)
I built this team from an idea UT gave me. Specs tinted lens latios is a huge threat that is nearly impossible to switch into, but one of the many problems it faces is finding the right speed control to pair it with. This idea started from pairing it with sandy shocks for a special attacking core that is very tough to reliably switch into over the course of a game. Due to the fact that ting lu has become more popular lately this team will struggle to keep up.
Semifinals vs Slither Wing
https://pokepast.es/3d99ad700666cdc5 (L)
I wanted to try building with dnite to mix up my scout and because betticus kept insisting it is good. Pretty good standard team otherwise, sadly loaded it into a near unwinnable mu.
https://pokepast.es/5f74b2aff5e4e425 (W)
This offense is one of the scariest teams I have built for the open. It is extremely difficult to keep everything defended because of the big differences in what the breakers do. Physdef regenvest primarina holds everything together. That mon works really well on offensive teams like this one by compressing roles.
https://pokepast.es/37411b77dd77933a (W)
yes you see that right, I used Entei, and it won. This mon is pretty underrated rn and should probably be on the vr at least. In the worst case scenario it will get a burn vs a key target like manaphy or pecharunt and in some cases it can take over a game completely. It also does a job as a revengekiller with pixilate espeed. Cool mon thats underrated rn.
Finals vs Atha
https://pokepast.es/a2e63f3894a7ad18 (W)
This team came from an idea DFM shared with me, mglo ghold is extremely difficult to switch into in the current meta. the whole idea of the team is to get mons statussed and use the hexing ghosts to break holes in teams. Very effective team at that, but does not like playing against zapdos (that mon kinda sucks rn tho)
https://pokepast.es/2fd075c965e35151 (L)
I wanted to try something more defensive again but wanted to use a wincon that can win get out of control on its own without much support. Cm psynoise scream tail does that job splendidly. Sadly the gameplan did not work out this game.
https://pokepast.es/4e499115a7c1ae16 (W)
Back to my usual hazard offense. This team does what it is supposed to do. Very tough to play around the threats in combination with hazards.
Finals vs Lana
https://pokepast.es/be7bb9ccabd794b2 (W)
vs Lana I wanted to do something a little different. I did not have a good read on them and wanted to surprise them a little. This is a team I built a while ago (around the time of R3 iirc) but never felt like it would do amazing vs my opponents. I kind of regret bringing this team because I dont think it is actually that good and I pretty much only won because of a fortunate crit.
https://pokepast.es/10c651969344b9e7 (W)
This is also a team I built a while ago. I was pretty stressed with having to build something new every week (not just for aaa) and during the finals that really caught up with me. I also dont think this team is that great but I played out of my mind to win the tournament.
R1 vs UT
https://pokepast.es/37702b01eb5511b2 (L)
This team is built around the idea that scream tail with psychic noise can help walking wake break through bulky resists like empoleon. UT brought band roaring moon and I lost a mon every time it came in. Don't think this team is that good anymore, it did kind of start a revolution of people running psychic noise on scream tail though so proud of that at least.
https://pokepast.es/b75f5a9380e10155 (W)
Early on I learned stall was good in this tier (it fell off a little during the duration of the open) so I built my own version. UT brought a team that could not break through and I won in an easy game without losing a mon. This team got me great results on ladder and it should still do decently there even now.
https://pokepast.es/d353ffe55ff401cf (W)
I had not really thought about which team to use during g3 of this match, and I accidentally loaded a team that I didnt think was good because it lacked speed control, whoops. I got punished for it and only won because I won 2 speed ties with my iron moth vs UT’s Latios. 75% of the time I would have been out round one instead of winning the tournament. This was the series I was closest to losing during the entire tournament, part of that was me being quite new to the meta. But part of that is also UT being a great player.
R2 vs Codename C.A.T
https://pokepast.es/37ae635e1a79ae07 (W, W)
This week I really started liking building aaa again and got some nice results. I also used this team vs my w3 opponent because I really enjoyed using it. This is my favorite team from that time and I think it still holds up now.
https://pokepast.es/7249024c8a26d093 (W)
This is the other team I used, it used to be quite decent but I think the metagame has developed past it and there are better options now.
R3 vs Don Bork
https://pokepast.es/576af0eba94f9848 (W)
I really started noticing how broken hazards are in this meta, corviknight and great tusk are the only good removal options and both are pretty exploitable. From here on out you will see that every single team I built abuses hazards in some way.
https://pokepast.es/ddccdf9bcd80d105 (L)
Speaking of hazards, the other team that I used actually aims to use them as the main tool for progress.
R4 vs ghostlike
https://pokepast.es/7c7739df7a8ebf8b (W)
I knew I had to step up my building if I wanted to beat ghostlike because they are really good and not scared to use preparation to get an advantage. So I decided that I would build with a couple mons I had not used before. I think this team is pretty nice, mglo hands is slept on, that mon is a huge threat.
https://pokepast.es/80d13505aa9f4a5f (L)
This team was built with the idea that future sight + zamazenta destroys absolutely everything. Problem is actually setting that up. Especially with the uptick of roaring moon usage at the moment makes this team very inconsistent as you have to get many predictions right. The team is also pretty weak to special attacking ghosts.
https://pokepast.es/6ded57eeecee6e3f (W)
I built this team from an idea UT gave me. Specs tinted lens latios is a huge threat that is nearly impossible to switch into, but one of the many problems it faces is finding the right speed control to pair it with. This idea started from pairing it with sandy shocks for a special attacking core that is very tough to reliably switch into over the course of a game. Due to the fact that ting lu has become more popular lately this team will struggle to keep up.
Semifinals vs Slither Wing
https://pokepast.es/3d99ad700666cdc5 (L)
I wanted to try building with dnite to mix up my scout and because betticus kept insisting it is good. Pretty good standard team otherwise, sadly loaded it into a near unwinnable mu.
https://pokepast.es/5f74b2aff5e4e425 (W)
This offense is one of the scariest teams I have built for the open. It is extremely difficult to keep everything defended because of the big differences in what the breakers do. Physdef regenvest primarina holds everything together. That mon works really well on offensive teams like this one by compressing roles.
https://pokepast.es/37411b77dd77933a (W)
yes you see that right, I used Entei, and it won. This mon is pretty underrated rn and should probably be on the vr at least. In the worst case scenario it will get a burn vs a key target like manaphy or pecharunt and in some cases it can take over a game completely. It also does a job as a revengekiller with pixilate espeed. Cool mon thats underrated rn.
Finals vs Atha
https://pokepast.es/a2e63f3894a7ad18 (W)
This team came from an idea DFM shared with me, mglo ghold is extremely difficult to switch into in the current meta. the whole idea of the team is to get mons statussed and use the hexing ghosts to break holes in teams. Very effective team at that, but does not like playing against zapdos (that mon kinda sucks rn tho)
https://pokepast.es/2fd075c965e35151 (L)
I wanted to try something more defensive again but wanted to use a wincon that can win get out of control on its own without much support. Cm psynoise scream tail does that job splendidly. Sadly the gameplan did not work out this game.
https://pokepast.es/4e499115a7c1ae16 (W)
Back to my usual hazard offense. This team does what it is supposed to do. Very tough to play around the threats in combination with hazards.
Finals vs Lana
https://pokepast.es/be7bb9ccabd794b2 (W)
vs Lana I wanted to do something a little different. I did not have a good read on them and wanted to surprise them a little. This is a team I built a while ago (around the time of R3 iirc) but never felt like it would do amazing vs my opponents. I kind of regret bringing this team because I dont think it is actually that good and I pretty much only won because of a fortunate crit.
https://pokepast.es/10c651969344b9e7 (W)
This is also a team I built a while ago. I was pretty stressed with having to build something new every week (not just for aaa) and during the finals that really caught up with me. I also dont think this team is that great but I played out of my mind to win the tournament.