OU Forum Guide and Announcements

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ginganinja

It's all coming back to me now
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Welcome to the OU Forum! This forum is to discuss the competitive aspects of 6th Generation Pokémon games. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the forum rules and guidelines discussed below.

Link to OU Discord Server.

Forum Rules
  • Before posting a new thread, please ask for moderator approval first. Mods reserve the right to close any thread that is not approved. Additionally, use the search feature to help you find existing topics. Do not make duplicate threads.
  • Do not post your in-game team here, or ask for help to improve your team. The Rate My Team section is the place to do this, which can be found here.
  • All posts should be based on actual in-game information. Please do not post speculation or your suggestions for fantasy Pokémon.
  • No discussion of ROMs is allowed. However, discussion based on importing the game is entirely allowed and welcome.
  • In threads discussing the metagame, do not assume any particular Pokémon are banned. Additionally, do not suggest that certain Pokémon should be banned, or that they will probably be banned. Finally, do not post predictions on which Pokémon will be banned. Likewise, don't suggest that certain Pokémon should be unbanned.
  • Please refrain from theorymoning moves that you think a Pokémon should or should not get. Stick with what is confirmed please.
  • Do not create threads just to ask a question. Likewise, don't make posts just to ask simple questions. Simple game play related questions, that do not promote any form of discussion, go in the Simple Question, Simple Answers thread. Be sure to read the first post before asking or answering questions.
  • DO NOT make posts asking or inviting discussion about Pokémon you have bred / traded / trained in cartridge. We are here to discuss strategy - we don't care what IVs you got on your Chatot. Please take these types of topics to the WiFi forum.
  • Non-competitive topics should be posted in Orange Islands. Orange Islands is the in-game subforum for discussion related to in-game aspects of Pokémon XY and ORAS. Whereas the OU subforum houses discussion related to competitive play, Orange Islands houses threads created for the sole purpose of aiding you in your play through of Pokémon XY and ORAS. The Casual Discussion forum contains the following helpful threads:
    • Pokémon ORAS Experiences: a thread for discussing your opinions on Pokémon ORAS.
    • SQSA: a thread for requesting help or specific information about the games.
    • Pokémon ORAS Guides: threads such as item location guides, TM location guides, and walkthroughs.
General Posting Guidelines
- Don't double post. There's an edit button for a reason. If you need to delete one of your posts, the delete button is an option after selecting edit.

- Make the effort for your posts to be grammatically correct and coherent. We understand that not everyone speaks English as their first language, and we're willing to give some leeway here, but if English is your first language you really have no excuse to be making incoherent posts. Bad formatting not only makes your posts unpleasant to read, but they also lessen the positive impact of the points you're trying to make.

- Don't put your opinion in hide tags. This isn't really infract-worthy but if you're going to write a paragraph of your thoughts and opinion, make it visible. Hide tags have their place, but hiding your opinions in hide tags is apt to make people not read them at all. There is enough censorship on the internet already, don't censor yourself here.

- Avoid excessive quoting. It's obnoxious, especially when you quote three paragraphs to answer with a one-liner. Please don't do that.

- Don't reply to a quote by putting bold text inside the quote box. This is exceedingly difficult to properly respond to. If you feel the need to break up a quote, you can do so by editing the quote tags. For example:

[ QUOTE=User's Name]
Paragraph 1

Paragraph 2
[ /QUOTE]

(The spaces in the tags shouldn't be there, this is just to show you the format)
Would become:

[ QUOTE=User's Name]
Paragraph 1
[ /QUOTE]

Response

[ QUOTE]
Paragraph 2
[ /QUOTE]

A useful guide to thread formatting.

-Do not insult or flame other users. Correcting users when they say something that's clearly wrong is fine. Calling them a (BAN ME PLEASE) or saying they are stupid/retarded is an automatic 2 point infraction, no exceptions for anyone, badged users included.
Current OU Forum Staff Members
As a rule of thumb, remember that the application of each and every rule is subject to moderator discretion. If you have questions about the rules, their interpretation, or anything else related to the OU forum, then feel free to contact one of the OverUsed forum moderators above via private message.

A Guide to the OU Subforum Topics
Metagame Discussion


Viability Rankings - bludz
  • A topic where the community, lead by a council, attempts to rank every "viable" Pokémon in OU. Excellent resource for getting a feel for how the various OU Pokémon fit into the metagame.
Metagame Discussion - celticpride
  • A topic for less structured discussion as opposed to the Viability Thread. Aims to talk about playstyles, developments in the metagame, and similar things.
Simple Questions, Simple Answers - ginganinja
  • A place to ask simple questions that do not require a thread of their own to answer. This is the only place where so called "one liners" are tolerated.
Resources

Teambuilding Guide - UBERPYRO
  • A collection of posts detailing the various playstyles of OU and how to go about building them. Includes important contributions from various users outside of the topic creator.
OU Lessons - starry blanket & Infernal
  • In-depth lessons on a variety of topics pertaining to OU. Examples include synergy and trapping.
Speed Tiers - p2
  • A listing of the speed of every common set used in OU. Resource that you want to familiarize yourself with if newer as Speed Tiers are extremely important.
Checks Compendium - OrdA
  • A visual tool for teambuilding that you can use to find checks and counters for the metagame's top threats.
Role Compendium - p2
  • A visual representation of the general roles that Pokémon in OU play.
EV Spread Compendium - AM
  • Compendium of the EV spreads that various Pokémon use.
Lure Compendium - False.
  • Compendium of the various moves that OU Pokémon use to lure potential threats.
Sample Teams - starry blanket
  • A thread where sample teams are collected and posted to help newer users get acclimated to the metagame.
Good Cores - Infernal
  • A resource where an archive of good cores are posted. Helpful when looking for ideas or how to utilize certain Pokémon to their fullest potential.
Creative / Underrated Sets - celticpride
  • A resource where users can post new sets that they have had good success with. Replays are required!
Sets Viability Rankings - urban
  • Thread that seeks to further breakdown the viability ranking into sets, helps differentiate what sets are good and what sets are bad.
Teambuilding Workshop - DennisEG
  • A resource where DennisEG and a bunch of experienced builders provide teams based on requested cores. There is also an archive of roughly ~260 teams that have been built for previous requests.
Projects

Teambuilding Competition - MrAldo
  • Competition where the OP posts a core, and users can submit teams based on the core. Winning team gets put in an archive.
Core Building Competition - Martin.
  • The OP posts a theme of some sort, and users build cores that fit into that theme.
Victim of the Week - Aragorn the King
  • A topic where users post checks and counter to a certain threat or "victim" each week.
Pokémon Matchmaking - False.
  • Similar to VotW, except that this topic sets to fine the ideal partner to the "victim" of the week instead.
Core Analysis Workshop - Infernal
  • Topic that analyses cores, picks threats to them, and then picks partners to hep deal with those threats.
Weekly Research - HailFall
  • Participants are given a week to research and then post about one of three Pokémon.
Break This Team - Creator of Chaos
  • A team is posted and users seek to come up with the best core that sufficiently threatens that team.
What's His Last - daddy's kisses
  • Topic where an almost complete team is posted, and users must submit what they think the last Pokémon should be.
OU Underdog - SketchUp
  • A thread for discussion of Pokémon that aren't listed in the Viability Rankings thread.
Laddering Achievements - Silver_Lucario42
  • A thread where users can submit various laddering achievements to earn points on a leaderboard.
Theorymon - Recreant
  • A topic where users can submit Theorymon ideas to a council, and then get to vote on slated Theorymon. Winners get featured in an actual metagame playable on PS.
Other Places to related to OU
  • Battling 101 Forum - Forum where users can sign up for rounds of Tutoring.
  • Smogon Intro / Info Hub - Forum with general information for new users.
  • OU C&C Forum - Forum where analyses for the onsite dex are written. Check the reservation thread before posting a thread.
  • OverUsed Room on Pokémon Showdown - Real time discussion on the OU metagame. Also clicking that link leads to the simulator, where the ladder and teambuilder also are.
Suspect Thread Etiquette

Please familiarize yourself with the information in the hide tags below before posting in suspect threads.
- Firstly, if you make a checks or counters argument, the very first thing you need to do is make sure you have the correct terminology. A check, is something that cannot exactly switch in safely, but can often win a "1v1", or revenge kill the Pokemon in question. A counter is something that can 100% switch in and hard wall, or force an unfavourable situation for said Pokemon.

- Secondly, just because something lacks counters / checks does NOT mean it is instantly broken. Cube, BW Hydreigon etc were / are all impossible to switch into, but that does not instantly make them broken. However, if something DOES have checks and counters, this doesn't make it NOT broken either. Genesect had counters, Aegislash had counters (specific to its set) and so on. Also, take not that if you parade around a collection of shitty mons that situationally counter a suspect, I will flat out delete your post. It might even give you an infraction. I know that myself and pretty much every other OU mod is tired of seeing people discuss Arcanine, Weezing, Quillfish and pretty much anything else. Hint: If you are using garbage mons to check a top-tier sweeper, then its potentially a good indicator as to how unhealthy it is.

- Thirdly, just because you beat Mega Mawile while you have an Elo rating of 1000 does not mean it's not broken. If you want to use battle statistics in your argument, look at the top tier battles, the VR posters, the Tourney scene, use really good examples. It's much harder to refuse your points if you are a highly respected battler, usually because it means people trust and respect your opinion, regardless as to which way you vote. The lower you are on the ladder, the less Mega Mawile will be used successfully and intelligently, so please bear that in mind.

- Fourthly, if you use the argument; "LOL MEGA MAWILE SUCKS I JUST OHKO IT WITH EQ GGGGGGGGGGG", I will infract you. No question. All of us are (mostly), intelligent and have the ability to read. We all know how to look at a type chart, and you stating the obvious just makes you look like an utter retard that's out of his/her depth, and thus shouldn't be posting here.

-Fifthly, Fact Check. There is nothing more retarded than posting a sweeping statement that's incorrect. For instance, several people brought up earthquake from several mons as methods of dealing with Mawile. Many of these people failed to realize EQ missed a KO, and thus looked like morons. According to an IRC convo, someone who's opinion I trust remarked that Mega Mawile for instance, actually beats Gliscor provided it used SD on the switch in, tanks the Earthquake, and smokes Gliscor with a +2 Play Rough. I'm not sure if residual damage is required to do all that but the point is, don't take short cuts; we all have damage calculators, and we WILL call you out on it if you fucked up. I'm exempt from this rule because I'm a mod.

- Sixthly, don't assume a suspect (say Mega Mawile) will stay in on your Sun boosted, Blaze boosted Choice Specs Overheat. An earlier argument I saw was someone posting a load of calculations and saying "LOL MAWILE GETS OHKOed BY CHANDELURE". That's A+ logic mate, but Mega Mawile isn't setting up on a Charizard Y, instead, it's coming in on a choice locked dragon move, a resisted attack, a -1 Pokemon that lacks an effective means to do severe damage, etc. Posting a list of Pokemon that can OHKO Mega Mawile means jack shit if you need to sacrifice a Pokemon to get your check in safely. Its not setting up, and its not staying in.

- Seventhly, be careful of the "Prediction argument". IT GOES BOTH WAYS. Really clever posters will use the risk reward prediction argument, which is a good one. If you want a breakdown about it, I'm sure many experienced players will be able to tell you, but the point is, you don't have godlike prediction skills, so I don't want to see posts like "I will go to Heatran on a play rough, then go to Gengar on a Focus Punch, then use Substitute on the Sucker Punch and then use Will-o-Wisp on a second Sucker Punch. You are not clairvoyant, nor is your opponent, so don't pretend otherwise.

- Eighthly, make sure your post actually bring some sort of discussion to it. The posts I see that are just "yea so Mega Mawile has high attack power so I think it's broken" not only have terrible arguments but add NOTHING to the discussion. I'm not asking you to make a novel, but please make sure your post has a depth of reasoning and quality behind it. If you cannot be bothered putting through into it, then quite frankly, I cannot be bothered reading it. In general, the better your arguments are (detail, reasoning etc), the better of the overall quality of your post, and the better chance you have of influencing people to see things your way. Therefore, if you feel strong about a particular suspect, it is in your interest to make your post as well reasoned as possible, because if you half-ass it, then you are convincing no-one.

- Ninethly, don't mention how good / not good a Pokemon will be in Ubers. We don't care. Usage in Ubers has no impact on if we ban / not ban something. It could be garbage in Ubers but if its unhealthy for the OU metagame then it goes, no exceptions.

- FINALLY don't discuss past or future tiering. I couldn't care less if you feel salty about the Aegislash ban, and I don't give a shit that you feel that Thundurus-I should be suspected first. Likewise for the love of god, DON'T, DON'T say "but if we ban Mega Mawile, suddenly haxorus becomes broken", like in one post I read. We do not keep broken things within OU to check others, so please don't try this argument. Furthermore, don't whinge that your precious mon might be garbage in Ubers - we don't use it as a point of reference. It could get less usage that Magikarp in Ubers and we don't care - its not relevant. Likewise, please don't bitch or rage that your fanboy favourite just got suspect tested and might, be banned, use calm logic and reasoning and you will do a heck of a lot of a better job convincing others to see your side instead of posting shit like "FUCK SMOGON IT HATES ON MEGAS AND WANTS TO BAN THEM ALL I HATE THIS SITE".

Have a nice day.

Users that take it upon themselves to do exactly what I just told them not to do will be handed down an Infraction. No exceptions.
 
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AM

is a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnusis a Past WCoP Champion
LCPL Champion
Going to use this as a platform for any new moderators and or rule related news regarding the OU Forum so posts such as these may happen from time to time.

With that being said I've decided to have ginganinja co-lead the OU Forum as well as its staff members along side myself. Congratulations n_n
 

AM

is a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnusis a Past WCoP Champion
LCPL Champion
We've been getting a lot of requests for these and the OU moderator team has come to a decision that new team archives are not going to be allowed on the forum anymore. We were ok, and are ok with the 3 or so that are currently on the forum, but it clutters the forum and we won't be accepting and will be deleting any archives that are posted here regardless of ones credentials. That is all.
 

AM

is a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnusis a Past WCoP Champion
LCPL Champion
This isn't really a rule more so a generalization of not mini modding or trolling posts that weren't approved by mods. There's no need to comment and say "hahahaah noob" or do what the mods do. I know you guys are trying to help but then you have people who want to act like morons and try to be funny for the sake of circlejerking with friends. If the thread is going to be locked it's gonna get locked / deleted in the near future so just don't bother replying and we'll take care of it thanks.
 

AM

is a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnusis a Past WCoP Champion
LCPL Champion
Hi

I'm resigning from the OU moderator team for those unaware. As you may see I still have my moderator banner. This is a formality of being on the OU Council but in terms of moderating the forum itself in the active manner I have done in the past I won't be doing that anymore.

ginganinja is now the forum leader, who as you all know was formerly co-leading with myself.

bludz and Celticpride have been promoted and added to the OU Moderator team. Welcome them and congratulations to the both of you.

See you all around.
 
Hi so I just did some updating to this thread, and edited in the "Guide to the ORAS metagame" into this thread in addition. So if you noticed that thread was gone this is where it went. Please PM me with any corrections or errors you guys see as there was a lot of stuff to put in.
 
Just FYI but I locked a bunch of compendium threads further down the topic list. They should have, at this point in the metagame development, reached a point of relative stability to where they don't need to be open or active. Not entertaining "revamps" at this time either fwiw. If the OPs need them unlocked for the odd update here or there feel free to contact a mod I guess.
 
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