Leads have been an important part of Pokemon since the very beginning of the game; what Pokemon you start out with could very well end up winning or losing you the game. In fact, before Team Preview, many Pokemon hung onto OU simply because they made a very effective lead. The best examples of this were Azelf, who went from a top DPP OU lead with a fast Taunt, Stealth Rock, and Explosion, down to UU in BW, and Aerodactyl, who also boasted great Speed alongside Taunt and Stealth Rock, but plummeted down to RU in BW. However, even in our newer Team Preview metagames of BW and XY, picking the right Pokemon to lead with is still very important. Many people choose to start out with a hazard user so that the opponent has constant residual damage throughout the entire match, while others often choose to start with a U-turn or Volt Switch user to ensure that they can end up with a good early-game matchup. Still, in BW and XY, picking a lead is much more malleable. If you have a Pokemon that threatens the opponents entire team, it can be a good idea to lead with it to start the game by applying heavy offensive pressure. Ultimately, no matter what you pick, its important to take some time before your game starts by assessing the opponents team and figuring out what theyll lead with. This gives you a chance to get the upper hand before any other moves are even made. Theres really no one right or wrong way to start the match, which is why its so crucial to get an understanding of what works and what doesnt in the lead position. What Pokemon work the best for you as a lead? Do you have any go-to leads? Let us know!
Posted on: Fri, 15 Nov 2013 19:15:50 +0000
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