How To Write a Pokémon Analysis

Introduction

If you've heard of Smogon, you've most likely heard of the Smogon Strategy Dex. If not, allow me to inform you about it. The Smogon Strategy Dex is a collection of Pokémon analyses that go in-depth into the best sets of a Pokémon and how to use them properly. One thing about the Dex is that anyone can contribute to it for any tier, and it's generally a community project. Each Pokémon analysis page has sections titled Overview, Movesets, Moves, Set Details, Usage Tips, Team Options, Other Options, and Checks & Counters. This article will show you how to properly write a Pokémon analysis for Smogon, as well as going straight through the process of how an analysis is checked and uploaded. The purpose of this article is to walk you through this process and acquaint you with the knowledge of how to do it yourself. Without further ado, let's hop right into the article!

The General Process

Reserving an Analysis

Reserving an analysis is the very first step in getting involved with writing one. To reserve an analysis, one must head over to the Sixth Generation Contributions forum and look for the tier subforum that corresponds to the tier one would like to reserve an analysis for. For instance, if one wanted to write an analysis for the OverUsed tier, one would head over to the OU Analyses subforum, and likewise for other tiers, such as UU Analyses for UU, RU Analyses for RU, NU Analyses for NU, and even Other Metagames Analyses for Other Metagames. Every subforum in Sixth Generation Contributions has a stickied thread that generally goes by the title of "ORAS Analysis Reservation Index" for the use of reserving analyses. Inside that thread, there will be three lists of Pokémon, containing those which analyses are unreserved, reserved, and in progress, respectively. Obviously, one would want to take a look at the unreserved list. Every analysis in the list is reservable by anyone, except for a select few that can be reserved only by a badgeholder or QC member. To officially reserve a Pokémon analysis, simply reply to the thread with the name of the Pokémon you would like to reserve (be sure you have decent experience with said Pokémon to keep the process going smoothly). Keep in mind that most users are able to reserve a maximum two analyses at a time, whereas badgeholders are allowed to reserve up to three. Unless you specify otherwise, your analyses should be posted within 72 hours of reservation. It is imperative that you reserve an analysis before posting a skeleton, as if you do not, you might mess up someone's chances of getting that analysis.

Analysis Process

The process of writing an analysis is generally very simple. First, the writer posts the analysis skeleton, using the Generation 6 Analysis Format found in the Sixth Generation Contributions forum (following this format is necessary for your analysis to be uploaded). The analysis skeleton is the description for each section in bullet points and is to ensure that the necessary information is conveyed clearly. Then, when the writer feels that the analysis is of high enough quality in bullet points, he may go ahead and move it to the Quality Control stage. The QC team will take a look at the analysis and give some input on it. The writer will implement the input to the best of their ability and post in their thread when it is done. Then, when a QC member feels that the analysis is of high enough quality, they will stamp it with various small changes. Each analysis requires three QC checks—two while the analysis is in bullet point format, and the third for after the writer has written the analysis up in paragraph form. After the writer is given the third stamp and has implemented the changes, the writer will move the analysis into the GP, or Grammar-Prose, stage. A GP team member will post a collation of changes to the analysis's grammar and spelling, as well as anything else format- or prose-related and then stamp the analysis for one check. After two GP checks, the analysis is completed and is ready for upload to the Smogon Dex.

Keep in mind that you should update the title after implementing a check to correspond to how many checks the analysis has had. For instance, if my analysis has had one QC check, the title should be "[Pokémon] (QC: 1/3), and likewise for GP checks.

QC / GP

The Quality Control team is a group of experts in the tier that the analysis is being written for. While it was mentioned above in the above paragraph, the QC team is mainly what moves the analysis forward, because the analysis requires three checks from them. Most of the time, the QC team will be listed in the analysis reservation thread, although there are instances where there are whole threads just for them. The QC team will point out things such as incorrect statements and missing statements and will suggest changes to moves on the set. The QC team will not always immediately stamp an analysis, and it might take multiple posts from a member of the QC team to get an analysis stamped. Generally, a QC check will look like this:

Another thing worth mentioning in the Overview is how it often deters setup attempts from the opponent. This ends up being a large part of its utility in offensive teams, as no competent player will set up something they can't handle (but if it can prevent setup and maybe revenge kill something it's done its job). Also, regarding the Team Options, I think Giratina-O and the Lati twins would be better Defoggers to mention, as they better fit the offensive teams you want Ditto on (support Arceus aren't great for momentum). Cloyster is also a good offensive spinner.

Well done, this is ready to be written up.

QC Approved 2/3

On the other hand, there is the GP team. The GP team (short for Grammar-Prose team) is composed of people who correct grammar errors and fix the flow of many sentences in an analysis. The GP team is not subforum-specific—it operates on all analyses. They can be found in the Sixth Generation Contributions forum, under the Grammar-Prose Team Queue thread. With that being said, you can get GP checks for your analysis by posting your analysis in that thread or by personally contacting a GP member. GP team members will usually stamp right after they make their checks with the exception of a few certain cases. A GP check will usually look something like this:

remove
add (Capitalize)
(comments)

Overview
########

Ditto carves a small, yet unique, niche in the Ubers metagame: (colon) Ditto's its ability in Imposter allows it to completely copy the opponent, including stats with the exception of HP, ability, and any boosts that have been acquired with the exception of the HP stat. When equipped with a Choice Scarf, Ditto is able to completely deter setup on the opposing team and revenge kill Pokémon who that have already acquired boosts, such as Xerneas, Rock Polish Primal Groudon, and weakened Extreme Speed Killer (clarification, I presume this is the set you mean and there are many more sets that carry ESpeed) Arceus. Furthermore, Ditto doesn't necessarily have to revenge kill - it can scout for moves using Imposter to potentially give you the advantage. However, Ditto can easily be played around. Because Ditto copies the opponent's opposing Pokémon's moveset, the opponent can potentially predict what you Ditto will use and play around it. Furthermore, Ditto is completely useless against stall teams and support Pokémon such as support Arceus formes and Mega Sableye, (AC) as it can't make use of its given their moves well; (SemiColon) and it is usually only effective against hyper offense, (AC) where the opponent does not have checks for everything, which is excluding players who can handle their own Pokémon. (Seems to be a bit redundant with the previous statement [i.e. 'Ditto isn't effective if someone carries checks to his own Pokémon' - 'well duh, you've just said the reason Ditto can be effective against HO is because those teams don't carry checks to everything, which by default means Ditto is rendered ineffective if the opponent does carry a check to the Pokémon Ditto transforms into, i.e. one of his own']. If I missed something here please clarify, but rn it seems rather self-explanatory) Ditto is also ineffective against Substitute users, (AC) as it cannot transform into a Pokémon behind a Substitute. To compound this all, Ditto's low HP means that it can easily be worn down.

When implementing QC checks, be sure that you reread the changes that you have made to ensure that they are implemented properly so the process runs much more quickly and smoothly. Implementing GP checks is a bit easier, as you'll generally be deleting the removals, in red, and keeping and implementing the additions, in blue, all while taking into account any comments, in green; however, these colors can be different, so check the GP member's color key. Also, it is advised to reread your analysis after implementing GP checks to fix any minor changes that might come to mind.

Writing The Analysis Itself

So, now that I've gone over the basics of the analysis process itself, it's time to get into what you're going to want to write for each part of the analysis itself. The sections are ordered as they are in the analysis.

The Overview of the Analysis

One of the most important parts of the analysis, the Overview is the opening to the entire analysis and goes over the Pokémon. The Overview will feature multiple aspects about the Pokémon that explain its worth in a tier and what it does. Main points that the Overview will include are: the Pokémon's niche, what it beats, what it commonly struggles against (opposing playstyles and Pokémon), and its true value (if the Pokémon is ranked B on the viability rankings, do not try to portray it as an S-rank Pokémon). If you have extended experience with the Pokémon, these points should all be relatively easy to include. The Overview, however, should NOT include anything that a quick Google search or look at the Smogon Dex will solve, nor should it include things that are irrelevant to the competitive scene. It is usually unnecessary to include points in the Overview such as a Pokémon's irrelevant stats, typing (unless it introduces a major strength or flaw), or visual design. These facets are either supposed to be known by the reader or simply unnecessary fluff in an Overview. However, a small joke or so will not be considered fluff, but do not overdo them.

The Set

The set(s) that will be listed on Pokémon analyses are generally the best, most effective sets that the Pokémon can use. For this reason, extensive testing and experience with the Pokémon is preferred, as it usually will lead you to listing the most effective set. When writing the set up, ask yourself, "Is this why the Pokémon is viable in this tier?" However, if you do struggle with finding a set despite having experience, don't worry, because you're not lost yet. The set of the Pokémon that's most effective can be found by searching through the respective tier's subforum, asking experienced players for their opinion, or even just searching the usage stats. However, despite all methods you might have of uncovering the most effective set(s) of the Pokémon, by no means should you attempt to write an analysis on a Pokémon you don't understand. If you do feel as if you have the most effective set, then feel free to post it as one of the sets on the analysis, but do make sure that you understand how effective the set itself is. For instance, most effective sets will not have gimmicky, outclassed, or weak moves or items such as Wing Attack and Persim Berry, as they are usually better replaced by more effective options (Brave Bird and Lum Berry, in this case). Furthermore, be sure that the idea of the set is not gimmicky, such as using special moves on a Pokémon with very low Special Attack. Also, your sets must be correctly formatted as per the analysis format guide. Generally, the problem of writing the correct set will almost never happen if you have proper experience with the Pokémon and tier.

Moves

The "Moves" description is very simple; it is basically what the name implies. It is a summary of all the moves listed on the set, what they do and, why they are being used. For instance, an acceptable sentence that describes a move would be best along the lines of, "Flare Blitz is a strong STAB attack." The "Moves" description can also include moves that aren't worthy to be mentioned on the set, but still have enough merit to be placed out of the Other Options section; an example of this would be a weaker coverage move that can be used for more accuracy. Be sure to keep an eye out for the spelling of moves, as they might be overlooked when uploading, such as the lowercase "t" in U-turn.

Set Details

The "Set Details" section of the analysis goes through why the set uses the EVs, ability, nature, and item that are listed. For example, when talking about EVs and nature, one way to put why the EVs and nature are being used could be phrased as: "252 HP EVs add to [Pokémon's] bulk. 252 Defense EVs maximize [Pokémon's] physical bulk. An Impish nature further adds to [Pokémon's] physical bulk." Notice how in this example I thoroughly describe what the EVs actually do. These EVs might be very easy to understand for more experienced players, so a more complex example would go along the lines of: "116 Attack EVs are used to guarantee the OHKO on Mega Gardevor with Iron Head. 252 Speed EVs with a Jolly nature allow Cobalion to outspeed everything up to Jolly Mega Pinsir. The remaining 140 EVs are put into HP to add to Cobalion's bulk." This is generally a good description on EVs because it goes into specifics of what the EVs and nature do. When describing, be sure to describe why they're the most optimal choices. For example: "Leftovers is the best item for [Pokémon], as it gradually lets it recover health. "The same applies to abilities. Also know that you can also provide alternate EV spreads not listed on the set.

Usage Tips

A trickier part of the analysis, the "Usage Tips" section describes how the Pokémon should be played in battle, what not to do with it, and some general tips that can help you avoid making bad moves with the Pokémon. For instance, a sweeper that only needs the opponent's team to be weakened before setting up would warrant a point along the lines of, "X Pokémon should only set up when the opposing team is weakened and can be easily finished off." Other cases of good usage tips include, "X Pokémon should avoid status at all costs," and "X Pokémon should set up against Pokémon that struggle to do much against it."

Team Options

The "Team Options" part of the analysis describes Pokémon that are good teammates for the Pokémon that the analysis is about, either because they provide helpful support or because they generally have good synergy with the Pokémon the analysis is about. For instance, Pokémon Y which provides useful entry hazard support for Pokémon X while sharing good offensive and defensive synergy with it would make for a good partner for Pokémon X — an example of this would be how well Keldeo and Ferrothorn support each other. Ferrothorn takes Psychic-, Grass-, and Water-type attacks for Keldeo, while Keldeo takes Fire-type attacks in return and can beat Bisharp and Mega Scizor, both of which can easily set up on Ferrothorn. To top this all off, Ferrothorn provides either Spikes or Stealth Rock support, which lets Keldeo more easily score KOs against opposing Pokémon. However, there are many exceptions to what Pokémon can work well with others, but they usually fall under the category of "providing helpful support to the other Pokémon." For instance, an example of this would be a Pokémon that can provide Trick Room support for a very slow Pokémon. Finding good Pokémon to list under Team Options usually requires testing with the Pokémon and is not something that can be done purely on paper.

Other Options

The "Other Options" section of the analysis is basically a compendium of other viable moves, abilities, sets, or even EV spreads that the Pokémon can use to certain effect. Most of the things that you will list here are moves that are meant for a certain Pokémon (such as Hidden Power Grass used just to hit Rotom-W) but are otherwise weak or not useful or different sets that are basically gimmicks, such as the classic Cosmic Power Sigilyph set. If you do not have much experience with other sets than the one listed, one option that you might want to consider would be to look up the Pokémon's moveset and single out options that can potentially be used. Sets that were removed from former analyses of the same Pokémon are also good material for the Other Options section, as they do fit the conditions of Other Options material in that they are sets that can be used but are generally inferior to the current set listed on the analysis.

Checks & Counters

The "Checks &Counters" section goes over threats to the Pokémon that the analysis is about. Checks & Counters generally includes Pokémon or moves that can give the analyzed Pokémon trouble executing its job throughout the battle. For instance, status effects such as burn or paralysis can cripple a sweeper mid-game, making its job much harder by halving or quartering its Attack or Speed, respectively. Another example would be a wall that stops a Pokémon from sweeping, such as Chansey being a roadblock to most special attackers due to its high special bulk, or a Pokémon which typing allows it to resist most attacks of said Pokémon, such as Heatran being able to take any of Venusaur's attacks due to its Fire / Steel typing.

The Checks & Counters section is formatted by inserting the name of Pokémon or move and giving a brief description of why it is threatening. Here is an example:

**Steel-types**: Steel-types counter X Pokémon because [...]

Continue as such for however many checks and counters the Pokémon has.

Conclusion

As you have finished reading this entire guide on how to write an analysis for the Smogon Strategy Dex and what to include in one, you should try to write an analysis. Be sure to refer to this article in case you need help, and don't hesitate if you're trying your best!

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