CIL Season 2 Reflections

Another season of the CIL is in the books and I'd have to say, there was a lot that surprised me this year making for a very interesting second chapter for the league.  Since this is my blog though, I'm going to talk all about my team and my season lol. Sorryyyy

I feel that the LA Kinglers draft was marginally better this season.  Going off of my theory that offense is the most dangerous archetype in league play, I drafted a very different team from season 1.  The team we settled on after trades & free agency swaps was:

1)    Merlin (Mega Alakazam)
2)    Poseidon (Manaphy)
3)    Guacamole (Excadrill)
4)    RNGesus (Thundurus-I)
5)    Wukong (Infernape)
6)    Thyme Lord (Celebi), formerly Mogwai (Amoonguss)
7)    Shuck N Jive (Shuckle)
8)    Julia (Diancie), formerly Spike (Granbull)
9)    Lancelot (Dragonite)
10)  Graninja (Greninja - Torrent), formerly Hanzo (Accelgor)
11)  Cap (Braviary), formerly Buzz the Ave (Mandibuzz)

Things that were sniped that I reeeally wanted lol: 
1) Lil Cletus (I will never not be mad about this)
2) Sylveon (My back-up Cletus :( )
3) Ttar (would have made some great synergy with this team)
4) Kyurem-B (although having Dragonite meant better priority for the team, so not as bad)

Immediately you see numerous potential set up sweepers, lots of Volt-Turn potential and hazard stacking options, including Sticky Web.  If you've never used Manaphy in OU with Sticky Web, you're missing out--I would have even drafted something I don't particularly like such as Leavanny to have it as an option on this team solely for that combination.  I think a lot of people expected me to get Mega Ttar (I wanted regular) to support Guacamole but after having a rough go with Mega Gyarados, I was hesitant to pick a slow mega with lots of weaknesses. Granted, Ttar would have performed better than Gyarados here, but I chose Mega Alakazam to deal with not only fast megas but to ease prediction on who my opponent could scarf for the match. Merlin is SO fast that most teams only have a couple of choice scarf options to outrun it; in fact, to outrun max speed Merlin, a Pokemon needs base 101 speed and a scarf to do so. For instance, if I had ever played the Wynauts, Raichu would be their only thing that could outrun Merlin when scarfed. I could choose to run modest knowing this and get extra damage on things.  I think many would be critical of this choice saying Ttar would still be better in general for this team, but

A) I like Mega Alakazam more lol
B) I knew I wouldn't have time to prep much/ at all this season so simplifying things (knowing the scarfs) as much as possible was important to me.
C) I didn't have Celebi when I first drafted (not that psychic typing is a "must")

This unit was able to finish 5-5 but I truly feel this season *easily* could have ended with only one loss but more realistically, I think 7-3 should have been the finish.  Allow me to discuss the losses:

Week 1 vs Poison Sting: 0-5 L

We were able to set up CM Manaphy to +6 so in a normal game that lacks something with water absorb, it's pretty much over at that point.  What I didn't realize is that an Iron Tail got a defense drop on it, meaning it could no longer live +2 Adamant Salamence's Outrage from full. This carelessness cost me as I didn't switch out when Mence later came back in and a Banded Adamant one was able to pick it off due to the def drop.  Manaphy had ample opportunities to set up against that unit so preserving it and switching in Granbull (pre-Diancie), as was the plan for Mence, would have been my play.  Unfortunately, a solid win turned into a huge loss because of this; I feel that had I noticed the drop, I would have played accordingly and won.  I still attribute the majority of this loss to RNG but unfortunately, I do bear some blame as well.

Week 2 vs Bisharps: 0-0 L (Late Penalty)

It would have been a 3-0 loss had my opponent been on time but luckily he was not since I lost this one too. RNG was not a factor, but I didn't bring Sticky Web for Mega Lop and Shuckle could have toxic'd the Zapdos that plagued my team and webs would have meant banded Iron Fist Infernape could have out prioritized and KO'd Mega Lop.  I decided not to bring it at the last minute in favor of something obviously irrelevant now lol.  This one's solely on me.

Week 4 vs Pinsirs: 0-0 L (Late Penalty)

Rough start, huh? The Pinsirs was actually the game I most wanted to win since he not only stole Lil Cletus, the season 1 MVP from me (grr) but I also wanted to draft a LOT of his team, especially Jirachi and Keldeo.  A lot of people think Keldeo is too one-dimensional for draft and I think even if you make that argument, it's dimension is so good, it's still always a threat you have to prep for. Tell me how many things enjoy switching into a Specs Hydro Pump? and Scald is Scald.  Anywayyy...  This was the only game I put in a lot of prep for and I LOVED the team I made.  I felt there was no way I was going to lose with the prep being so good but after missing a Rock Slide enabling Thundy-T to set up safely behind a sub, and my Thundy getting crit by a Tbolt after I... sacked Shuckle, I think... there was little room for me to claw back into it.  I salvaged differential (it would have been 0-1 or 0-2 w/o the penalty) because the team was so good but I know that had just *one* of the hax not happened, the match would have been hugely in my favor because of the prep.  I don't mean to discredit any of my opponents, but this was absolutely the second loss decided by RNG and after actually putting in the work to prep and everything, I mostly stopped giving a shit. My thinking was why would I put in all that time (literally spent like an hour calc'ing and shit) just to have RNG undo it all in an instant? Frustrating, especially since those two losses are what excluded us from the playoffs.

Week 8 vs Nidokings: 0-3 L

Not much to say about this; Kiev has proven himself to the best in our league and others and is definitely one of the best league-format players I've ever seen.  He drafts well, he plays well, and his prep, like his Chesnaught, is bulletproof.  I draft so-so, I play well, and I didn't prep, so I was actually pretty pleased with the outcome.  This loss is also on me, no RNG or anything.

Week 9 vs Charizards: 0-1 L

This came down to not having HP Fire on Celebi.  If I had that, I won, but I had Healing Wish because I love using it in OU and I hadn't used it yet in the CIL.  I also strongly expected my Thundurus to be the main mode of offense making Healing Wish more appealing but I played aggressively and inadvertently sacked it to a Draco when I was expecting a Defog. So close in this one but I still count it in that "expected" 7-3 record I mentioned earlier.


So none of the losses were bad, which I believe is evidence more of my play than my draft or builds, as usual.  In my season 1 reflections, I mentioned I was going to try to draft a team that required less prediction and I think I improved slightly with that even though it was my predictions that either won games or kept them close.  The next logical question then is...


How do we improve?

Obviously more prep would be great, but I can't give that time from my life and after my week 4 loss, I honestly don't think it's worth it.  I don't take this seriously enough to do that, particularly when my time is needed elsewhere.

Play-wise, I really feel I only made a few misplays this season and I think only one really determined a game (week 1 since I'm counting my lack of awareness as a misplay as it was my fault lol).  I'm really pleased with the decisions I made in-battle and feel that I did the best with what I had.

I think the best thing I can do in my situation is similar to a goal from my last reflections: improve my draft.  Offensively, the team is actually quite good and poses a significant threat to any team. We had every kind of hazard, multiple hazard removing options, dangerous set up sweepers, somewhat lacking on wall-breakers, but lots of initiative, and excellent speed.  Defensively, the Kinglers were paper-thin and as someone who rarely (never) plays hyper offense, my inexperience with the play style was very apparent at times.  While I still believe hyper offense is still the most potent style in leagues, I may lean more toward balance or bulky offense in the next draft.  The choice comes down to if I want to grow in a new play style or be more competitive and I'm not sure how I'll feel about the Sun and Moon meta.  But if I do move towards a bulk/balance, I definitely want a spin blocker and a wall breaker or two in addition to some better utility mons. Mega-wise I have a lot of things I'd really enjoy using so I'll wait to see what the rest of the team looks like before I decide but there are a few that interest me in this moment like Aggron, Diancie, Gardy, and Zard Y.


I've already written far more than I wanted to, but I think this does a good job of summarizing my reflections and feelings from this season at the end of the ORAS meta.

Improving Pokemon Go

I've been pretty open with my discontent while playing Pokemon Go but I feel that without an appropriate elaboration or ideas to improve, criticism is pointless.  Instead of whining about something I don't like, I'm going to offer suggestions on how to improve it and we'll just let Niantic thank me later ;)

Battling Sucks

For the casual player still sitting around level 10 and maybe one Pokemon above 500 CP, battling in a gym is a dubious proposition as I have yet to see one where the Pokemon were not 1100+ CP.  Why would I go battle just to get rekt by some dude who managed to get a 2000 CP Dragonite (when I haven't even seen Dratini's silhouette out here)?  Nevertheless, I attempted one battle and just as I was getting bored enough with whatever they tried to pass off as combat to consider quitting, it froze on me.  Neat.

Battling has been central to the success of the Pokemon franchise so in order to improve it, here are my suggestions:

1) Change the system. There's no need to reinvent the wheel here; people have loved Pokemon's turn-based battle system since its inception and it's not even the first game to be successful doing so.  I'm all in favor of innovation when appropriate and a real-time battle system could be dope but replacing a popular battle system with one that sucks was not what I would consider "appropriate."

2) Increase opportunities to battle.  Even if it's just grinding through wild Pokemon or practicing on the infinite Geodudes (or Rattata for people who don't live in the desert, I guess) roaming LA, make it accessible for players of all levels; casual and competitive, beginner and expert.

The Art of the Capture

I never liked the Safari Zone. Haphazardly throwing balls/ rocks/ bait without any indication of whether they'd stay is mostly chance.  Anyone reading this probably knows me and knows I'm not a fan of RNG because if I wanted to roll dice, I would roll dice, not play a strategic battle/ adventure game with a significant skill component.  Pokemon Go's method of capturing is almost exactly that and it got old quickly for me, especially enjoying the hunt of the main series games.

So my suggestion once again is to not ruin a good thing.  Being able to carefully whittle down a Pokemon to weaken it for capture is fun and catching Pokemon just isn't fun in a game where the most significant feature is exactly that.  We already have a game where you recklessly swipe your finger and it's called Fruit Ninja. Again, I came here for the Pokemon, not Fruit Ninja.

I do feel they were on the right track (pun intended) with the footprints and doing away with that was a move in the wrong direction.  Instead, they should not only bring it back but take it up a notch; offer headings in the cardinal directions so that you have an idea but you still have to roam and explore in a general N/S/E/W direction to catch that elusive Pokemon.



I have other grievances I could air on the game relating to Pokemon variety, the pointlessness of teams (though I do like the concept), general buggy-ness and more, but I feel these issues are minor in comparison to the two components that define Pokemon being desecrated by this game. Was desecrated an overly-dramatic word to use there? Probably, but I like that word a lot and don't get to use it enough so until Niantic stops desecrating the elements of the game that make Pokemon special, I'm going to keep using it... aaand keep playing when it's convenient in the hopes that one day, Pokemon Go won't suck ;)

Toxicity in Competitive Pokemon

Today, I found myself thinking about a topic I've thought about maybe twice before: Verlisify.  Specifically, I was trying to figure out why people enjoy his channel.  I've seen a couple videos and even debated with him briefly on the Aegislash ban, but as a "competitive" player, I don't find him entertaining and I observe an apparent lack of understanding of the game we play. 

I'm not throwing shade--we all have varying levels of skill in this game in a variety of formats and I'm no Cybertron/ Pokeaim myself; there's nothing wrong with that.  Pokemon itself is really difficult to seriously consider as a competitive game because of RNG, so criticizing someone's lack of experience, knowledge, or skill is laughable, frankly.  Have you ever stopped to think about how funny you sound when you criticize someone for not knowing Pokemon? And not the good kind of funny either, the "you should stop because you're making an ass of yourself" kind of funny... like "the joke is on you" kind of funny.  But for me personally, when I see Verlisify's content, I don't see the appeal and being perhaps the most-hated Poketuber, what makes those who watch, stay?  Unable to decide from my own experience, I felt that I needed to examine it through a different lens.

Thanks to my friend Edkraze (check out his eponymous YT channel!), I was more closely introduced to the views of a non-competitive player and fan of Verlisify, so I decided to try and understand his perspective.  From our conversations, one of the things I learned is that the bottom line for Edkraze is having fun with the game, a viewpoint that can be somewhat oppositional to certain competitive mindsets where winning is the foremost concern and I think that's they key to understanding Verlisify's appeal--his wacky sets can be really fun if you're not as concerned about winning and just enjoying the game.  Plus, with the competitive community known for being clique-y and even hostile at times, I think Verlisify has become a refuge for the non-competitive players, or players who have been disenfranchised by the negative aspects of competitive scene.

I'm sure right now someone will read this and attempt a "but he started it" argument a la second graders/ Donald Trump in regards to the aforementioned hostility and although it may be true, I don't care.  Each section of the community has allowed and accepted this manner of discourse, so it has to bear some responsibility in cultivating a section of the entire Pokemon community that has become toxic (pun not intended) and exclusionary, which, in itself, runs counter (pun intended that time) to one of the foundations of this game that brings us together.  Even if he *did* start it, we've created an environment which allows negativity to thrive and it's our responsibility to fix that.  But regardless of who initiated it, each side has supported this continued trend of hostile engagements and if one of them would like to demonstrate the superiority they believe they possess, they can start by dropping the rancor in favor of more welcoming and inclusive attitudes to newer players and those with contrasting opinions. 

It troubles me that these behaviors of malevolence pop up in seemingly every corner of the Pokemon community (Smogon, VGC, League-style, etc), and if you're reading this, I'd like to call you to action by not engaging in this inhospitable antagonism and instead viewing an opposing viewpoint as an opportunity to discuss ideas and learn from each other.  I know it's challenging to not get fired up when things start getting heated but remember: whenever tempted to fight fire with fire, know that the fire department usually uses water.

I know this is a long article but I know of one more comically fitting yet poignant thing to share.  It's Cherokee proverb I heard once:  A grandfather told his grandson, “In me there is a fight between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?" The old Cherokee replied, “The one you feed.” 

Let us take it upon ourselves to begin feeding the right wolf today.

From the Coach's Desk: Kinglers Season 1 Reflections

At the time of writing this, the CIL technically isn't over, but Kinglers fans... ours is.  Despite suffering our second and worst loss of the season, we can't deny that overall, it was very successful.  We won the X Conference, posted the second best record and differential in the league utilizing what we could describe as an "odd" team at best, and made it to the final four.

What Worked:

1) Lil Cletus

No surprises here; the CIL MVP stole the show by putting the team on her back carrying us to two wins out of the gates.  Cletus was prepared for the week 3 match-up (and only one I view as favorable) but El Murcielago handled it.  Cletus's tide-turning ability and versatility presented a unique threat each week and had we gone with the Cosmic Power Cletus in week 4 as originally planned, we would have finished the regular season undefeated.  There's even a chance that Unaware Cletus could have saved us against SD Scizor, but forcing the CP set and only making one change to the team lead to our season's end.  To be honest, I still think the CP set could have won it, but for some reason, Roserade's Sludge Bomb did over 25% more than the damage calc said, but perhaps it was Modest.  Regardless, if franchising is allowed, Lil Cletus will definitely be back.

2) El Murcielago

Undoubtedly our most quietly successful team member who nearly matched Cletus in KOs and had fewer deaths thanks to a vintage form sweep in week 3.  Its utility also helped in week 2 but ultimately, I feel as though it may have been a little underutilized.  I may try to bring it back.

3) PoPo

As one of the best walls in OU, PoPo did not disappoint this season. It did exactly what I knew it would and performed exactly as expected.  However, as I'd like to have a very different team composition next time, I'm not sure if it will have a spot, but I'll always be open to it.

4) Predictions

Not to toot my own horn (toot toot) but predictions were spot on after week one (I still don't know why Heatran stayed in on 3 different things that could OHKO it haha) and almost grabbed us a HUGE comeback win in week 4 had I not mis-clicked at the end.  Additionally, there was never a time where I was surprised by what was brought; in most cases I was at least 5/6 (4/6 the last match) and felt as prepared as I could be with what I had.  I don't feel as though I could have played much better, though until we're at 100%, there's always room to improve.

5) Straw Polls

I am so good at these it's not even funny.


What Did Not Work:

1) Mega Gyarados

Listen, buddy, I love ya, but you're weak to literally everything.  Not a single team didn't have something that could switch in on a DD and OHKO the following turn and having so many weaknesses (common ones at that), it really isn't suited for a defensive position. A monster in OU, but not in league play where mega evolution is forced on turn 1.  No joke, if I could have swapped a mega for Gyarados, mid-season, I would have picked almost any of the other ones over it... except Audino lol.

2) Team Composition

Just because I didn't plan my draft, doesn't mean I didn't expect more out of the it, but I think the thought process was flawed. My thinking went like "okay so Diggersby sweeps me... better grab Haunter"; basically make sure no one Pokemon just took a dump on the team.  Every time I sat down to team-build, I was frustrated by the lack of cohesiveness and how easily countered my unit was.  Had I tried to draft a more balanced, synergetic unit instead of trying to counter the meta, I think the Kinglers could have done much better and walked away with the title.


So How Do We Improve?

1) Draft a Better Team

Yes, it SEEMS like a no-brainer, but no-brain in the draft process lead to our downfall.  I will go into the next draft with an archetype in mind, probably Volt/Turn, Balance, or Semi-Stall, and construct a team that, above all, works well together.  Hyper Offense honestly seems preferable to me in league format but I'm not as comfortable playing that at the moment.

2) Less Prediction

I just tooted my own horn about this, right? Why change that? The idea is that having a better team should mean I don't have to read aggressively or take unnecessary risks.

3) Prep

I only got to do it a couple times and when I did, the game was always under control.  My two losses were both little- to no prep; not only did I lack time, but I felt the match-up was so stilted against me, that I'd just have to play my way out of it anyway, so why bother.  This is going to be hard to do since I don't know if my schedule will become any less busy in the future, but I did enjoy when I was able to do it; it's kind of the point of the league format haha.


Final Grade: B+

In spite of the negative things I say in my focus on improvement, it was generally a very positive season.  Working with this roster, I'm very pleased, but I can't say it was A-level play yet with the draft being so weak.  And I'm sure someone will be quick to assert that they liked my draft, but it really wasn't good. It lacked synergy (though it was almost a respectable sand team), immediate power, and switch-ins, meaning it really didn't excel at anything.  Still, I learned a lot and have some ideas for the future so the Kinglers will definitely be a lot stronger the next time they take the field.

CIL Post-Season To-Do List

This is really just for me so I remember what I need to do after season 1 and before season 2. Yall can feel free to move along or comment something you feel I'm forgetting.


1.) Discuss & vote on expansion

• Yes/No
• How many?
• Process of deciding who?

2.) Draft details

• matching records will be compared by differential
• Continue w/ Smogon tiers or switch to GBA tiers (or something else)?
• don't forget: GBA tiers won the initial vote so obvious interest 
• un-tiered is still an option (pre-season tournament?)
• reflect on balance/imbalance of current method
• Keep snake-style (w/ 2 wheel picks) or consistency (1st pick of round 1 always picks 1st)?

3.) Discuss & vote on franchising

• Yes/No
• "Contract" length (1 season max?)

4.) Discuss & vote on season progression (probably depends on expansion)

• 2 weeks = C-Week?
• 5 game regular season?

5.) Schedule the season 2 draft

• Franchise picks
• Draft picks

In case someone does stumble upon this, I actually have them in this order for a specific reason (for instance, voting on expansion may determine how we approach draft style & season progression) but open to insight on that as well.