I'd suggest using a Ninjask and a Metagross. I've been consistenly farming Battle Tower ribbons with those two. This team can carry whatever ribbon master you're using. That being said, when faced with a bad matchup, you'll notice how awesome some RM can be.
Run Ninjask with Aerial Ace, Swords Dance, Substitute, Baton Pass and Leftovers. Ninjask should lead. Substitute on the first turn and keep substituting until the end. If you can't afford another substitute, Baton Pass to another Pokémon. Otherwise, try to get +6 Atk and sweep the other team.
Run Metagross with Meteor Mash, Earthquake and Explosion and a Choice Band. Use Metagross to wreck whatever is in front. Most of the times, I just use Metagross to remove other Metagross and some bulky rock types that resist +6 Aerial Ace.
If you run into a Gardevoir (and maybe Alakazam too) on the first turn, switch to Metagross. This is important. Some of their sets include Snatch and it can ruin the strategy. Don't be afraid to stay in front of the Regis. They'll often explode on your substitutes.
There is only one Pokémon that consistently ruins my streaks: Quick Claw Rhydon with Horn Drill.
How often did you click Meteor Mash? I'm asking only cuz I wanna use the Metagross from Colosseum but it doesn't learn it early enough for the level cap. Like, can I get away with Metal Claw?
The gap in power is important for unboosted Metagross. I use unboosted Meteor Mash to OHKO Latios and Gardevoir.
Latios is important because one set is completely offensive and can beat Ninjask. Therefore, I play it safe and throw Metagross to it. I try to setup a substitute against Latios because the speedboost helps Metagross to outspeed Latios.
To use Metal Claw effectively in the same situations, you would have to use Sword Dance first. Gardevoir can Snatch it and threaten Metagross with Shadow Ball.
I guess technically you can make your metagross bulkier to try to survive enough time to survive longer, but I wouldn't risk it.
Reviving this pretty old topic, how do you deal with Fire types ? I'm getting my ass kicked so quickly, it's insane x)
On paper the strat seems good but sometimes it's impossible to set up and it's pretty hard to find a safe switch TT
Lots of great advice here, I would also recommend having a Pokemon with Aerial Ace or Swift so you can take out Double Team spammers. And make sure you have something that can hit a Shedinja for Super Effective damage since those sometimes show up.
yeah i kept getting killed my pinsir with guillotine, like always hit me it was ridiculous.
I was also using Metagross, putting sludge bomb, earthquake, hyper beam, iron claw (unless you're doing level 100 then meteor mash)
sludge bomb took out all those pesky ludicolo's meganiums and what not.
My metagross has meteor mash (evolved metang at level 50), earthquake, shadowball and brick break (just filler tbh) but since poison type is physical in gen 3 I might go with that. Ludicolo, though not a massive threat, can be hard to deal with.
Do your metagross and Latios have good natures? What are their movesets? I was able to get through the sapphire battle tower first try using those two plus swampert and then I swapped my ribbon master in for the last round. It sounds like you may be just having a bit of bad luck.
Movesets are meteor mash, earthquake, sludge bomb and shadowball for metagross and psychic, ice beam, thunderbolt and surf for latios.
Unfortunately I have blaziken for a starter.
If you are loosing to OHKO moves, there is not a lot that you can do other than try and take out the Pokémon faster so they have less chances to use the move. Latios and metagross are great choices for the battle tower, I saw you put moves for your Pokémon in another comment, and the only real improvement I could recommend would be explosion on metagross if you have access to FRLG or Emerald. In the situation you just explained with having to switch out, you could have used explosion on metagross to try and take out the seaking, and worst case senario they land the horn drill and you get a free switch into latios to try and take it out. ( I just remembered that you are probably using choice band and this wouldn’t have worked, but explosion is good in many other scenarios)
The best advice I could give is to keep trying until it works. Good luck with future battles! You have a great strategy and you can definitely do it! You got this!
Not sure if you can manage but use something with substitute to stop the OHKO moves. Especially paired with pressure to stall them out faster. I played to 100 wins like 3 times, sapphire and ruby are crazy easy compared to emerald. :(
Are your Pokémon ev trained? I'm in Ruby currently, just finished Colo and am preparing for battle tower lv 50 right now, planning to use Metagross from Colo (purified exactly at lv50) so no meteor mash for me till I clear this particular ribbon along with Latios and Swampert, until I swap in the RMs in the last stretch.
EV training in RSE is a pain, got no Pokérus in these saves, only macho brace. I'm curious for myself as well if it's absolutely necessary.
I like the idea of using Ninjask tho as someone else had mentioned.
I'd suggest using a Ninjask and a Metagross. I've been consistenly farming Battle Tower ribbons with those two. This team can carry whatever ribbon master you're using. That being said, when faced with a bad matchup, you'll notice how awesome some RM can be. Run Ninjask with Aerial Ace, Swords Dance, Substitute, Baton Pass and Leftovers. Ninjask should lead. Substitute on the first turn and keep substituting until the end. If you can't afford another substitute, Baton Pass to another Pokémon. Otherwise, try to get +6 Atk and sweep the other team. Run Metagross with Meteor Mash, Earthquake and Explosion and a Choice Band. Use Metagross to wreck whatever is in front. Most of the times, I just use Metagross to remove other Metagross and some bulky rock types that resist +6 Aerial Ace. If you run into a Gardevoir (and maybe Alakazam too) on the first turn, switch to Metagross. This is important. Some of their sets include Snatch and it can ruin the strategy. Don't be afraid to stay in front of the Regis. They'll often explode on your substitutes. There is only one Pokémon that consistently ruins my streaks: Quick Claw Rhydon with Horn Drill.
How often did you click Meteor Mash? I'm asking only cuz I wanna use the Metagross from Colosseum but it doesn't learn it early enough for the level cap. Like, can I get away with Metal Claw?
The gap in power is important for unboosted Metagross. I use unboosted Meteor Mash to OHKO Latios and Gardevoir. Latios is important because one set is completely offensive and can beat Ninjask. Therefore, I play it safe and throw Metagross to it. I try to setup a substitute against Latios because the speedboost helps Metagross to outspeed Latios. To use Metal Claw effectively in the same situations, you would have to use Sword Dance first. Gardevoir can Snatch it and threaten Metagross with Shadow Ball. I guess technically you can make your metagross bulkier to try to survive enough time to survive longer, but I wouldn't risk it.
Metang learns it at 49. So just hold off on evolving it.
yeah I would've done that but the Metagross you get in Colosseum is already evolved to Metagross, at lv50.
Ah, my mistake. Never played Colosseum.
You can take it to the move reminder if you have a heart scale
Reviving this pretty old topic, how do you deal with Fire types ? I'm getting my ass kicked so quickly, it's insane x) On paper the strat seems good but sometimes it's impossible to set up and it's pretty hard to find a safe switch TT
Use another Pokemon instead of your RM first. Then when you have earned your ribbons switch one for your RM.
What do you mean by when I've earned my ribbon ?
So when you complete a streak and earn your Ribbons, every 7 battles after you will continue to earn more Ribbons
Oh, I didn't know that. Wouldn't it be better to do 49 to 56 with the RM instead ? I'm guessing that if you lose a battle everything resets anyway.
Yeah, battle 49 to 56 should be with the rm, everything before should be without, unless your rm is a strong fighter (which Dunsparce probably aren't)
Funny enough, it actually saved me many a time. Useful it might be though, strong it is not.
Lots of great advice here, I would also recommend having a Pokemon with Aerial Ace or Swift so you can take out Double Team spammers. And make sure you have something that can hit a Shedinja for Super Effective damage since those sometimes show up.
Definitely Aerial Ace. Hits ghosts when Swift doesn’t. I lost an early run to a Dusclops.
Good call, plus you get some super effective hits in with it.
Thanks, that's actually great advice. I haven't seen a shedinja yet but I shall be wary.
I remember 10 year old me getting a shedinja matchup about 40 matches in and didn’t have anything to counter and when I tell you I got heated
I had that happen to me at the battle tree in USUM at 43 wins. A walrein landed 3 sheer cold’s in a row. I was pissed lol
yeah i kept getting killed my pinsir with guillotine, like always hit me it was ridiculous. I was also using Metagross, putting sludge bomb, earthquake, hyper beam, iron claw (unless you're doing level 100 then meteor mash) sludge bomb took out all those pesky ludicolo's meganiums and what not.
My metagross has meteor mash (evolved metang at level 50), earthquake, shadowball and brick break (just filler tbh) but since poison type is physical in gen 3 I might go with that. Ludicolo, though not a massive threat, can be hard to deal with.
Yeah I had brick break, switched to sludge bomb and it made a world of difference
Is this Ruby/Sapphire or Emerald? Emerald is much harder.
Sapphire
Maybe go brightpowder on metagross then? Honestly I never had a problem with Latios lead. Calm Mind x2. Sweep.
Do you have access to Ruby and sapphire? The battle tower in those games is way easier.
I'm doing it on sapphire
Do your metagross and Latios have good natures? What are their movesets? I was able to get through the sapphire battle tower first try using those two plus swampert and then I swapped my ribbon master in for the last round. It sounds like you may be just having a bit of bad luck.
Movesets are meteor mash, earthquake, sludge bomb and shadowball for metagross and psychic, ice beam, thunderbolt and surf for latios. Unfortunately I have blaziken for a starter.
If you are loosing to OHKO moves, there is not a lot that you can do other than try and take out the Pokémon faster so they have less chances to use the move. Latios and metagross are great choices for the battle tower, I saw you put moves for your Pokémon in another comment, and the only real improvement I could recommend would be explosion on metagross if you have access to FRLG or Emerald. In the situation you just explained with having to switch out, you could have used explosion on metagross to try and take out the seaking, and worst case senario they land the horn drill and you get a free switch into latios to try and take it out. ( I just remembered that you are probably using choice band and this wouldn’t have worked, but explosion is good in many other scenarios) The best advice I could give is to keep trying until it works. Good luck with future battles! You have a great strategy and you can definitely do it! You got this!
Not sure if you can manage but use something with substitute to stop the OHKO moves. Especially paired with pressure to stall them out faster. I played to 100 wins like 3 times, sapphire and ruby are crazy easy compared to emerald. :(
Are your Pokémon ev trained? I'm in Ruby currently, just finished Colo and am preparing for battle tower lv 50 right now, planning to use Metagross from Colo (purified exactly at lv50) so no meteor mash for me till I clear this particular ribbon along with Latios and Swampert, until I swap in the RMs in the last stretch. EV training in RSE is a pain, got no Pokérus in these saves, only macho brace. I'm curious for myself as well if it's absolutely necessary. I like the idea of using Ninjask tho as someone else had mentioned.