Well, yesterday was pretty much a day filled with HeartGold.  I'm currently parked in Mahogany Town with four badges, so halfway through Johto just about. I'm overall pleased with the game so far, but there are some weird quirks I'm not quite understanding or feeling here. So let's get a general gist of a roundup:

Beginning

The beginning is really quite slow-paced, but it was slow in GSC, so it was to be expected. The Running Shoes as soon as you enter Cherrygrove was a nice touch, especially now that you can toggle it and not have to hold down B to run. You're also given a few free Potions to work with for the Mr. Pokémon errand, which really come in handy. The Apricorn Box is a great addition for inventory conservation/clutter, (and so are the rest of the key items in general) although it's definitely taking time getting used to the slower menu navigation. The first encounter with Silver, who is no longer ???, was a bit awkward... but at least it makes sense, somewhat. I named him Cesario.

Violet City

I decided the day before release that I was going to go with a mono-Water team, although I started with Chikorita as I dislike Feraligatr and Chikorita is my favourite starter of the three. Much to my disappointment, Poliwag is no longer available in the grass and must be fished or encountered by Surfing. So, that meant Chikorita had to do for Sprout Tower (which is now mandatory) and Falkner.

Vixie
Lv15 Chikorita (Lynn)

vs. Falkner!
Lv9 Pidgey
Lv13 Pidgeotto

I had heard reports of the Pidgeotto spamming Roost, which turned out to be true, but the fight was really quite a letdown. It turns out that Roost isn't nearly as annoying as Mud Slap was, and Razor Leaf was still doing a good 30% with Poisonpowder to help the assailing. Gust didn't hurt that much, either, despite the type advantage over Chikorita. Oh well.

Now I was ready to start building my team, starting with Poliwag (now fishable with Old Rod! encounter rate of 5% woohoo) and Wooper.

Summary

• Chikorita had a field day in Sprout Tower; Received TM70 Flash
• Received HM6 Rock Smash
• Falkner was too easy; Received TM51 Roost
• Traded Bellsprout for Onix
• Fished up a Poliwag in Violet City
• Caught a Wooper outside Union Cave

Azalea Town

Yawn, Slowpoke Well; yawn, Team Rocket. They're still easy as ever, although there's some new faces amongst the ranks, specifically named executives instead of anonymous. Mind that there was no executive in Slowpoke Well in the original, though; Proton simply replaces the last grunt and adds a Zubat to his fantastic repertoire of Koffing. Here's a pleasant surprise: actual Slowpoke encounters on the main floor! And thus the third addition to my team.

Did I mention the Azalea Town music is fantastic? I'm really liking all the city remixes so far.

Vixie
Lv18 Poliwag (Superior)
Lv12 Wooper (Baikal)
Lv12 Slowpoke (Caspian)

vs. Bugsy!
Lv17 Scyther
Lv15 Metapod
Lv15 Kakuna

Okay... this battle was actually pretty tough. Surprise, surprise; Bugsy actually opens with Scyther. Why? To put it bluntly, U-Turn. U-Turn hurts, especially if it uses Focus Energy or softens you up with Leer prior to. (If you remember Fury Cutter being bad, U-Turn is seven times as powerful on the first blow.) Fortunately for me, Superior was faster and put it to sleep with Hypnosis. She didn't manage to take Scyther out before getting U-Turned, but she did inflict a good deal of pain, enough to trigger the Sitrus Berry and then some. Baikal used Mud Shot to take out Kakuna, but then also fell to U-Turn immediately after. Caspian took the time against Metapod to use Curse six times in order to survive an inevitable U-Turn, and managed to take them both out with sorta-strongish Tackles.

(Trivia: Bugsy's Pokémon are all female this time. Does this perhaps hint at an internal conflict for the young Gym Leader after all?)

Cue fight with Cesario before Ilex Forest, nothing particularly special. The Farfetch'd catching minigame is a bit different this time around and is admittedly pretty annoying with the high encounter rate in Ilex. There are two Farfetch'd to catch now, and the second one was sorta hard for me. I hear other people saying both were easy, though... so whatever.

Summary

• Rocket Executive Proton was too easy.
• Caught a Slowpoke in Slowpoke Well.
• Bugsy put up a good fight; Received TM89 U-Turn
• Cesario is a hypocrite
• The Farfetch'd were sort-of annoying; Received HM1 Cut
• Caught and put an Oddish in daycare because I love Oddish
  • Daycare has been lamed up *cry*

Goldenrod City

Mm. I wasn't as pleased with Goldenrod as I had been with Violet and Azalea. The city feels almost completely different now with the different tone (compared to the original Goldenrod track) and décor. I guess it fits Whitney better, at least. Speaking of Whitney, I think we all remember the nightmares we used to have over her Miltank. Fearing the worst, I made sure to defeat every trainer in the Goldenrod area to get as much training as possible before challenging her.

Vixie
Lv20 Slowpoke (Caspian)
Lv20 Poliwag (Superior)
Lv20 Quagsire (Baikal)

vs. Whitney!
Lv17 Clefairy
Lv19 Miltank

Well, this is strange... they raised Falkner's and Bugsy's levels... but they lowered Whitney's. Anyway, the battle proved to be quite a disappointment all-in-all... Caspian almost took them both out by herself, though a critical Stomp forced me to bring Baikal in to finish the cow off with Rock Smash. All three of my Pokémon are female, so Attract was not an issue.

The biggest disappointment to me was the disappearance of the Game Corner. I knew the slots were going to be replaced with Voltorb Minesweeper, but I didn't think they were going to replace the entire establishment. The Game Corner music just doesn't fit some old guy's private residence... not to mention the elemental beams are still 10,000 coins (thanks DPPt) plus you can't even buy coins anymore! Looks like I'm going to have to import Ice Beams from Emerald and Platinum... *grumble*

Summary

• Goldenrod City was sort of deflating...
• Hooray for GTS and the fun drawing on the Dept. Store rooftop
• Bring back the Game Corner ugh
• Whitney was pretty much a joke; Received TM45 Attract
• Juggler Irwin was my favourite phoneable NPC in GSC; he's still there!
• National Park has gorgeous music
• Caught Sudowoodo and obtained the Berry Pots

Ecruteak City

Also a bit of a disappointment, although the city itself and music are just fantastic. Tin Tower appears to have been renamed Bell Tower, and the Kimono Girl mini-quest has been reduced to just fighting a single Team Rocket grunt... The Itemfinder Dowsing MCHN is great, even better than the one in DPPt -- you can scan even while walking. Eusine is back for another roun of Suicune hunting, so I'm curious to see how that will turn out.

Vixie
Lv22 Poliwag (Superior)
Lv22 Quagsire (Baikal)
Lv22 Slowpoke (Caspian)
Lv20 Spearow (Kenya)

vs. Morty!
Lv21 Gastly
Lv21 Haunter
Lv23 Haunter
Lv25 Gengar

The Gym got a little funkified since the olden days, but the concept is... more or less the same. It's certainly spooky, though. Morty, in a sense, got a bit scarier also now that Shadow Ball comes off Gengar's gargantuan SpA vs. mediocre ATK. In fact, one Shadow Ball took out about 80% of Baikal's HP. Fortunately for me, my temporary companion Kenya saved the day -- his Gengar's only other attack move is Sucker Punch, which has only 5 PP and is easily avoided by not attacking. So if you're having issues with Morty... just about any Normal-type can wall his Gengar. The Gastly and Haunters are pretty weak as it is, though the Hypnosis+Dream Eater one can be pretty irritating.

(to be continued...)

(I dislike Johto starters so none of them will have a place on the team, sorry!)

10. Soothe Bell

Love it or hate it, happiness-based evolution is everywhere. Whether you're raising a Lucario, Blissey, or what have you, happiness is a prime concern when trying to raise your champion as quickly as possible. Fortunately, RSE provided us with a neat toy to aid in this endeavour in the form of Soothe Bell. The Soothe Bell simply doubles the rate at which the holder accrues happiness points. It's not a game-shattering item in any way; it's just there, and it's great.

9. Leppa Berry

Known as the Mysteryberry in GSC, Leppa Berry restores the PP of any move by 10. Its actual hold item value is fairly low. Probably the most practical use for it as a hold item is when fighting the Elite Four, where PP tends to run scarce after a couple battles (and not wasting a turn to restore it is nice). Leppa Berry is loved for simply what it does. Ethers are not purchasable (and thus, you will run out of them), but you can just grow your own natural supply of them via Leppa Berry! The avid planter will never have to worry about PP again with a healthy stock of these delectable delights.

8. Amulet Coin

Ah, the Amulet Coin... a necessity for any spelunking Trainer hoping to be successful. The Amulet Coin doubles the amount of prize money earned for winning a battle. This means twice the Hyper Potions, Full Restores, Dusk Balls, and everything else you need to be prepared for whatever comes your way. Use it with the VS. Seeker for best results.

7. Choice Scarf

One of the two new "Choice" items introduced in DP, the Choice Scarf added a whole new dimension to "who goes first?" In RBY and GSC, Speed was simply a basic comparison of base values; you know who was going first unless your opponent's base speed matched yours. ADV clouded that clear-cut decision making by introducing custom EV spreads and Natures. Then, you had to wonder if your opponent was Adamant or Jolly, or if they stacked just enough Speed EVs to outrun you. DPPt's Choice Scarf further made "magic numbers" less magic -- all of a sudden, you can have Metagross outspeeding base 100s, or Jirachi outpacing Aerodcatyl leads. Each generation adding to the guesswork, Choice Scarf can really prove to be a nasty surprise for your opponent (or you!)

6. Liechi Berry

The Liechi Berry is an old favourite from the ADV era, although its usage has died down somewhat with DP adding so many shiny new toys. Still, its worth in Baton Pass sets is not to be underestimated. The metagame is full of quick and powerful sweepers these days, so getting boosts to pass on may prove difficult. The Liechi Berry is a great solution for Pokémon who can easily create speed boosts (Ninjask, Lopunny) but can't reliably boost anything else (Petaya and Starf Berry work in this regard, also).

5. Life Orb

The Choice user's nightmare is getting locked into a move that's useless against what it's up against. What a waste, having to switch out and reveal your status as a Choice user. And what about mixed sweepers that want a boost to their moves? Choice Band and Specs aren't very practical here. Fortunately, there is an alternative option out there: the Life Orb. Life Orb provides a hard, 1.3x boost to any attack move at the expense of 10% HP per hit. While the HP penalty sounds harsh, it's much less limiting overall compared to getting locked into a move. Plus, this gives stat boosters an option to further amplify their attacks (think Agiligross, DDmence, Rain Dance Kingdra) as choice items are obviously of no use to them. Especially coupled with entry hazard support, Life Orb turns a surprising number of 2HKOs into 1HKOs.

4. Macho Brace

EV training is frankly dull. Most people will agree with me on this one. Lucky for us, there is the Macho Brace (and also the Power item line, but only in fourth gen) to assist us in this chore. Coupled with PokéRus, a KO that would have provided 1 EV jumps to 4; 2 to 8; and 3 to 12, effectively quartering the amount of time necessary to EV train. It's awfully tempting to just say "screw it all" when you're in-game, but any real battler knows what difference a proper EV spread makes for your Pokémon and your team. It's not completely useless in competitive play, (or at least it wasn't in ADV where Lagging Tail and Iron Ball didn't exist yet) as you could abuse Trick to cripple a sweeper by cutting their speed, or a tank by stealing their Leftovers and giving them junk in return.

3. Focus Sash

Remember Focus Band? Focus Band always seemed to let you down when you needed it most, or it saved your opponent's frailest sweeper from the brink of death repeatedly. As far as "hax items" went, Focus Band was right there at the top. The fourth generation introduced a completely "non-hax" variation of the old band: the Focus Sash. The Focus Sash simply prevents a Pokémon from being OHKO'd so long as it starts with 100% HP. This makes it the perfect item for fast and frail lead Pokémon, ensuring that they get at least one move in.

2. Choice Band

From ADV, with love, the Choice Band is easily the generation's most important advent in the field of hold items. It introduced an entirely new concept that revolutionised late-game sweeping: get an innate 50% attack boost at the expense of being locked into the first move that you pick. No longer was it necessary for the match janitors to boost their offences to inflict enough pain to finish off any stragglers. Metagross is a prime example that shows just how effective the Choice Band really is. On a different note, it's actually something besides Leftovers.

1. Leftovers

I hope you weren't expecting to see anything else here, because Leftovers makes for a very obvious #1. Leftovers is the epitome of a catch-all hold item as it is the most consistent form of healing you will get outside a recovery move (well, let's pretend Wish passing wasn't all the rage yet). In GSC, Leftovers was the best item, no questions asked; your entire team held Leftovers, as the 1.1x boost items proved underwhelming in the slow-paced metagame. ADV introduced Choice Band and some keen new berries, allowing for some actual variety, but Leftovers still proved to be the most predominately used item by a significant margin. It wasn't until DP where that margin shrunk (by a large amount, too) introducing new toys for every taste. Still, while your mixed sweeper might prefer a Life Orb or Expert Belt, nothing actively dislikes Leftovers. It's just that good.

Froslass has the same stat total as its underwhelming counterpart Glalie, yet it functions better in almost every way. Glalie's main issue was that while base 80 stats are average and usable, being average in everything just doesn't cut it in Pokémon. Froslass took 10 points from Glalie's defenses, and stuck 'em in Speed, giving her an impressive 110 base Speed stat. Additionally, Froslass gains a secondary Ghost typing, which while adding to her already large list of weaknesses, it provides her with some key benefits as well. Let's take a look at my favourite Froslass:

Spiker Suicide Lead

FROSLASS w/Focus Sash
Timid | 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
~ Taunt
~ Spikes
~ Destiny Bond
~ Ice Beam

Overview

Froslass seems to call UU home in nearly every competitive community, but I cannot stress enough how effective this set truly is in standard play. It deals with the majority of OU leads appropriately and few are threatening enough to keep Froslass from doing her job effectively. This Froslass aims to prevent the opponent from ever setting up entry hazards while hopefully getting some of her own out on the field. When all is bleak for the Snow Land Pokémon, she will take her foe down with her, ensuring that they cannot set up for good. It's important to note that against a good opponent, Froslass won't often be able to set up more than maybe one round of Spikes, so having another Pokémon capable of setting up Stealth Rock or Toxic Spikes in the line up isn't a bad idea at all. I like to use Swampert for this purpose.

Dealing With Other Leads

vs. Swampert: Froslass deals with lead Swampert very well. Taunt will prevent Swampert from getting Stealth Rock up and Swampert should never outrun Taunt. If you block a Stealth Rock attempt, you're free to get a round of Spikes in yourself. Don't bother with Ice Beam because it doesn't really faze Swampert much. Destiny Bond works well with Taunt in the fact that you can ensure your opponent is going to strike (unless they switch out). If you can replace Froslass with an immediate Swampert counter that can set up or otherwise hurt its own counters, you can try another round of Spikes to further unease your opponent's switches.

vs. Azelf: Azelf is somewhat of a toss-up when facing against. Azelf has 5 more base Speed than Froslass, so Azelf is going to move first. Many lead elfs will carry fire attacks, and often attempt to crisp Froslass even before setting up. Those more knowledgable about Froslass will otherwise take advantage of its ability to outpace Froslass's Taunt and immediately set up Stealth Rock or play it safe and Taunt her first. For this reason, I suggest you immediately use Ice Beam against Azelf leads. Shadow Ball is super-effective against the psychic elf, but all Azelf leads carry Focus Sash and Ice Beam is a 2HKO anyway. Depending on what Azelf actually does, you can better judge your next move. If it attacked, switch to a counter. If it used Taunt or Stealth Rock, finish it off and attempt to set-up at a later point.

vs. Infernape: Let me start by saying that Froslass won't ever come out alive versus Infernape. That said, Froslass deals with LeadApe incredibly well. First off, her Ghost-typing throws off the entire anti-lead concept, being immune to Fake Out. Infernape being unable to disable Froslass's Focus Sash, can never OHKO Froslass; this eases the immediate threat of a painful Fire attack. Froslass is faster than Infernape by 2 points, and many players don't realise this. Against LeadApe, you have a safe bet getting at least one round of Spikes out before taking it down with you, preventing your opponent from getting Stealth Rock up.

vs. Metagross: Metagross leads are a bit tricky since they are specifically designed to deal with Focus Sash leads, and Froslass is no exception. Fortunately you are faster, so you can still block any Stealth Rock attempt with Taunt straight away. Some Metagross may anticipate Taunt and go straight for Meteor Mash, so it's unforunately a game of prediction. To make matters worse, Bullet Punch (a priority attack) makes Destiny Bond non-viable. When facing Metagross, the question you must answer is: is it more important to block Stealth Rock or set up Spikes? Froslass can guarantee that you will do either here; and if you end up blocking Stealth Rock, you're free to get out a round of Spikes.

vs. Aerodactyl: Like Azelf, Aerodactyl outpaces Froslass. Its weakness to Ice Beam ensures that it is 2HKO'd, and is often the best choice of a first move when facing Aerodactyl as it will likely Taunt or Stealth Rock first. If Aerodactyl gets gutsy and attacks right away, get out and bring Froslass back in later to Destiny Bond something.

vs. Hippowdon: Hippowdon proves to be a curious match-up, despite its weakness to Ice Beam. Hippowdon leads are bulky and are unlikely to be OHKO'd with Froslass's average Special Attack. Worse, Sand Stream effectively nullifies Focus Sash, so a Stone Edge means the end (although not too many will carry it). Earthquake will still hurt but is not guaranteed doom; for this reason, Taunt is still your best opening gambit. Worst case scenario, Froslass dies and Hippowdon cannot use Stealth Rock, Slack Off, or Roar, allowing you to bring in the appropriate counter to set up.

vs. Ambipom: Ampibom is one of the more annoying leads to face. While it is a Fake Out lead like Infernape, Ambipom is slightly faster than Froslass making the Fake Out immunity stand out less. Ambipom does not set up entry hazards, so there is no need to use Taunt; on the other hand, expect to get Taunted yourself. If you do, you are likely safe to Ice Beam as its other attacks are probably two of Low Kick, Return, or U-Turn, all of which Froslass resists. Worse is Pursuit, which is especially painful boosted by Technician. Froslass will more than likely lose to a Pursuit Ambipom; If you're extremely wary about Pursuit, you can try Destiny Bond on the first move, making it think twice about attacking again. You can then set up Spikes on the forced switch, or score a KO.

vs. Jirachi: Jirachi is probably the worst matchup for Froslass, as lead Jirachi is effectively an anti-suicide lead. While Froslass is faster than Jirachi on paper, lead Jirachi uses Choice Scarf and Trick to outpace every other lead (including Froslass) and create a pseudo-Encore effect. You can do two things here: accept the Choice Scarf and get three rounds of Spikes while Jirachi can set up Stealth Rock and KO Froslass with Iron Head, or, bring in a Choice Item Pokémon of your own to intercept Jirachi's Scarf and keep Jirachi locked into Trick (whereas your own Pokémon doesn't mind Jirachi's Scarf at all). Interestingly enough, Froslass also learns Trick (through tutoring) and can apply this same strategy if you're particularly adverse to Jirachi, though it will end up sacrificing your ability to deal with other leads as efficiently.

Summary

Despite Froslass's absence from the OU tier, Froslass is undeniably a good lead. In addition to dealing with the majority of leads you see in standard play (some better than others), Froslass enjoys other perks as well, such as the ability to block Rapid Spin and Explosion. This benefit is greater than you'd think; many players forget about Froslass's Ghost-typing and will sometimes attempt to use Fake Out, Explosion, or Rapid Spin to no avail.

So why is Froslass UU? Unfortunately, there is little else it can effectively do. Glalie is unused because of its average attack stats and Froslass didn't get any boosts in them, only Speed. However, Froslass is so good at what it does, there's no reason to not consider it at all.

In-Game

Froslass is very speedy and won't be outsped by many things around its level. And if it is, it won't be after an Icy Wind. If you're opposed to using any TMs on your in-game Froslass, here is a decent and functional setup that will help you get through the Elite Four:

FROSLASS
~ Icy Wind
~ Ominous Wind
~ Bite / Double Team / Hail
~ Confuse Ray

Icy Wind and Ominous Wind both make use of Froslass' STAB, though neither are particularly powerful moves (55 and 60 power respectively). Both have neat bonuses, though, with Icy Wind having a 100% chance to cut Speed, and Ominous Wind having a slight chance to boost all of Froslass' stats. Bite in the third slot may give redundant type coverage, but Ominous Wind's 5 PP doesn't last long making Bite more expendable. Plus, Froslass can fully abuse Bite's high flinch rate with its speed. Confuse Ray proves to be one of the best moves in-game, allowing ease of recovery and minimising damage taken. If you'd rather not use Bite, you can use Double Team or Hail (which gives an evasion boost thanks to Snow Cloak) to further Froslass' stalling power. Blizzard is another option for the slot if you really need to pack a punch, though using an Ice Beam TM to replace Icy Wind is really more practical.

As far as the Battle Frontier goes, Spikes are not terribly useful there so finding an effective Froslass set may prove to be more difficult. A mix of stall and power is probably your best bet.

FROSLASS w/Brightpowder
~ Hail
~ Pain Split
~ Blizzard
~ Thunderbolt

Summary

Froslass is really a favourite of mine. It's simple and fun to use, though its power potential may disappoint some. I used one in my latest Platinum file, and it proved to be a great asset through the Elite Four and Champion (was at Lv48 after beating Cynthia). You may be hard-pressed to find it useful in the Battle Frontier, but the set above should be workable enough to give Froslass a fighting chance. It certainly has the Speed to work with.

Froslass on Smogon | Froslass on Veekun

I'm Vixie (previously known as Mudkip), and I'm a Pokémon battling enthusiast! Whether you're new to competitive battling or a seasoned fighter looking for insights, you've come to the right place.

Yeah, I know there's Smogon, and it's really a great place. A lot of people are intimidated by it (oddly), though, and it can feel a bit impersonal at times, but you can never have too much insight when it comes to competitive battling. You'll learn some tricks and tips for ingame battling here, too.

Additionally, I'll be writing about my progress in HeartGold when that gets here. (Sunday's just a few days away, I can't wait~)

Anyway, first up on the list is gonna be a favourite of mine, Froslass! I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing!

~ Vixie