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The Annoyer – Competitive Pokémon Guide

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The Annoyer is there to well… frustrate and annoy your opponent. The amount of pressure an annoyer puts on your opponent is actually pretty surprising and I’ve seen many people rage-quit because of them.

The Annoyer and a support Pokémon are often very similar and some people use the term interchangeably. Personally I think of the annoyer as a Pokémon that uses non-damaging moves in an offensive way to frustrate the opponent, and a support Pokémon as supporting your team and hurting your opponents in a more passive way.

My three best examples of annoyers are Whimsicott, Sableye and Crobat.

 

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Whimsicott literally exists to ruin your day. With the frustrating ability in Prankster it’s able to always use it’s non damaging moves before you land yours, and with access to protect, leech seed, toxic, sleep powder, stun spore, substitute, encore and taunt, Whimsicott can have a great deal of control over your opponent. You want to feel your opponent out, use protect and then once you know what your opponent’s move is, find a way to shut it down, you can then use toxic to poison, leech seed to drain your opponent’s Pokémon’s health and give it to yours. Alternatively you can paralyse or put your opponent to sleep.

If you’re not too fond of protect then you can easily use substitute and hide behind a wall while continuing to frustrate your opponent who will always be hitting second. Whimsicott is an immensely frustrating Pokémon to go up against just because of the sheer versatility it brings.

 

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Sableye works in much the same way, only rather than having a reliable sleep move (hypnosis is hardly worth mentioning), it has access to will-o-wisp. If Sableye is up against a physical sweeper, protect or burn to cut their attack. It functions in a similar way to Whimsicott except it only has one weakness, fairy, and if you play a game that’s pre-gen 6 it has no weaknesses at all. Sableye suffers in the stats department but with such a great ability it more than makes up for it, Sableye is more or less always viable. It also has one last trick up its sleeve in being able to mega evolve at the last minute and magic bounce back your opponent’s non-damaging moves.

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Crobat is different in that it can function just as well as a speedy attacker, than as an annoyer. Its ability infiltrator allows it to bypass substitutes and dual screens commonly used to protect Pokémon from damage. With its access to confuse ray (which Smogon bans) and toxic it’s able to put on pressure, as well as deal a lot of damage with moves like Brave Bird and Cross Poison.

While the move is banned, if you play the Anything Goes tier all three of these Pokémon can learn double team and are able to raise their evasion, and with Whimsicott and Sableye’s prankster ability, and Crobat’s blinding speed, they’re virtually guaranteed to get the move off first. A tactic so very annoying that it’s banned from Smogon all together.

However your offence can only be effective if you have solid defensive Pokémon to support your team. Which we will cover next time!

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Sony is reportedly engaged in discussions to form a partnership for a potential bid on Paramount

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There hasn’t been much buzz lately about any new acquisitions in the world of video game intellectual property. According to a recent report, Sony is currently engaged in discussions with a well-funded partner to potentially acquire the renowned film studio Paramount, along with all the exciting possibilities that come with such a merger.

As reported in the New York Times (thanks, ResetEra), Sony Picture Entertainment is reportedly in discussions with Apollo Global Management, an investment firm, as per two sources familiar with the matter. In the past, Apollo had made an offer to acquire Paramount for a minimum of $26 billion, but their bid was ultimately turned down.

The terms of the joint bid are currently under discussion, and there is a chance that the two parties may decide against making a formal offer. Unnamed sources have revealed that Paramount is currently in exclusive discussions with Skydance, preventing any official offer from being made at this time. Investor opposition to the recent deal that Skydance brought seems to have been significant.

The potential impact of such an acquisition is immense. First and foremost, it would introduce adaptations of Sonic and Halo into the expanding media empire of the PlayStation platform holder. Following the announcement, Paramount’s stock experienced a significant 11% surge in after-hours trading.

What are your thoughts on the news? Is there a possibility of Sony acquiring Paramount? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Helldivers 2 Players Face Overwhelming Hordes of Factory Striders

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In the ongoing conflict against the Automaton invasion fleet, the Helldivers 2 players have successfully halted their advance. However, the situation has now reached a tiresome stalemate. Yet again, the machines refuse to take a break from their relentless pursuit of progress, with reports emerging of the Factory Striders being deployed in record-breaking quantities.

There have been reports of alleged machines that were supposedly encountered during Operation Swift Disassembly, which was just the beginning of a larger campaign. However, these accounts should be taken with a grain of salt, as they are unverified and seem to be more on the imaginative side. Factory Striders have gained a reputation as formidable weapons platforms that can produce more Automatons while enduring significant damage. If the machines are able to withstand such a relentless assault, it will be necessary to develop innovative strategies.

Have you come across groups of Factory Striders in Helldivers 2? Which strategies are proving to be the most effective in taking down these armored brutes? The Orbital Railcannon Strike will prove to be a valuable asset in the comments section below.

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Todd Howard affirms that the timeline of the Fallout series is coherent and well-constructed

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The recent release of Amazon’s adaptation of Fallout has ignited a renewed interest in the series and brought attention to the captivating alternate history that forms its foundation. Fans have expressed concern that the TV show’s events might be at odds with the plot of the Obsidian Entertainment video game New Vegas. Warning: Spoilers ahead for New Vegas and Amazon’s show!

Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard and Fallout TV executive producer Jonathan Nolan recently sat down with IGN to discuss the timeline. Howard was taken aback when showrunners Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet presented him with the surprising concept of obliterating Shady Sands, the bustling capital of the New California Republic, in the aftermath of the events in New Vegas. Howard eventually warmed up to the idea: “After discussing it, we realized that this could be a significant story moment that many things hinge upon.”

It seems that they had to make some tough decisions to ensure everything fell into place, but Howard emphasizes the importance of preserving the integrity of the Fallout timeline: “We take great care with the timeline. There seems to be some confusion in certain areas. However, all the events from the previous games, including New Vegas, did occur. We take great caution in that matter. We’re really pushing the limits here, but the explosions occur right after the events of New Vegas.

What are your thoughts on this? Is it up to par? Even though it may not have a significant impact on the overall quality of the games or show, it is comforting to know that those in charge are paying attention. We value your feedback and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

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