Pokemon Scarlet & Violet DLC unleashes classic OP tactic on unsuspecting player
The Pokemon CompanyOne of the oldest and most devastating strategies in the Pokemon franchise is used by an NPC trainer in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet’s The Indigo Disk DLC.
There are a few combat strategies that Pokemon players can unleash in competitive battles with ease. They require minimum work on the player’s part, so there’s no need for lengthy EV/IV training or breeding a Pokemon with the correct Nature, Ability, and stats.
One of the oldest strategies that still works is F.E.A.R., an acronym for Focus Sash, Endeavor, Quick Attack, and Rattata, though these exact things aren’t needed for the tactic. Focus Sash lets you survive with 1 hit point, while Endeavor matches your Pokemon’s hit points with your opponent.
If you take a level 1 Rattata into battle, let the enemy hit it, and respond with Endeavor, the Rattata will survive (thanks to Focus Sash), and the enemy will be reduced to 1 hit point. Then, you use Quick Attack to KO your foe.
The Pokemon CompanyPokemon Scarlet & Violet’s DLC has an NPC trainer who uses the FEAR tactic
The Pokemon Company is well aware of the F.E.A.R. tactic and has included it in The Indigo Disk DLC for Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. At least, that’s what one user on the Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Reddit is saying, having been KO’d by a Smeargle using the tactic.
“I was doing battles for BP in the Savannah Biome when a trainer threw out a Smeargle,” the user wrote, “I hit it with a fighting move only for it to live by Focus Sash, which wasn’t uncommon for the DLC…then it used Endeavor on my Gallade.
“At this point I was telling myself there’s no way that it uses a priority move, to which the game promptly responded with the Smeargle using Extreme Speed. The whole experience felt a little surreal seeing such a well-known gimmick actually being used by some random NPC in the middle of nowhere.”
As previously mentioned, Rattata isn’t actually vital for the F.E.A.R. strategy. It only requires a Pokemon that can use Endeavor and a high-priority move, like Quick Attack. Indeed, the strategy is almost wasted on Smeargle because it can learn nearly every move in the game.
The best part about The Indigo Disk DLC is its ultra-challenging battles, which are intended to test the skills of those who have completed the base game. Throwing in a F.E.A.R user almost feels like cheating, but it’s a cheeky nod to one of the most ruthless combinations ever created in Pokemon