Gimmiks

Some gimmicks are fun to use, but generally, once the opponent knows the gimmick, it is useless after that. One gimmick I used about a week ago was Future Sight Mega Gardevoir. It's one of those rare, viable gimmicks that actually work, unlike Special Mega Lopunny, etc. In the previous Gen, Fling + Acro was a fun gimmick to use, and should be useable even today. However, since Knock Off is more common and you can only poison one target, it isn't used often.

 

I've only found one gimmick so far that worked well. It was a Blissey with Charge Beam and Blizzard. Sadly I didn't get to see any other moves because I had to go, but it didn't seem like a bad idea. It really catches your opponent of guard. I don't use gimmicks myself, mainly because they are just too risky.

 

I have the ultimate gimmick team:

Spoiler

Smeargle @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Final Gambit

Accelgor @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sticky Hold
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Final Gambit

Ninjask @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Final Gambit

Victini @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Victory Star
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Final Gambit

Staraptor @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Final Gambit
- Brave Bird
- Close Combat
- Retaliate

Zangoose @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Toxic Boost
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Final Gambit

ok it sucks but its hilarious.

 

I would say that it would be better if other Pokémon would have more moves, similarly to Staraptor, since some Pokémon can potentially tank a Final Gambit, even from Victini, like Garchomp and Chansey, but then it would kinda lose it's gimmick

 

Almost all of my teams on Showdown! consist of gimmicks. Here are some of them:

Entrainment Durant with Traunt into Dugtrio with Arena Trap using Hone Claws every other turn and Protecting when Traunt allows the opponent to attack, then demolishing them with Earthquakes and Stone Edges.

A Level 1 Nosepass that annoys the shit out of people with Pain Split and Toxic.

A team dedicated to flinch hacks.

A Spinda with Contrary w/ Assist and a Smeargle with V-Create, Close Combat, Superpower and Dragon Ascent.

A Sandstorm team with a Level 1 Aron with a Shell Bell with Endeavor and the Level 1 Nosepass from above.

 

Well I remember I was in a Starter Pokémon 1V1 tournament and I ended up winning the tournament, including beating a Blaziken and a Charizard, with what could easily be considered a gimmick strategy. The Pokémon I chose was Emboar, and he knew a move for each STAB, and he also knew Yawn and Protect. Use Yawn the first turn, then protect against the next move, then fight the opponent with Emboar's strong power. This would indefinitely not work in a team, and probably wouldn't work all that often, but it worked in that tournament.

I actually use that strategy in the real game, mostly for noob busting. ...Except it doesn't work on Mega Rayquaza.

 

I think the distinction between a gimmick and a legitimate strategy can be interesting. The only thing that really separates them are their success. In VGC, Perish Trap was (and still is to an extent) considered gimmicky until Wolfe Glicke won Nationals with it. And I think it was worlds where someone used a Baton Pass geomancy smeargle in to Refrigerate Auroras.

I guess the important thing about using a gimmicky strategy is the ability to adapt and at least in VGC, to be able to beat a high proportion of the metagame. This is why things like Spinda Arcanine will remain at the bottom of the ladder, being shut down by anything with a fast Taunt, losing to Landorus-T, Fake Out (carried by the most common Pokémon...), Strong Special attackers like Hydreigon, Milotic and Bisharp etc.

 

The one gimmick I subscribe to almost consistently is paraflinching with serene grace. It got the point where I was bored one day so I made a team with 4 t-wave mons paired with jirachi and togekiss, because of my excessive amounts of skill.