Well, I guess this is it Serebii. I've had some good times here, and I'd like to say that it wouldn't have been nearly as good without some of the people I have met here, helping with learning about rating, battling and team building.
This is why I have made a thread to bring together most of the things I have learned through my time here. Just the main things, the ones that I feel are the more important ones, feel free to disagree. This is just the things I find might help others.
Team Building
One of the more major things, CRMT wise. This can make or break a battler, as you could have perfect prediction, but the team just cannot take the hits necessary, or cannot deal them out in a way that works.
When beginning this, I suggest making sweeper based teams. This means choose a late game sweeper. This is a pokemon that you bring out near the end of the battle to finish off your opponents weakened team.
From there you can then start from there in choosing members that can not only counter enemy sweepers, or walls, but pokemon that can support your chosen late game sweeper.
For example, say I have chosen a Swords Dance Lucario as my end gamer.
I must then look at what can stop him. This includes:
~Zapdos
~Gliscor
~Scarfed Heatran
~Rotom-A
~Gyarados
~Celebi
What we can gather is that there are 2 main features that are constant throughout this list. Almost all of these pokemon are either
a) Weak to Stealth Rock. or
b) Weak to Pursuit. This doesn't include Gliscor or Heatran, which are both weak to Water anyway.
So from here we can pick pokemon to fit these roles. A good partner is Tyranitar, who can not only Pursuit several of the counters, but can also put SS in play which means that all barring Gliscor and Heatran take an extra 6% damage every turn.
Next a pokemon to cover up some common type weaks, as both Luke and Tar are weak to Fighting and Ground, and now that you have some Pursuit support, SR would probably be a good idea, I would suggest a lead, as although a good mid-game SR setter could be used, such as Blissey or Swampert, if SR goes up on Turn 1 or 2, then the opponents team takes max damage from SR switches. Gliscor is a perfect choice, as not only can he counter Lucario (a proment threat) but he can Taunt slower leads, U-Turn for scouting, but he can activate Sand Veil through Tyranitars Sand Stream.
*Normally I find that the best times to pick leads are either 4th or 6th (I don't know why, I read it in Mag's team building guide and it has worked ever since) but I'm out of practise, and it just seems to work here*
So now that we have SS and SR in play, and a very useful Pursuiter, a pokemon to counter Gliscor and Heatran would be very useful, I might suggest a Water Type for this, Vaporeon would be a decent option, seeing as how it can pass Wishes to team mates, Starmie would also work, and it has the bonus of outrunning Gliscor so it can Surf before being U-Turned upon, however if Starmie switches into a U-Turn it will take a lot of damage, and can be more easily trapped by Scizor. Who is rediculously common nowadays, hence why I would choose Vaporeon.
Now we need in two slots: a pokemon to cover Scizor, who this team cannot handle at present, also a Steel is mandatory, what with Dragon moves being fired at left right and center. I tend to pick the last two pokemon in tandem, so that they can suit the team without missing any important element. Scizor would make for a fine Steel, also with Bullet Punch it lets him check Salamence as well as the fact that he lures in Rotom / Zapdos (some of Lukes counters) and can U-Turn away to rack up damage for a sweep later on. Rotom-H makes for a good Scizor check, as well as a Spin Blocker (not really necessary, but losing SR only to have a Zapdos come in and stop Lucario's sweep really sucks, also Rotom-H's typing benifits the team nicely).
Loldisclamer: Note that I made this team up as I went along, it looks pretty decent to me, but I have not made a team in a while and am quite rusty, nor have I played with it whatsoever. But feel free to test it if you want, and let me know if it works, or is a pile of junk.
When building one's own team there are several things you MUST have in mind.
1: Try to counter -at least- the Top 10 OU threats. For a list, check Smogon's 'Stark Mountain' for the latest Shoddy usage stats. Counters to pokemon can be found on Smogons main Pokemon Analysis page.
2: Make sure there are no outstanding type weaknesses. But don't go overboard, eg: if you have a team that is half weak to Ground, yet have one immune and one Resist, you are probably OK. However the more balanced the better.
3: Try not to have more than 1-2 pokemon weak to Stealth Rock, Rapid Spinners can be used, but with Rotom-A being as common as it is, don't rely too heavily upon being able to clear the field.
4: Make sure the pokemon you have chosen actually work towards a common goal. Eg: weaken counters for a sweeper (on a sweeper team), sets up hazards (on a stall team), can sweep with Rain support (on a Rain Dance team) and so on and so forth.
Team Building Guide
Originally Posted by Wizard of 'Cos
Well, I guess this is it Serebii. I've had some good times here, and I'd like to say that it wouldn't have been nearly as good without some of the people I have met here, helping with learning about rating, battling and team building.
Reply With Quote
this helped ALOT!
Ninetales & Quilava (since Typhlosion is probably already taken)
