Rate my Black Version Team, please!

[Maya The Awesome]

Hey, I've been training my team for a while, and I want to get more into competitive battling, even though my Reshiram isn't allowed online, more like the Pokemon Fan Club in my town. This team has won multiple tours on the E4 easily and blown through Cynthia and Morimoto several times. Let's get to business:


Stoutland @ Silk Scarf
Intimidate
Quiet
-Giga Impact
-Surf
-Strength
-Thunder

Braviary @Leftovers
Sheer Force
Lonely
-Fly
-Shadow Claw
-Brave Bird
-Superpower (Soon to be changed, will update thread)

Reshiram @ Dragon Fang
Turboblaze
Hardy
-Draco Meteor
-Fusion Flare
-Crunch
-Overheat

Samurott @ Mystic Water
Torrent
Bashful
-Hydro Pump
-Dive
-Hydro Cannon
-Waterfall

Conkeldurr @ Black Belt
Guts
Adamant
-Focus Punch
-DynamicPunch
-Superpower (Soon to be changed, this or DP, thread will be updated)
-Hammer Arm

Heracross @ Scope Lens
Swarm
Brave
-Close Combat
-Focus Punch
-Megahorn
-Earthquake

I'm open to suggestions on changing Heracross, he was powerful until my other Pokemon got more up to his level, and I'm finding that he's not very good. Would Golurk, Hippowdon, Volcarona or Kyreum be a good swap?

[Shine]

Stoutland
Adamant/Jolly Nature
~Thunder Fang
~Ice Fang
~Crunch
~Return

Special moves on Stoutland is just not worth it, its base SAtk is 45.



Braviary
Adamant/Jolly Nature, Sheer Force ability
~Rock Slide
~Shadow Claw
~Brave Bird/Aerial Ace
~Return

Rock Slide is a must when using a Sheer Force Braviary. Otherwise, use the Keen Eye one instead and replace Rock Slide with Superpower.



Reshiram
Hardy Nature
~Fusion Flame/Blue Flare
~Dragon Pulse
~Fly
~Focus Blast/Shadow Claw/Crunch

yeah, you can use your Resh as your Flyer, since Fire + Dragon already hits everything in the National Pokedex for at least neutral damage, minus Heatran who gets hit by Fire move anyway thanks to Turboblaze.



Samurott
Mild/Rash Nature
~Surf
~Ice Beam
~Grass Knot
~Return

4 Water moves is a bad idea. Morimoto and Undella Cynthia are easy, try Subway or PWT, you'll eventually see why it is a bad idea.



Conkeldurr @ Flame Orb
Adamant Nature, Guts ability
~Drain Punch
~Rock Slide
~Payback
~Bulk Up


Heracross wants Rock Slide over Earthquake, Aerial Ace over Focus Punch, and Adamant/Jolly Nature.
But if you want to replace it anyway, then go for Golurk/Volcarona/Kyurem. Hippowdon is a no, since your team is not a Sandstorm team.

[Zhanton]

Just nitpicking off Shine's rate, Stoutland wants Fire Fang > either Thunder Fang or Ice Fang as a way to hit Steel-types.

At the moment your team is quite physically oriented and you don't have a dedicated special sweeper so I would steer away from Golurk. I'm not too keen on Volcarona or Kyurem either as they add a third Rock-type weakness to your team, but if you still want to use Volcarona:

Volcarona @ Leftovers
~ Substitute
~ Quiver Dance
~ Fiery Dance
~ Bug Buzz

Quiver Dance is an amazing set-up move, definitely one of the best there are. +1 SpA, +1 SpD and +1 Spe is amazing, especially on an already strong Pokemon like Volcarona. Fiery Dance is your Fire-type move of choice, being reliable and strong and also coming with the possibility of boosting your Special Attack further. Bug Buzz as a reliable secondary STAB attack. After a few Quiver Dances, you don't really need any other attacks apart from Fiery Dance and Bug Buzz, so it's a wise move to go with Substitute; this allows you to set up Quiver Dances more easily, in turn giving you a better chance of sweeping. Leftovers is the best item for this set, keeping Volcarona's HP replenished, which definitely helps after a Substitute or two.

I'd also like to suggest a different Quiver Dance sweeper which I feel fits in better with your team as it doesn't make your team extremely weak to a certain type of move.

Lilligant @ Leftovers
Own Tempo
~ Quiver Dance
~ Sleep Powder
~ Leech Seed / Hidden Power [Fire] / Hidden Power [Rock]
~ Petal Dance / Giga Drain

Meet Lilligant. It's not naturally available in Black, but you can trade a Cottonee for a Petilil somewhere early on in the game. Again, Quiver Dance is a stunning move, boosting Lilligant's Special Attack, Special Defence and Speed all by one stage. Sleep Powder helps you to set up Quiver Dances. Leech Seed can also be used to help with setting up, as it replenishes your HP. Alternatively, you can go with Hidden Power [Fire] or [Rock] which get some important coverage for Lilligant. That said, from my personal experience, after a few Quiver Dances Lilligant is strong enough with just a STAB move. You have two choices here. You can either go with the powerful Petal Dance; this move normally carries the side-effect of confusion after a few turns, but thanks to Lilligant's Own Tempo ability, which prevents confusion, this won't be the case. After a few Quiver Dances, Petal Dance allows Lilligant to hit like a truck and decimate any opposition. On the other hand, you could go with Giga Drain which isn't as strong as Petal Dance, but helps you to heal your HP further. Leftovers is your item here again to continually replenish Lilligant's HP, allowing it to boost more and sweep for longer.


I hope this helps! If you need any more help, just let us know.

[azeem40]

Fiery Dance is at level 100. Use Fire Blast instead.

[Maya The Awesome]

Stoutland
Adamant/Jolly Nature
~Thunder Fang
~Ice Fang
~Crunch
~Return

Special moves on Stoutland is just not worth it, its base SAtk is 45.



Braviary
Adamant/Jolly Nature, Sheer Force ability
~Rock Slide
~Shadow Claw
~Brave Bird/Aerial Ace
~Return

Rock Slide is a must when using a Sheer Force Braviary. Otherwise, use the Keen Eye one instead and replace Rock Slide with Superpower.



Reshiram
Hardy Nature
~Fusion Flame/Blue Flare
~Dragon Pulse
~Fly
~Focus Blast/Shadow Claw/Crunch

yeah, you can use your Resh as your Flyer, since Fire + Dragon already hits everything in the National Pokedex for at least neutral damage, minus Heatran who gets hit by Fire move anyway thanks to Turboblaze.



Samurott
Mild/Rash Nature
~Surf
~Ice Beam
~Grass Knot
~Return

4 Water moves is a bad idea. Morimoto and Undella Cynthia are easy, try Subway or PWT, you'll eventually see why it is a bad idea.



Conkeldurr @ Flame Orb
Adamant Nature, Guts ability
~Drain Punch
~Rock Slide
~Payback
~Bulk Up


Heracross wants Rock Slide over Earthquake, Aerial Ace over Focus Punch, and Adamant/Jolly Nature.
But if you want to replace it anyway, then go for Golurk/Volcarona/Kyurem. Hippowdon is a no, since your team is not a Sandstorm team.

Just nitpicking off Shine's rate, Stoutland wants Fire Fang > either Thunder Fang or Ice Fang as a way to hit Steel-types.

At the moment your team is quite physically oriented and you don't have a dedicated special sweeper so I would steer away from Golurk. I'm not too keen on Volcarona or Kyurem either as they add a third Rock-type weakness to your team, but if you still want to use Volcarona:

Volcarona @ Leftovers
~ Substitute
~ Quiver Dance
~ Fiery Dance
~ Bug Buzz

Quiver Dance is an amazing set-up move, definitely one of the best there are. +1 SpA, +1 SpD and +1 Spe is amazing, especially on an already strong Pokemon like Volcarona. Fiery Dance is your Fire-type move of choice, being reliable and strong and also coming with the possibility of boosting your Special Attack further. Bug Buzz as a reliable secondary STAB attack. After a few Quiver Dances, you don't really need any other attacks apart from Fiery Dance and Bug Buzz, so it's a wise move to go with Substitute; this allows you to set up Quiver Dances more easily, in turn giving you a better chance of sweeping. Leftovers is the best item for this set, keeping Volcarona's HP replenished, which definitely helps after a Substitute or two.

I'd also like to suggest a different Quiver Dance sweeper which I feel fits in better with your team as it doesn't make your team extremely weak to a certain type of move.

Lilligant @ Leftovers
Own Tempo
~ Quiver Dance
~ Sleep Powder
~ Leech Seed / Hidden Power [Fire] / Hidden Power [Rock]
~ Petal Dance / Giga Drain

Meet Lilligant. It's not naturally available in Black, but you can trade a Cottonee for a Petilil somewhere early on in the game. Again, Quiver Dance is a stunning move, boosting Lilligant's Special Attack, Special Defence and Speed all by one stage. Sleep Powder helps you to set up Quiver Dances. Leech Seed can also be used to help with setting up, as it replenishes your HP. Alternatively, you can go with Hidden Power [Fire] or [Rock] which get some important coverage for Lilligant. That said, from my personal experience, after a few Quiver Dances Lilligant is strong enough with just a STAB move. You have two choices here. You can either go with the powerful Petal Dance; this move normally carries the side-effect of confusion after a few turns, but thanks to Lilligant's Own Tempo ability, which prevents confusion, this won't be the case. After a few Quiver Dances, Petal Dance allows Lilligant to hit like a truck and decimate any opposition. On the other hand, you could go with Giga Drain which isn't as strong as Petal Dance, but helps you to heal your HP further. Leftovers is your item here again to continually replenish Lilligant's HP, allowing it to boost more and sweep for longer.


I hope this helps! If you need any more help, just let us know.

Thanks guys, but I replaced Heracross with Snorlax, and took the suggestions on the other's moves. Here's Snorlax's info:

Snorlax @ Leftovers
Immunity
Serious
-Giga Impact
-Earthquake
-Heavy Slam
-Thunder

[Bigheaded]

Ok i'm going to presume you are taking this exceedingly serious in a nintendo tour and say what i think are problems:

Stoutland
Adamant/Jolly Nature
~Thunder Fang
~Ice Fang
~Crunch
~Return

Due to the lack of retaliate suggests it's ability is intimidate. Which then suggests "why stoutland" gyarados does this job a lot better and you are not a sandstorm team to suggest sand rush. To me this suggests this pokemon already is not right for your team and it's the first one i looked at!!



Braviary
Adamant/Jolly Nature, Sheer Force ability
~Rock Slide
~Shadow Claw
~Brave Bird/Aerial Ace
~Return

The first question i will ask is "why not staraptor" which has better coverage, intimidate and in general a LOT stronger. From these moves the only answer i see is "i can't get him". My suggestion to this is "get him". Your asking competitively so use what you can!!! If you have access to challenge other players, there is no reason whatsoever to use braviary instead of a choice scarf/band staraptor who does the job a LOT better.





Reshiram
Hardy Nature
~Fusion Flame/Blue Flare
~Dragon Pulse
~Fly
~Focus Blast/Shadow Claw/Crunch

The fact this is in your team whatsoever makes me worry. What is the opposition chooses an exceedingly strong team from a higher tier? you literally do not have an answer to that unless you seriously outplay them, and if you're asking here i doubt that is likely to happen. At the very least this should be in competitive section with a team mostly in the ubers section. The fact it has fly....... I will leave it at that.

Samurott
Mild/Rash Nature
~Surf
~Ice Beam
~Grass Knot
~Return

4 Water moves is a bad idea.

I've kept someone elses response (shine's), even at this, i'm still asking, why have you "wasted" a water type on samurott? tentacruel offers much better defense with rapid spin or starmie offers better offense with rapid spin. Choose one. Samurott is not the best choice unless you have built a team around it, which is unlikely seeing it's not really very strong.

Conkeldurr @ Flame Orb
Adamant Nature, Guts ability
~Drain Punch
~Rock Slide
~Payback
~Bulk Up

Rock slide is a bit inaccurate imo for a setup sweeper. You generally want to hit with STAB if not 100% accuracy, or for a 100+ attack power move with good accuracy if it isn't stab. This is neither. Payback is "ok" but i think the entire pokemon is weak on this set. This should be in RU/UU.

Volcarona @ Leftovers
~ Substitute
~ Quiver Dance
~ Fiery Dance
~ Bug Buzz

This is fine except on your current team, it is unlikely to be able to set up the subsitute, let alone the quiver dance and sweep.

Lilligant @ Leftovers
Own Tempo
~ Quiver Dance
~ Sleep Powder
~ Leech Seed / Hidden Power [Fire] / Hidden Power [Rock]
~ Petal Dance / Giga Drain

Meet Lilligant. With an inaccurate status move and lack of coverage. Yes i'm sort of blowing off Zhantom's rate which is good but really, lilligant is not that strong.

Snorlax @ Leftovers
Immunity
Serious
-Giga Impact
-Earthquake
-Heavy Slam
-Thunder

Sorry but i don't get this either, you've added a pokemon with 1 type so is generally not resistant to much and weak to "lots" in terms of power. Giga impact is just saying "set up on me please", return is generally a much better option. As it is the entire snorlax doesn't work outside of trickroom due to it's slowness and weakness to physical. Thunder is inaccurate at best and thunderbolt it's possibly replacement is too weak.



I'm sorry, there's too much for me to work with to make this into some sort of sense as a competent team. Check the ubers section some more, realise what makes them strong, counter whatevers necessary. I f***ing lol'd at a team getting utterly countered by a Xatu. Make sure your team has decent switch in's to everything, otherwise you'll end up like this (losing side): http://pokemonshowdown.com/replay/ou10104590

As it is:
You have no way of:
1. Setting up screens
2. Countering any sorts of setup moves whatsoever including toxic, taunt
3. Setting up or countering weather
4. Countering threats to your team, as you have no idea what threatens it. To be honest, i don't have a clue either. This team requires testing before you can say that yes "xxx threatens this team because of yyy ability on zzz pokemon"
5. Something as simple as spreading status effects/roar/entry hazards. All 3 of these are generally crucial to most teams success/downfall. In my opinion it will be totally your downfall.

choose 4 pokemon, i will then "attempt" to fix all 5 of these problems. It will not be easy and i may need to change 1 to fit it in. Most teams do not need #1 though. But all 4 others are HUGE. I can't possibly say in this post how important those 4 are.


As you are, i think you will have difficulties and i have attempted to explain why.

[Maya The Awesome]

I'll answer your question to: why these? It's because I have an emotional attachment to them, they have proven themselves numerous times to be a very strong team. I've played online before, and managed to get to rank 14 on the #17 subway train, and why I didn't go farther was because I was playing at my doctor's office, and it was time to see him. It was 14 ranks in close to 15-17 minutes, and they had the moves that they had before I changed them. I can't get my hands on a Lillligant, nor a Staraptor, because I have one DS, so there's a problem. I don't think I'll be able to get my hands on a Staraptor above lvl.m45 (The base level I'll train from to the seventies). Also, I ask, why does Conkeldurr need a Flame Orb? Sorry for the typos, I'm using my dad's retarded IE laptop.

EDIT (On Chrome PC): You guys know that Drain Punch can't be learned by Conkeldurr without a move tutor, and the move tutor for that is in Black 2?