Battle Spot Teambuilding Discussion & Help Thread (read post #453, page 19)

[Big Snorlax]

I'd like to get an opinion on a pokemon that I may put on my team.

I have a Modest Heatran. Now I figure since it's Modest that I may as well crank up the sp. atk EVs. The problem is where to put the other EVs. Def and Speed IVs are maxed and sp. def is just short by one point. Do I put them into speed to out speed certain threats? Is that even viable w.o Timid nature? Should I bulk up my sp.def since my team is lacking in that area and could use a special wall? Or do I put it into HP to help tank whatever is thrown at me? I can't figure out which.

BTW, I won't be using the sub-tox version because my leftovers are already going on Suicune.

 

[GateCreeper]

I'd like to get an opinion on a pokemon that I may put on my team.

I have a Modest Heatran. Now I figure since it's Modest that I may as well crank up the sp. atk EVs. The problem is where to put the other EVs. Def and Speed IVs are maxed and sp. def is just short by one point. Do I put them into speed to out speed certain threats? Is that even viable w.o Timid nature? Should I bulk up my sp.def since my team is lacking in that area and could use a special wall? Or do I put it into HP to help tank whatever is thrown at me? I can't figure out which.

BTW, I won't be using the sub-tox version because my leftovers are already going on Suicune.

Well, if you invest heavily in speed, you can outspeed threats like Adamant max speed M-Heracross, Zapdos, and M-Scizor. If you can take care of those with your teammates safely, I highly recommend to run a bulky Choice Specs variant of Heatran with HP and Special Attack invested. Here's a moveset that I've run into online and might be what people generally use:

Heatran @ Choice Specs
Ability: Flash Fire
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Flamethrower / Fire Blast
- Overheat
- Flash Cannon
- Earth Power / Ancient Power

This same set could possibly work with Speed invested instead of HP, but it seems like you may need the bulk on your team. Speed creeping can be done if you wish, but it's not recommended since the pokemon you can EV to outspeed are already beat relatively easily with a slower Heatran (Cresselia), or you generally lose to it at full health (Suicune). If you do want to speed creep, you can run 180 HP / 252 SpA / 76 Spe to outspeed 4 Spe Cresselia and Suicune, and it's not really worth it to speed creep any further (you should just go with 252 Speed after going above 76 Spe to speed creep imo).

 

[ethan06]

Hey guys, in light of the new Battle Spot tag that was introduced in the RMT Other Teams subforum, cant say and I have decided to repurpose this thread so that there's no overlap between this thread and the threads posted there. Effective from this post, this thread's purpose is to provide a discussion platform for completing incomplete teams, as well as other miscellaneous teambuilding-related activities such as "don't use that, use this" and discussion of effective cores. Please take all of your completed teams over to the RMT subforum. We'll have a presence over there as well, don't worry :)

 

[ethan06]

Thundurus-T@Assault Vest
Adamant
Volt Absorb
-Wild Charge
-Crunch
-Return
-U-Turn

Heliolisk@Choice Scarf
Timid
Dry Skin
-Hyper Beam
-Parabolic Charge
-Electrify
-Surf

It's a start. The Thundurus is Physical to avoid being blocked off by switch is with a Special Wall.

I'm assuming that you're trying to use Electrify to nullify the attacks used on Thundurus-T? Well, while this is a cool and innovative idea, it's not going to work as intended for two reasons; first, Electrify only works on the turn that it's used, so it's not going to help Thundurus in any way unless this core is being designed for the doubles or triples formats (something you really should've specified in your post. It's in the thread rules); second, Electrify only works on Normal-type attacks, so if your opponent decides to go for any other type of attack then you've wasted a turn (and possibly lost your Choice-locked, frail-as-hell Heliolisk). That said, a dual Electric-type core sounds really cool for beating down irritating Pokémon like Suicune and Talonflame so that a sweeper like Volcarona can take care of business. I'd suggest Thundurus-T and Magnezone, which can beat down an impressive array of Pokémon between them with their exclusively useful coverage moves. Try these sets (optimised for the Singles format):

Thundurus-T @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Grass Knot

Magnezone @ Choice Specs
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 156 HP / 148 SpA / 204 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Flash Cannon

Thundurus switches in on Fighting- and Ground-type attacks for Magnezone while Magnezone in turn takes care of Thundurus' Rock and Ice weaknesses. They differ in what they can beat: Thundurus aims to outspeed and OHKO the opponent's Pokémon with its STAB Electric moves and coverage options, with Grass Knot sniping Mamoswine and Hippowdon and Hidden Power [Ice] taking care of Dragon-types like Garchomp and Salamence. Magnezone takes a more bulky approach and aims to trap and beat Steel-types like Scizor, Klefki, Ferrothorn and Skarmory and to take them out with Hidden Power [Fire]. Flash Cannon is Magnezone's secondary STAB and its only real function is to kill Fairies like Sylveon and Mega Altaria. Together, these Pokémon are slightly redundant but can make up for that by wearing down their common counters so that the other can potentially blow through. Special walls are not really a problem for these two Pokémon as they are relatively rare, and both Magnezone and Thundurus can simply Volt Switch out of a potentially bad matchup; that said, Specially Defensive Heatran can be a pain for these two, so pairing them with a strong Ground-type such as Mamoswine or Garchomp would be a good move. Hope I helped :]

 

[SteelMR]

I'm assuming that you're trying to use Electrify to nullify the attacks used on Thundurus-T? Well, while this is a cool and innovative idea, it's not going to work as intended for two reasons; first, Electrify only works on the turn that it's used, so it's not going to help Thundurus in any way unless this core is being designed for the doubles or triples formats (something you really should've specified in your post. It's in the thread rules); second, Electrify only works on Normal-type attacks, so if your opponent decides to go for any other type of attack then you've wasted a turn (and possibly lost your Choice-locked, frail-as-hell Heliolisk). That said, a dual Electric-type core sounds really cool for beating down irritating Pokémon like Suicune and Talonflame so that a sweeper like Volcarona can take care of business. I'd suggest Thundurus-T and Magnezone, which can beat down an impressive array of Pokémon between them with their exclusively useful coverage moves. Try these sets (optimised for the Singles format):

Thundurus-T @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Grass Knot

Magnezone @ Choice Specs
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 156 HP / 148 SpA / 204 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Flash Cannon

Thundurus switches in on Fighting- and Ground-type attacks for Magnezone while Magnezone in turn takes care of Thundurus' Rock and Ice weaknesses. They differ in what they can beat: Thundurus aims to outspeed and OHKO the opponent's Pokémon with its STAB Electric moves and coverage options, with Grass Knot sniping Mamoswine and Hippowdon and Hidden Power [Ice] taking care of Dragon-types like Garchomp and Salamence. Magnezone takes a more bulky approach and aims to trap and beat Steel-types like Scizor, Klefki, Ferrothorn and Skarmory and to take them out with Hidden Power [Fire]. Flash Cannon is Magnezone's secondary STAB and its only real function is to kill Fairies like Sylveon and Mega Altaria. Together, these Pokémon are slightly redundant but can make up for that by wearing down their common counters so that the other can potentially blow through. Special walls are not really a problem for these two Pokémon as they are relatively rare, and both Magnezone and Thundurus can simply Volt Switch out of a potentially bad matchup; that said, Specially Defensive Heatran can be a pain for these two, so pairing them with a strong Ground-type such as Mamoswine or Garchomp would be a good move. Hope I helped :]

Sorry, this was for doubles. Should've mentioned that. But you're thinking of Ion Deluge. Electrify changes any move to electric type. One of the biggest things I was trying to avoid was Choicing Thundurus. I know it's the typical approach, but I felt like choice would be too restrictive. I do like the idea of Magnezone/Magneton (Eviolite), and that was one of the things I mulled over before coming here. I also really liked the idea of Physical Thundurus, mainly because it's so plausible, yet never used, it's never seen coming.

 

[ethan06]

Mixed Thundurus is a pretty solid idea but don't use more than two physical moves. Having, say, Superpower on a Focus Sash set (something I've done before) can really throw things like Tyranitar and Chansey for a loop, especially if you've been bluffing a Choice item up to that point. Thundurus-T's real strength lies in its montrous Special Attack, however, so use it to its fullest advantage rather than going full physical with subpar moves like Return and Crunch. The sets I posted above are only really applicable to Singles: If you're looking for a use for Electrify in Doubles or Triples, pair Heliolisk with a Lightning-Rod user such as Raichu or Mega Sceptile so that the Electrified moves are potentially directed away from Heliolisk (status moves can be Electrified as well so this can save Heliolisk from unwanted Will-o-Wisps or Taunts). Priority can help the opponent to dodge Scarf Heliolisk's Electrify, so Mega Sceptile is a good pick for its access to Quick Guard.

 

[SteelMR]

Attempting to build around a dual electric type core! Looking for a Mega Evolution, along with three other Pokemon! Any help is appreciated!

Magnezone@Choice Specs
Ability:Magnet Pull
Modest Nature
EVs: 100Def 252SpA 120HP 32SpD
-Flash Cannon
-Hidden Power [Fire]
-Thunderbolt
-Volt Switch

Thundurus-T@Assault Vest
Ability:Volt Absorb
Adamant/Timid Nature
EVs: 252Atk/SpA 252Spe 4HP
-Wild Charge/Thunderbolt
-Crunch/Grass Knot
-Return/Superpower
-U-Turn/Volt Switch

I gave two sets for Thundurus, allowing the choice for Special or Physical. Physical is good for forcing out physical walls in expectation for Special Attacker. This team is mainly for doubles. Possibly singles in the future.

 

[Pyritie]

Mixed Thundurus is a pretty solid idea but don't use more than two physical moves. Having, say, Superpower on a Focus Sash set (something I've done before) can really throw things like Tyranitar and Chansey for a loop, especially if you've been bluffing a Choice item up to that point. Thundurus-T's real strength lies in its montrous Special Attack, however, so use it to its fullest advantage rather than going full physical with subpar moves like Return and Crunch. The sets I posted above are only really applicable to Singles: If you're looking for a use for Electrify in Doubles or Triples, pair Heliolisk with a Lightning-Rod user such as Raichu or Mega Sceptile so that the Electrified moves are potentially directed away from Heliolisk (status moves can be Electrified as well so this can save Heliolisk from unwanted Will-o-Wisps or Taunts). Priority can help the opponent to dodge Scarf Heliolisk's Electrify, so Mega Sceptile is a good pick for its access to Quick Guard.

I thought this doesn't work because lightning rod redirects electrify itself?

Disregard me, it does work

 

[ethan06]

Oh, Christ. No hope for that strategy then :/

 

[HunterHoundoom]

Hi Smogon,

I'm not a very frequent Battle Spot user (when I do, I mainly do Triples because I prefer Triples, no real reason), because I am not confident in my team. It was primarily optimised for the Elite Four, with a relatively even spread of typing and good strong moves - or so I thought...
So I'm looking to a community of experienced pokemon players to help me improve. I have a few pokemon I really want to use, mostly megas, but I seriously need to fill in the gaps before I begin EV training. Also, what is the best way to level up pokemon without the storyline to assist you? I've got a SB full of Blissey teams but apart from that I'm clueless.

Salamence (Mega) - The main reason I want to use Salamence is because I came across some real trouble when I had to battle Drake in the Elite Four. Its Zen Headbutt really appealed because it was a physical psychic move, and Double-Edge... Well, the power of that plus it's great attack stat would really boost my team. Saying that, my team has good attack anyway, but we need a fast few mons to balance it. Also, Salamence would need a backup for its ice weakness.

Metagross (Mega) - Metagross. Who doesn't love a Metagross? Steven's Metagross was also hard to beat for me, and it's good attack plus the steel-type's naturally boosted defence makes a good tank to send out first if I don't know what's coming. Psychic also means I can set up traps, and with moves like Miracle Eye I can basically hit anything. Its Mega Evolution just keeps on giving, but Metagross is too slow for my liking. Sure, EV training should fix that up, but I still need speed and status conditions, which can only mean one thing...

Manectric (Mega) - Manectric is one of my favorite pokemon to use, and I used it on my first jolly run-through of the game until I reached the harder gyms. I would use Ampharos, but it's speed is incredibly low, even if it's special attack is amazingly high. Ampharos is another favourite of mine, but in this case, Manectric fits better in my opinion. Most of Manectric's electric moves have a chance of giving paralysis to the rival mon, and a good special move like Thunder would make use of the lovely special attack on this beast. Yet again, the Mega Evolution just boosts its power.

What do you think? If anyone has any suggestions for items, pokemon, moves, etc., please don't hold back - I need all the help I can get! I might need a Pokérus mon to help with the EV training soon, but I'll try and find that Pokérus thread I swear I saw.

Thanks in advance!

 

[cant say]

Hi Smogon,

I'm not a very frequent Battle Spot user (when I do, I mainly do Triples because I prefer Triples, no real reason), because I am not confident in my team. It was primarily optimised for the Elite Four, with a relatively even spread of typing and good strong moves - or so I thought...
So I'm looking to a community of experienced pokemon players to help me improve. I have a few pokemon I really want to use, mostly megas, but I seriously need to fill in the gaps before I begin EV training. Also, what is the best way to level up pokemon without the storyline to assist you? I've got a SB full of Blissey teams but apart from that I'm clueless.

Salamence (Mega) - The main reason I want to use Salamence is because I came across some real trouble when I had to battle Drake in the Elite Four. Its Zen Headbutt really appealed because it was a physical psychic move, and Double-Edge... Well, the power of that plus it's great attack stat would really boost my team. Saying that, my team has good attack anyway, but we need a fast few mons to balance it. Also, Salamence would need a backup for its ice weakness.

Metagross (Mega) - Metagross. Who doesn't love a Metagross? Steven's Metagross was also hard to beat for me, and it's good attack plus the steel-type's naturally boosted defence makes a good tank to send out first if I don't know what's coming. Psychic also means I can set up traps, and with moves like Miracle Eye I can basically hit anything. Its Mega Evolution just keeps on giving, but Metagross is too slow for my liking. Sure, EV training should fix that up, but I still need speed and status conditions, which can only mean one thing...

Manectric (Mega) - Manectric is one of my favorite pokemon to use, and I used it on my first jolly run-through of the game until I reached the harder gyms. I would use Ampharos, but it's speed is incredibly low, even if it's special attack is amazingly high. Ampharos is another favourite of mine, but in this case, Manectric fits better in my opinion. Most of Manectric's electric moves have a chance of giving paralysis to the rival mon, and a good special move like Thunder would make use of the lovely special attack on this beast. Yet again, the Mega Evolution just boosts its power.

What do you think? If anyone has any suggestions for items, pokemon, moves, etc., please don't hold back - I need all the help I can get! I might need a Pokérus mon to help with the EV training soon, but I'll try and find that Pokérus thread I swear I saw.

Thanks in advance!

Hey there HunterHoundoom and welcome to Smogon.

First off, I'm gonna have to advise you to lurk more around the forums in general. You tried introducing yourself in Congregation of the Masses, and then you made a thread for teambuilding help without reading the rules here, which specifically say not to do that. Each subforum has its own rules and culture, so it's important you familiarise yourself with those things before you go jumping into discussion and/or posting.

Now, to your team. I'm assuming this is for triples since you mentioned that you like to play it. However I'm really not sure how to help you with your team since you've only listed three Pokemon and they're all megas (meaning you can only use one!). The attributes that you like which you've listed also seem really sub-optimal, and to be honest I think you need to first learn the difference between competitive Pokemon and in-game. Salamence should not be using Zen Headbutt. Mega Metagross is not slow (it has a base speed of 110, making it quite fast), and it is primarily a physical attacker, so it should not be using Psychic (or Miracle Eye). Thunder may be really powerful but unless Manectric has rain support it's too unreliable to use as your main source of offence on it.

I think you need to look into what Pokemon are good in triples and find something you want to build your team around so that we can actually help you. Of those megas you listed, Salamence is the only really viable one in triples. You can look on the Pokemon Global Link to see what is used the most (and their movesets) and you can also search for Pokemon that aren't listed in the top 12. There are countless guides all over Smogon that can help you understand what's good and what's bad, so like I said at the start, have a lurk around the forum to learn what you need. As for getting a PKRS Pokemon, there isn't a specific thread (and I'm not sure where you may have seen it) but you can ask for one in the Wi-Fi section's Simple Request thread. I'm sure someone would be willing to donate one to you.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy your time at Smogon.

 

[HunterHoundoom]

Ugh, I am really sorry about that... I swear I used to be better at internetting than this o.o I'll try not to derp any more than I have done.

What I said about Metagross' speed - it's slow compared to its other stats unless you Mega Evolve and it gains quite a bit of speed.
I'm set on using Salamence, but I'm regretting Manectric. I was in the IRC and the guys there suggested Kangaskhan and helped me out with Talonflame move sets. I found that the pokemon I had difficulties with and thus want to use in my own team have Mega Evolutions - I most probably won't Mega Evolve them unless I get into a mess and have no other choices.
I am... Let's just say I'm pretty bad at pokemon, but that's kind of why I'm here, to learn from the (I'm assuming) pros. I got a Pokérus mon from breh on IRC, so I can tick that off the list. I'm glad someone replied in so much detail, thank you for that. And I'm also glad of the mostly positive replies I've had. I'll try and take up all this advice.

 

[Crim Dog]

I'm working on a new team for singles, using both things that I've tired and things that I've not tried. Some of these sets I got off this forum and others are pretty standard.

Tyranitar @ Tyranitarite
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 84 HP / 12 Atk / 244 Def / 4 SpD / 164 Spe
Impish Nature
-Dragon Dance
-Stone Edge
-Crunch
-Earthquake
I like Mega Tyranitar and this EV spread seemed fun. I use Stone Edge because of the lack of attack investment, though even with that, +1 (or even +2) Rock Slide might not matter much. Either way, Stone Edge works fine for me. Crunch is Crunch, mercs Cresselia and can dent [Mega] Slowbro and otherwise just hits real hard. Earthquake is for that Edgequake coverage, though I'm debating on switching to Ice Punch.

Charizard @ Charizardite X
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Flame Charge
- Outrage
- Earthquake
Two megas on the same team has generally worked out quite well for me in singles. Pretty standard double dance set--though I'm not sure if there's a more optimal EV spread I should be using. Either way, Charizard finds some pretty good setup opportunities and hits like a freight train. Burn immunity is fantastic on a setup sweeper. Outrage hits the hardest and I use Earthquake because I don't want to kill my own Charizard with Flare Blitz.

Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 40 Atk / 216 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Low Kick
- Gunk Shot
Standard mixed Greninja. Low Kick gives me a fighting move, which is always nice, and Gunk Shot destroys fairies. I lack Dark Pulse because Mega Tyranitar's Crunch is pretty much all the Dark type attacking power I need. I also don't have Extrasensory because I tend to find Surf to be more useful, though it's not completely out of the question.

Aegislash @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
IVs: 0 Spe
Quiet Nature
- King's Shield
- Iron Head
- Shadow Sneak
- Shadow Ball
Standard Weakness Policy Aegislash sans the EV spread. I've always felt that Aegislash could be a bit less squishy, and this set helps with that. Iron Head also helps to kill Fairies, along with Greninja. I'm still testing out whether or not Iron Head is more useful than Flash Cannon overall. Against certain things, like Mega Gardevoir, it is, but not sure if that's enough to really make it worth it (or if it actually even matters).

Talonflame @ Choice Band
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Brave Bird
- U-Turn
- Will-O-Wisp
It's Talonflame. This bird is great and can kill so many things. I don't think much needs to be said about this. Talonflame still hits like a monster with Jolly because of Choice Band. Will-O-Wisp, I found, is the most useful move in the fourth moveslot. Spreading burns is grand, even if the move has shaky accuracy. Again, with this one, not sure if there might be a more optimal spread, though this seems to work out just fine.

As you can see, this team is missing a sixth member! I'm really not sure what to do at all--I was thinking Serperior or Chesnaught. I have/had Breloom, but I don't like how his Focus Sash doesn't pair up well (at all) with Tyranitar. I'm mostly looking for help with a sixth member, but I'm also open to changing the existing members--even to completely different Pokemon.

Also, I play on cart, so that means that legendaries (like Landorus) are a bit more rare. And I didn't add pictures because I'm lazy :C

 

[cant say]

Ugh, I am really sorry about that... I swear I used to be better at internetting than this o.o I'll try not to derp any more than I have done.

What I said about Metagross' speed - it's slow compared to its other stats unless you Mega Evolve and it gains quite a bit of speed.
I'm set on using Salamence, but I'm regretting Manectric. I was in the IRC and the guys there suggested Kangaskhan and helped me out with Talonflame move sets. I found that the pokemon I had difficulties with and thus want to use in my own team have Mega Evolutions - I most probably won't Mega Evolve them unless I get into a mess and have no other choices.
I am... Let's just say I'm pretty bad at pokemon, but that's kind of why I'm here, to learn from the (I'm assuming) pros. I got a Pokérus mon from breh on IRC, so I can tick that off the list. I'm glad someone replied in so much detail, thank you for that. And I'm also glad of the mostly positive replies I've had. I'll try and take up all this advice.

Your idea of how mega evolution works is a bit off. You should not bring several Pokemon, all holding their mega stones, to the same battle and mega evolve one as needed. You can only have one mega evolution per battle, which in triples where you bring all six means you will have a couple mons who won't be able to evolve. This means they are basically itemless, and you need to understand that items are invaluable in battle (and that some non-mega evolved Pokemon are trash compared to their mega evolved formes, meaning it's not worth using them unless you actually evolve them). Also, 99.99% of Pokemon who mega evolve should do so as soon as they enter the field, not wait until you "get into a mess and have no other choices."

I think if you're just learning Pokemon, you should stick to singles, and pick up triples when you understand the basics a bit better.

I'm working on a new team for singles, using both things that I've tired and things that I've not tried. Some of these sets I got off this forum and others are pretty standard.

Tyranitar @ Tyranitarite
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 84 HP / 12 Atk / 244 Def / 4 SpD / 164 Spe
Impish Nature
-Dragon Dance
-Stone Edge
-Crunch
-Earthquake
I like Mega Tyranitar and this EV spread seemed fun. I use Stone Edge because of the lack of attack investment, though even with that, +1 (or even +2) Rock Slide might not matter much. Either way, Stone Edge works fine for me. Crunch is Crunch, mercs Cresselia and can dent [Mega] Slowbro and otherwise just hits real hard. Earthquake is for that Edgequake coverage, though I'm debating on switching to Ice Punch.

Charizard @ Charizardite X
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Flame Charge
- Outrage
- Earthquake
Two megas on the same team has generally worked out quite well for me in singles. Pretty standard double dance set--though I'm not sure if there's a more optimal EV spread I should be using. Either way, Charizard finds some pretty good setup opportunities and hits like a freight train. Burn immunity is fantastic on a setup sweeper. Outrage hits the hardest and I use Earthquake because I don't want to kill my own Charizard with Flare Blitz.

Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 40 Atk / 216 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Low Kick
- Gunk Shot
Standard mixed Greninja. Low Kick gives me a fighting move, which is always nice, and Gunk Shot destroys fairies. I lack Dark Pulse because Mega Tyranitar's Crunch is pretty much all the Dark type attacking power I need. I also don't have Extrasensory because I tend to find Surf to be more useful, though it's not completely out of the question.

Aegislash @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Stance Change
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
IVs: 0 Spe
Quiet Nature
- King's Shield
- Iron Head
- Shadow Sneak
- Shadow Ball
Standard Weakness Policy Aegislash sans the EV spread. I've always felt that Aegislash could be a bit less squishy, and this set helps with that. Iron Head also helps to kill Fairies, along with Greninja. I'm still testing out whether or not Iron Head is more useful than Flash Cannon overall. Against certain things, like Mega Gardevoir, it is, but not sure if that's enough to really make it worth it (or if it actually even matters).

Talonflame @ Choice Band
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Brave Bird
- U-Turn
- Will-O-Wisp
It's Talonflame. This bird is great and can kill so many things. I don't think much needs to be said about this. Talonflame still hits like a monster with Jolly because of Choice Band. Will-O-Wisp, I found, is the most useful move in the fourth moveslot. Spreading burns is grand, even if the move has shaky accuracy. Again, with this one, not sure if there might be a more optimal spread, though this seems to work out just fine.

As you can see, this team is missing a sixth member! I'm really not sure what to do at all--I was thinking Serperior or Chesnaught. I have/had Breloom, but I don't like how his Focus Sash doesn't pair up well (at all) with Tyranitar. I'm mostly looking for help with a sixth member, but I'm also open to changing the existing members--even to completely different Pokemon.

Also, I play on cart, so that means that legendaries (like Landorus) are a bit more rare. And I didn't add pictures because I'm lazy :C

Hey there Crim Dog and Welcome to Smogon / Battle Spot!

Your team looks pretty well-rounded, however I have some small suggestions. 40 Atk and 216 SpA on Greninja is a waste, as dropping each of those by 4 EVs will give the exact same stat, you could take 4 from Atk and add it to SpA to make 36 Atk / 220 SpA, however, you only need 20 Atk to get the OHKO against Azumarill with Gunk Shot, and the increased EVs don't reach any important benchmarks, so I would recommend that you give Greninja 20 Atk / 236 SpA / 252 Spe. Surf is a fine move, but it sorta falls between Scald and Hydro Pump as a safe / boring option. Scald can fish for handy burns and only has 10BP less than Surf, and of course Hydro Pump offers much more power at the cost of some accuracy. I much prefer using Dark Pulse in that slot, as Dark-type moves are easily spammable in the meta, but may be a bit redundant alongside Tyranitar.

Aegislash's build looks odd, like you're trying to squeeze two sets into one mon. If you want to go physically defensive then you should use a Relaxed nature. Otherwise if you want to keep Quiet then use 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD (assuming your IV spread is 31/31/31/31/31/0).

Jolly Choice Band Talonflame is weird to me. He doesn't have a stellar attack stat and you'll be spamming priority Brave Bird almost all the time anyway. I'm gonna have to refer to the analysis we have for Talonflame for the best spread: Adamant 44 HP / 244 Atk / 220 Spe

This set is designed to maximize Talonflame's offensive capabilities. Despite only having a measly base 81 Attack, great Attack investment with Choice Band gives it a lot of firepower and makes it easier to spam Brave Bird. Adamant is often preferred over Jolly because the boost in Attack is more important than Speed when Talonflame fires off priority moves. 220 EVs in Speed let Talonflame outspeed maximum Speed Liepard to beat Assist Spore. They also let Talonflame beat priority users such as Mega Kangaskhan and a lot of Talonflame variants that put more investment into HP. 44 HP EVs give Talonflame 159 HP to optimize passive damage and give it a slight boost in bulk. The rest of the EVs are put into Attack.

As for your sixth Pokemon, I noticed that you have some trouble with Ground-type attacks / Pokemon and bulky Water-types. Serperior would be a fine choice to patch this up, I'll recommend the set I used in my analysis of him:

Serperior @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 116 HP / 220 Def / 172 Spe
Timid Nature
- Reflect
- Synthesis
- Leaf Storm
- Glare

This set aims to be able to come in against things like Garchomp, Mega Kangaskhan, Landorus etc. and effectively wall them with Reflect and Synthesis. You can also paralyze them with Glare and boost with Leaf Storm (which starts to do big damage after a couple of boosts even though you have no SpA EVs).

However with this lineup, you have some trouble against Download Porygon2, who can come in against every one of your Pokemon and grab a SpA boost due to them all having higher physical defense, and either start wrecking with Tri Attack / Shadow Ball, or paralyze whatever it wants with Thunder Wave. If you're worried about running into that then I would recommend swapping Serperior for Conkeldurr. He can beat down on P2 with STAB Drain Punch (or get rid of its Eviolite with Knock Off), and doesn't care about status with his Guts ability. Here's the set I would recommend:

Conkeldurr @ Assault Vest
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Knock Off
- Ice Punch

Good luck with the team, and I look forward to seeing you post around here more often!

edit: @ Pyritie I guess I shouldn't have been so literal in saying 99.99%.... I was more referring to how HunterHoundoom was saying that they'd leave their Pokemon un-evolved until they were in trouble. Of course there are instances where select Pokemon are able to make use of their base-forme before evolving but even those Pokemon only stay that way for 1, maybe 2 turns. They certainly don't wait until they're in trouble...

 

[Pyritie]

Also, 99.99% of Pokemon who mega evolve should do so as soon as they enter the field, not wait until you "get into a mess and have no other choices."

Sorry for nitpicking but this is incorrect. There are quite a few pokemon that can still have a reason to be kept un-mega'd until later, mostly anything with intimidate (mawile, salamence, gyarados), but some others have useful abilities in their base forms. Manectric and houndoom can stay un-mega'd to discourage opponents from using electric and fire attacks respectively, as they both get a boost from them. Kangaskhan has scrappy to hit ghosts. Gyarados and pinsir have moxie. Lucario can avoid a fake out through inner focus, attack, then mega evolve the next turn. Slowbro keeps oblivious or regenerator, letting it either set trick room more effectively or act as a better pivot before mega evolving. Sableye loves its prankster to help burn-stall opponents and get off fast taunts, and it can do this effectively in its base form before later switching to its mega. Glalie can abuse moody to get a load of boosts.

 

[6tennis]

Hello everyone. I'm currently trying to build a team around Blaziken, but it has a few holes in it. The pastebin link is here: http://pastebin.com/eKTVk1az Can I have some help making it better? Thanks in advance.

 

[Psangli]

Hello everyone. I'm currently trying to build a team around Blaziken, but it has a few holes in it. The pastebin link is here: http://pastebin.com/eKTVk1az Can I have some help making it better? Thanks in advance.

I would replace tri-attack with ice beam on porygon2, and maybe give it the ability analytic or even trace. Download is kinda 50-50 if you get the sp.attack boost, and ice beam allows you to take care of dragons like m-salamence a lot easier, which trouble blaziken.

 

[JusDePomme]

I would replace tri-attack with ice beam on porygon2, and maybe give it the ability analytic or even trace. Download is kinda 50-50 if you get the sp.attack boost, and ice beam allows you to take care of dragons like m-salamence a lot easier, which trouble blaziken.

I would say that Download is a lot more consistent than you give it credit, and is one of the reasons Pory2 with Eviolite can work so well.

 

[Hulavuta]

The cool thing about Download is that you can know whether or not it's the right ability for you just based on what Pokemon you plan to be bringing Porygon2 in on. You do know whether or not you get the Special Attack or Attack boost if you know the other Pokemon's stats. The inconsistent part is you won't always be able to bring it in on what you want; it may have to come in earlier. Also keep in mind that Pokemon who have equal Def and SpD tend to put the extra 4 EVs in SpD to make sure Porygon2s get the Attack boost.

 

[Mkushrom]

I'm working on this team for BS Singles

Tyranitar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Stream
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stone Edge
- Pursuit
- Superpower
- Ice Punch

This is the first time I use TTar as a scarfer. I never liked it because it does not outspeed Greninja. However it can tank the frog quite decently and KO it with Stone Edge, its main attack. Ice Punch is there for dragons, Superpower for Heatran and KKhan and Pursuit to trap Gengar and Lati@s. TTar mainly handles Thundurus and other bothering leads. TTar can counter TFlame pretty well too.

Slowbro @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Thunder Wave
- Slack Off

I really like Slowbro, I usually slap it in most of my teams. It can tank Blaziken, Mamoswine, non-knock off Azumarill and some builds of Garchomp and KKhan. Scald for spam, Ice Beam for dragons, T-Wave to deal with DDance users and for letting Zard sweep properly and Slack off to recover damage. Rocky Helmet is there instead of Leftovers for chip damage.

Charizard @ Charizardite X
Ability: Blaze
Level: 50
EVs: 148 HP / 252 Atk / 108 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Flame Charge
- Dragon Claw
- Swords Dance
- Substitute

My main sweeper. It can pump itself with Flame Charge and SD and kill with Dragon Claw. Substitute is there to handle status users like Breloom. I really like having a physical attacker that cannot be burned and CharX can handle both offensive teams and defensive ones thanks to Charge + SD.

Aegislash @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Stance Change
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Shadow Ball
- Sacred Sword
- Shadow Sneak
- King's Shield

Usual WP Aegislash. The EV spread is to handle some attacks like EQ and boost itself with WP. I'm also thinking about a Substitute build with leftovers or a physical one with Swords Dance.

Togekiss @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Air Slash
- Dazzling Gleam
- Thunder Wave
- Roost

Thanks to its inmunity to ground and dragon it can handle Garchomp pretty well. TW + Air Slash for hax kills, Dazzling Gleam for coverage and Roost for recover. I'm not relly sure about the EV spred, tho, but it can survive an unboosted Rock Blast from M-Heracross and kill it with Slash.

Gengar @ Gengarite
Ability: Levitate
Level: 50
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Sludge Wave
- Shadow Ball
- Will-O-Wisp
- Destiny Bond

My secondary mega. Destiny Bond to handle Suicune, WoW to deal with physical threats, SWave for faes and grass types and Shadow Ball for STAB. I really like playing mind games with Gengar against people that predict I'm going mega and uses EQ.

 

[Omastar68]

I have a rather unorthodox BS Singles team(I've made a full team, but these three are the ones I'm most sure of-that said I'm not against changing it.)

Sylveon@Leftovers
Ability:Pixilate
EVs: 252 HP/ 236Def/ 20 Spe
Bold Nature
-Baton Pass
-Wish
-Hyper Voice
-Calm Mind

Basically just the OU Calm Mind + Baton Pass set, just with EVs tweaked for being level 50. I pretty much need at least one Wish passer just because I think Wish is amazing. Baton passed Calm Minds are great, especially for Aggron, who loves both stat boosts(you'll see.)

Aggron@Aggronite
Ability:Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP/ 108 Atk/ 4 Def/ 28 SpA / 116 SpD
Brave Nature
-Stone Edge
-Heavy Slam
-Low Kick
-Fire Blast

The EVs are crazy here, but I've recently learned about that IV/2 + EV/8 should equal a whole number rule, so 112Atk/ 24 SpA/ 120 SpD won't work. Base 140 attack and base 60 special attack probably makes you think special attacking is not at all viable, and you'd usually be right, but the utility against Scizor, Ferrothorn, Forretress, Skarmory, and some other things, especially if you're at +2SpA, is too hard to pass up. Not to mention it works around burns, boosted defense stats, gets pseudo-STAB in sun, and thaws you out when you are frozen. Low Kick is in a similar boat, as you normally see Earthquake on Aggron. However, Low Kick is better against opposing Aggron, Tyranitar, Bisharp, and I'm sure some other stuff, too, so I'm sticking with it.

Alomomola@Rocky Helmet
Ability:Regenerator
EVs: 124 HP/ 132 Def/ 252 SpD
Impish Nature
-Healing Wish
-Scald
-Knock Off
-Wish

I love Alomomola, but I'd probably use something else if it weren't for Item Clause. That said, she does really well, and Healing Wish makes me feel better about no Aromatherapy/Heal Bell support. Knock off is great, and Scald's burn rate, on top of it's surprisingly good damage against some Pokemon weak to it, are too.

I'd really like to know if these three would be a good pick(together or not) for BS singles. I also want some ideas about the other three Pokemon I should use, because, while I have ideas, I have too many ideas, and I can't use all of them. Some of my best Pokemon, which I've either used extensively in the past, or that I just know to be good, are Rotom-W, Talonflame, Quagsire, Mega Mawile, Suicune, Cresselia, Breloom, Mega Altaria, Ferrothorn, Rhypherior, and a few others.

 

[Anirav]

Hey i really need to make changes to my team. Do you guys have any suggestions. My team currently is

Garchomp jolly focus sash outrage iron head earthquake stealth rock (rough skin)

talonflame adamant life orb brave bird uturn flare blitz roost (gale wings)

rotom-w bold chesto berry hydro pump rest will-o-wisp volt switch (levitate)

Greninja timid expert belt grass knot dark pulse scald ice beam (protean)

kangaskhan(mega) jolly fake out sucker punch earthquake return (parental bond)

Aegislash Adamant weakness policy shadow sneak iron head sacred sword kings shield ( stance change)

Im looking for a new mega evolution as kangaskhan has been completely useless due to so many rocky helmet opponents. Rotom and Garchomp have been very useful and have won most of my battles because of them. Greninja and Talonflame are okay but Gengar and any rock type move completely destroys them respectively. Aegislash is also quite subpar. I need any suggestions to replace kangaskhan and aegislash especially.

 

[mhykah]

Hey i really need to make changes to my team. Do you guys have any suggestions. My team currently is

Garchomp jolly focus sash outrage iron head earthquake stealth rock (rough skin)

talonflame adamant life orb brave bird uturn flare blitz roost (gale wings)

rotom-w bold chesto berry hydro pump rest will-o-wisp volt switch (levitate)

Greninja timid expert belt grass knot dark pulse scald ice beam (protean)

kangaskhan(mega) jolly fake out sucker punch earthquake return (parental bond)

Aegislash Adamant weakness policy shadow sneak iron head sacred sword kings shield ( stance change)

Im looking for a new mega evolution as kangaskhan has been completely useless due to so many rocky helmet opponents. Rotom and Garchomp have been very useful and have won most of my battles because of them. Greninja and Talonflame are okay but Gengar and any rock type move completely destroys them respectively. Aegislash is also quite subpar. I need any suggestions to replace kangaskhan and aegislash especially.

Hey aniravjain :) Welcome to Smogon! It would be useful to post the EVs of your team so that we can get a better idea of them. If you look at previous posts here you'll see the format that we use to post pokemon sets.
A useful tool that I've found in team building is Break My Team to let you know which pokemon you have trouble with both offensively and defensively (Omastar68 this might be useful for you too). If you're looking to target a specific pokemon then Victim of the Week might give you some ideas. Have a look through all of the entries for that week, not just the winner!
Are you playing on the 3DS or on Showdown? Either way there'll be people who will be happy to help out in Showdown's Battle Spot room. Sorry that I haven't given you any direct advice on your team but I'm sure that after you post EVs someone will be here to help!

 

[cant say]

Hey i really need to make changes to my team. Do you guys have any suggestions. My team currently is

Garchomp jolly focus sash outrage iron head earthquake stealth rock (rough skin)

talonflame adamant life orb brave bird uturn flare blitz roost (gale wings)

rotom-w bold chesto berry hydro pump rest will-o-wisp volt switch (levitate)

Greninja timid expert belt grass knot dark pulse scald ice beam (protean)

kangaskhan(mega) jolly fake out sucker punch earthquake return (parental bond)

Aegislash Adamant weakness policy shadow sneak iron head sacred sword kings shield ( stance change)

Im looking for a new mega evolution as kangaskhan has been completely useless due to so many rocky helmet opponents. Rotom and Garchomp have been very useful and have won most of my battles because of them. Greninja and Talonflame are okay but Gengar and any rock type move completely destroys them respectively. Aegislash is also quite subpar. I need any suggestions to replace kangaskhan and aegislash especially.

Your team looks very standard, like in a good way. You shouldn't have too much trouble having moderate success with the Pokemon you already have but with a few changes.

I can see why you want to use Iron Head on Garchomp, however Rock Tomb or Swords Dance is much better in that moveslot.

I'm not really a fan of Life Orb on Talonflame, if going offensive I think it makes much better use out of a Choice Band or Sharp Beak. The recoil of Brave Bird / Flare Blitz + Life Orb means Talonflame is really easy got the opponent to wear down, even with Roost. Your team is very offensive too (besides Rotom-W), perhaps a more defensive Talonflame would be good. The Rocky Helmet set with Taunt, Will-O-Wisp and Roost is quite effective and gaining popularity all the time.

If you can free up the Life Orb, Greninja makes fantastic use out of it. I'm not really sure about Scald on Gren though, the move is too weak for him to use offensively, and he's too frail to fish for burns. I would instead use Hydro Pump if you really want a Water-type move. Extrasensory is also a really good move for fully-special Greninja sets for nailing Mega Venusaur. If you can re-breed, Greninja is much better off going Naive / Hasty so it can use Gunk Shot and/or Low Kick.

Fake Out on Kangaskhan is no where near as good here as it is in Doubles. I Will's drop it for Power-Up Punch or Fire / Ice Punch, and swap Return for Double-Edge.

Aegislash looks fine, not sure why you're having trouble with it. What exactly is giving it trouble? It can be a tricky Pokemon to use but greatly rewards you if used properly.

The big thing about this team is that all 6 member are super popular and a lot of players are well prepared for them individually, so when used together most teams know how to play against them. If you don't play cleverly then you'll get destroyed no matter how good your individual teammembers are...

 

[Anirav]

Hey thank you for all the suggestions :). I will try to implement almost all of them but can you also give me suggestions for pokemon that might work better with my team? Thank you again