Optimal Choice and Team Building

Given a set of constraints, the most rational decision is the one that maximizes some measure of utility within these constraints. This is the Optimal Choice.

The concept of team building is very similar. You are given 6 slots to maximize your chances of winning. Your team is your choice of six variables that you put into a function.

To describe this function, however, is complicated, not to mention it constantly changes. There are many variables that affect this Team Effectiveness Function in a Given Metagame

This thread will give a brief overview on how to make optimal choices given this function. We will hold the metagame variable static, and explore how to maximize.

Raw Effectiveness

The crowning achievement of Smogon Analysis. Smogon Analysis aims to create the most statistically efficient sets out there - for example, it is far more efficient to let Garchomp be a physical sweeper than a special tank.

Secondly, it is more efficient to use a Garchomp rather than a Gabite, if the metagame permits. Things like this measure the Raw Efficiency of a given Pokemon. However, we see that all of this is static, meaning that raw efficiency of a Pokemon doesn't change given the metagame.

Metagame Effectiveness.

There are sets that are able to break through the metagame. For example, despite SpecsMence's raw destructive power, we see that it is not the most effective decision given the Metagame. Many Pokemon's most effective sets are also hampered by the large present of their counters in the metagame - for example, Nasty Plot Roost Togekiss isn't very effective simply because of the large presence of Zapdos and Rotom A.

Raw Synergy

How well a given set of Pokemon work together is another thing that this function must measure. For example, is it a good idea to run a Curse Restalk Waterfall Swampert and a Curse Restalk Waterfall Gastrodon on the same team? These two Pokemon don't work well together at all. This is also static.

Synergy

On the other hand, things such as Celetran worked wonders during Late D/P, being able to deal with a majority of offensive threats. That means you are trying to find a set of Pokemon that are able to work well together to deal with majority of pokemon in a fixed metagame.

The concept of specific roles come into this idea. Lead Azelf isn't the most efficient use of Azelf - but people are able to use it as a lead to "get its job of laying rocks and exploding"

Knowledge of your team also helps boost Synergy. There exists an optimal way to utilize your team, but that's likely a job for another thread.

People's Mentality

Suppose that you know that people use a Bullet Punch Scizor to counter Tyranitar. So what happens if you run a Dragon Dance Tyranitar with a Steel Resist Berry, knowing that you can KO Scizor with +1 Stone Edge after Stealth Rock? After KOing Scizor, Tyranitar can take out a nice chunk of the opposing team.

How people react to a given Pokemon is also a big factor within the effectiveness of a set. People can cry "gimmick" all they want, but the point is - it does its job. D/P/Pt has a lot of these gimmicks, and taking advantage of "how people normally react to threat X" is a huge factor to make Lures, creating opportunities to sweep, etc.

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This thread was meant to give you a very brief overview of how to make optimal choices with your six pokemon when it comes to team building. I'm not going to add everything because I want you guys to discuss!

So the question is

What variables do you need to consider in order to make the Optimal Choice when it comes to Team Building?

I hope you can find more variables to consider!

EDIT: This is not a "How I build teams" discussion! You can either find new variables, or make one of the variables i presented more indepth

I'll keep this short so I'm not devastated in the event that it happens to be completely off-topic or whatever. >_>

"People's Mentality" doesn't just apply to movesets, but to Pokemon combinations and teams as a whole (though maybe not so much). For example, Latias will often just Surf right off the bat expecting Tyranitar or a generic steel type, so my "counters" to that Pokemon might change as a result.

Actually more relevant might be if you look at Doug's new "teammates" statistics; maybe seeing a Jirachi instantly screams "Salamence" to everyone and I might want to change my moveset for one of the two Pokemon (or change pokemon altogether) to deal with people, say, cockily Ice Beaming Jirachi expecting a switch or whatever. That's probably a really awful example but oh well.

Argh, I keep writing and deleting shit, thinking that's been discussed already.

The only thing I can really add is a mention of strategic synergy. Many good teams built in this current environment are made so that one particular threat can sweep. Therefore, a big role of the other team members is to overcome the main obstacles. T-wave on celebi for example is great if you're worried about speed. Or if I want to sweep with ape, my biggest fear may be toxic spikes, therefore I would consider using tentacruel.

My post got deleted T_T. Hopefully I should've know better.

Blame Game said:

Actually more relevant might be if you look at Doug's new "teammates" statistics; maybe seeing a Jirachi instantly screams "Salamence" to everyone and I might want to change my moveset for one of the two Pokemon (or change pokemon altogether) to deal with people, say, cockily Ice Beaming Jirachi expecting a switch or whatever. That's probably a really awful example but oh well.

Click to expand...

I usually change my moveset for reasons like this as well. Personally, instead of cockily ice beaming like you said, I would put up a substitute up for safe measures nowdays to avoid mistakes. I've made mistakes like sending off a HP fighting to an opposing gengar, expecting a T-tar switch.

How people react to a given Pokemon is also a big factor within the effectiveness of a set. People can cry "gimmick" all they want, but the point is - it does its job. D/P/Pt has a lot of these gimmicks, and taking advantage of "how people normally react to threat X" is a huge factor to make Lures, creating opportunities to sweep, etc.

Click to expand...

This seems to be the reason why the Japanese metagame is so much more diverse than ours. Their movesets are different from ours, which is more of a reason that gimmicky movesets are excellent for taking people off-guard.

When I build a team, I tend to focus on "People Mentality".

Sure you can build a great standard team made of Scizor, Salamence, Heatran, Gyarados, Infernape, and Metagross. But that is what's expected, which means it's likely your foe will have something to beat said threats. The reason why those Pokemon are often very effective is that your opponent instead of picking the best counters, will use the same Pokemon.

This is based of off the mentality, not raw stats or anything else.

If you choose Pokemon that your foe is not prepared for, then you are more likely to come off with a win. What is even better, is using common Pokemon in a strange way.

For example, instead of using a Lead Ape or a Mixape you have it as a Scarf Revenge killer. Instead of DDGyara you have Restalk Gyarados.

I think the Synergy topic needs quite a few subtopics.

The CeleTran and Lead Azelf examples serve to show why synergy isn't simply one variable, but a combination of various purposes and intents.

CeleTran is a "defensive" strategy that not only covers type disadvantages well, but also has enough offensive potential or "threat" to maximize a surprise variable as well.

LeadAzelf works differently. It, from an individual perspective, isn't even the most effective Azelf. But from a team perspective, it is almost bar none the most useful Azelf. It supports the team (generally an offensive team) by laying down vital Stealth Rock, and then it utilizes Azelf's high Speed and Attack stats to deal significant damage.

We can see here how two strategies focusing on "synergy" actually work differently, and usually encompass various other variables as well (surprise).

Those two examples are also different in two different ways, lol. You can view them as categorically different as "Defensive" and "Supportive" and you can view them as different on varying levels of "the team." The CeleTran provides high synergy between each other, while the Azelf provides high synergy for the team. I guess the category here would whether the synergy is predominantly focused between Pokemon or for the overall team. Combinations / Trios vs. team supporting specific purposes. I don't know what subtopic here would be called, so I guess I'll just refer to it as "Level of Effect."

Of course, defensive and supportive aren't the only choices within their respective subtopic, which for now I'll dub "role." There is the offensive role as well. Off the top of my head, CB Mamoswine has problems dealing with Bronzong, Skarmory and Cresselia, and Choice Specs Heatran can easily deal with all of them. This is an offensive "role" and a combination "level of effect."

What would be interesting to delve into additionally would be the concept of transitioning between "roles" and between "levels of effects."