Pearl Team Analysis

[GoGoGadgetGolisopod]

Hi there, I'm considering starting a let's play channel and since Pearl Version would be one of the first I intend to do, I want some second, third and fourth opinions about my intended team I plan to use. I want talk about why and what concerns I have. But please refresh yourself with the D/P dex before you comment as too not confuse this with Platinum's dex: http://www.serebii.net/diamondpearl/shinoudex.shtml

Empoleon: Starter, Good Water/Steel type

Mismagius:Good Ghost Type, I intend to teach it at least Shadow Ball, Psychic and Thunderbolt.

Hippowdon: Great Ground type, Hoping to teach it Earthquake, Rock Slide, And Crunch, possibly Ice Fang

Toxicroack: Good fighting type, Love its design. Intent on it learning Poison Jab, Brick Break And Probably Sucker Punch

Drapion: Great Dark Type, works well with its Psychic immunity considering Toxicroak's Psychic weakness. Intend to teach it Poison Jab, X-Scizzor, Night Slash/Crunch definitelt Fire Fang

Abomasnow: Great Grass type, only thing that can deal with Cynthia's Garchomp the absolute best, considering Avalanche and Blizzard.

So overall a few concerns I have are how I will only have one Pokemon, Piplup/Prinplup until Eterna Forest, and how Misdreavus will be unable to evolve until you infiltrate the Galactic Veilstone Building after the 7th Gym. And how I would have just Prinplup and Misdreavus until just past Veilstone City, which thankfully you can go full circle from Hearthome to Veilstone to Pastoria Without needing any badges, and I would be getting Hippopotas, Croagunk and Skorupi farely close to one another, my main concern conern is not being able to deal with certain pokemon, suchh as Gyarados, which the best thing I would have until Misdreavus can learn thunderbolt is Prinplup/Empoleom using Grass Knot. Also not being able to have Snover until on the way to Snowpoint City, unless I can get it before then. This looks like it will just being able to make do with Prinplup and Misdreavus until I can get Hippopotas, Croagunk and Skourpi. Overall If you have any suggestions, feel free to comment, and if this team looks good, please say so as well. Just to recap:
Empoleon
Mismagius
Hippowdon
Toxicroak
Drapion
Abomasnow

Thanks for reading!

 

[GoGoGadgetGolisopod]

Oh, and I am considering raising a Zubat or Starly so I can beat Gardenia. But afterwards It would be apporopriately retired to the PC

 

[Magnus0]

The two main weaknesses type wise are ground and fire. You have three pokemon that are weak to ground, and only two that have a resistance/immunity, one of which also comes very late. You have nothing that resist fire, at all, and two pokemon that are weak to fire (assuming toxicroak has dry skin). Obviously, empoleon and hippowdon should be able to handle most fire types, but both of those pokemon are very slow so switching them into a fire type can still be dangerous.

Then there's the fact that you have two pokemon that cause a weather effect. Your team doesn't really seem to be built around any weather effect, so having two pokemon that can cause two different weather effect can work against your other pokemon.

You also don't have anything that can use fly. I don't know about you, but I can't play any pokemon game without a flyer, so that can be a consideration.

All in all I think you should ditch either toxicroak or drapion, since they serve very similar roles on the team and don't add much coverage, both defensively and offensively. If you replace either with something that resists fire, like rampardos or garchomp, or a water type, your team will be pretty balanced as far as typings go. Those two pokemon both resist sandstorm damage too.

 

[GoGoGadgetGolisopod]

The two main weaknesses type wise are ground and fire. You have three pokemon that are weak to ground, and only two that have a resistance/immunity, one of which also comes very late. You have nothing that resist fire, at all, and two pokemon that are weak to fire (assuming toxicroak has dry skin). Obviously, empoleon and hippowdon should be able to handle most fire types, but both of those pokemon are very slow so switching them into a fire type can still be dangerous.

Then there's the fact that you have two pokemon that cause a weather effect. Your team doesn't really seem to be built around any weather effect, so having two pokemon that can cause two different weather effect can work against your other pokemon.

You also don't have anything that can use fly. I don't know about you, but I can't play any pokemon game without a flyer, so that can be a consideration.

All in all I think you should ditch either toxicroak or drapion, since they serve very similar roles on the team and don't add much coverage, both defensively and offensively. If you replace either with something that resists fire, like rampardos or garchomp, or a water type, your team will be pretty balanced as far as typings go. Those two pokemon both resist sandstorm damage too.

Hm, I see what you mean but I used a Garchomp in Diamond and since this is pearl Rampardos isn't obtainable. I see what you mean and I can imagine how this could screw me over in many different ways. Since I plan on having Empoleon I can't see myself going with another water type and since the only fire types I would run into are the Ponyta and Chimchar families I think I can work around those. I can hardly contain my excitement. Thanks anyways, you really thought out your answer. Also Mismagius has Levitate so it can avoid ground moves, Abomasnow resists them too