What are the most common Pokemon for the main roles?

[jawnjawn]

A couple days ago I created a thread that pretty much asked what is the "ultimate team". I realized that there is no perfect team, each team always has a weakness, and it's all about having the least weaknesses as possible.

I was wondering what were the most common Pokemon used in each of the main roles. I've seen threat lists before, but to be honest I'm really new to this whole metagame thing, and I'm just learning what makes a good Pokemon and what makes a bad Pokemon. I can't really tell what kind of Pokemon is best at what just by seeing it's name on a threat list, so I was wondering if you all could help out a noob who wants to dive into competitive battling.

I haven't battled anyone yet, but I am doing my best to read up and be prepared for my first battle against another trainer. I won't dive into WiFi right away, but I will test my new knowledge with people who also play Pokemon in my area. I am pretty sure that I am the only one in my local area who knows anything about the Pokemon Metagame, so i'll be able to actually get some experience and test out what I've learned.

So, it'd be really helpful if you guys could help me out and tell me the most common Pokemon used for the main roles. By main roles, I'm looking for:

Physical Sweeper
Special Sweeper
Physical Wall
Special Wall
Mixed Wall
Status Absorber (I believe this is the last main role, but I'm not too sure)

I know that a lot of Pokemon have great potential, but please just limit the Pokemon you list to the best/most used pokemon for that role. Also, I know that asking for the best/most used Pokemon for each role will be easily countered since they are expected, but for now I will just try my best to build a team to help me get an idea how the Pokemon Metagame works (I also will only be battling locally for a while, so I won't have to worry about the metagame until I participate in WiFi/Netbattle). When I have more battle experience and knowledge, I believe I'll be well on my way to being able to form my own strategies and make teams that fit my style.

Thanks in advance, and I hope I'm not asking too much.

 

[Lou Cypher]

Physical sweeper - Seems to be broad now. You got Weavile, Tyranitar, Garchomp, Salamence, Gyarados and several others here.
Special sweeper - Azelf, Gengar, Specsmence, Starmie those seem most threatening
Then you got some pokes who can hit on both sides, such as Salamence (Tho he got to pick usually) and Infernape.
Physical wall - Skarmory, Rhyperior, Cressellia
Special wall - Blissey, Blissey, Blissey, Skillessey.
Mixed wall - Don't really have those, tho Cressellia comes closest
Status Absorber - Haven't seen those lately. But usually anything with Natural Cure or RestTalk can take that.

I'm not the best here but eh, I think it points in the correct direction.

 

[Syn]

dusknoir is kind of a mixed wall

 

[adman2]

dusknoir is kind of a mixed wall

The low HP hurts him once. He didn't last too long in the first Wi-Fi battle I used him in, since he was knocked out easily by a Gengar (chances are it was Choice Specs, though).

 

[sanjay120]

Dusknoir and Bronzong are excellent walls.

Empoleon is decent, too, especially with Specsmence.

(Use Zam as the special sweeper Zam is the coolest)

 

[YJiang]

Empoleon has glaring weaknesses to Fighting and Ground :(

 

[General Tso]

Empoleon is meant for more special attacks. The only special fighting and ground attacks that are really common are Focus Blast and HP Ground respectively.

 

[Lateralus]

Empoleons existance in pokemon is to shut down SpecsMence.

 

[da gold sun]

Heracross is usually considered a status obsorber because of Guts. Switch him in on a Wil-o-Wisp, and you have your self a good game, really. Guts Machamp (or Hariyama, but hes better with thick fat) also works.

like said before, mixed sweepers are usually Salamence and Infernape, with Lifeorb. Thunderbolt Electrivire is considered mixed too, IMO.

 

[Hippowdon_90210]

Physical Sweeper: Garchomp, Gyarados, Weavile, Heracross
Special Sweeper: Azelf, Gengar, Porygon-Z, Alakazam
Physical Wall: Skarmory, Gliscor
Special Wall: Blissey
Mixed Wall: Cresselia, Dusknoir
Status Absorber: Milotic (RestTalk), Blissey, Rhyperior (RestTalk)

 

[Frozen_Quinn]

Umbreon is a great mixed wall and i guess status absorber when he has synchronize. i love switching in on will-o-wisp weezing.

 

[pooch]

Heracross is usually considered a status obsorber because of Guts. Switch him in on a Wil-o-Wisp, and you have your self a good game, really.

This seems to be the received wisdom, but after a Heracross switched into my Weezing's Will-o-Wisp, I simply Fire Blasted it to death. Though I guess he could just have switched out.

 

[Edux]

Umbreon is a great mixed wall and i guess status absorber when he has synchronize. i love switching in on will-o-wisp weezing.

But it can't do much but sittin' there and maybe B.Pass a Mean Look r Toxic a foe, that's why it's so easy to counter, especially by a Fighting Poke (cof cof Heracross cof cof)

 

[Glen ^^]

Don't forget Gliscor for the physical wall.

 

[CT20]

Here I wrote this on the Common Misconceptions thread.

The majority of people interested in competitive pokemon hear the words, "special wall" "physical sweeper", and think, all pokemon must fit under one of these titles. If you have taken American High School biology, this may sound like an ecological niche, the certain role that an organism fills for the ecosystem. As Mekkah said, "This is a common misconception".

These niche titles are labels, not defining laws, or roles. Mekkah's example stated, "You don't use Kangaskhan to use a physical sweeper, you use Kangaskhan to use Kangaskhan."

I wouldn't use a pokemon just because it fits a main role, but rather it has some use. So Yeah, I would not get used to the style of thinking, I need a Special wall, but rather, I'm going to get trampled by Manaphy, I need Blissey or Cresselia. I think this question is better answered by Jumpman16's threat list, rather than this whole, "role" business. Its too general.

 

[CZ]

First off, there is no "best" at a specific role. Some Pokemon work better with others.

Physical Sweeper-Salamence(Dragon Dance, Choice Band), Tyranitar (DD, CB), Gyarados (DD), Heracross (CB,CSF), Weavile (Swords Dance, CB), Metagross (Agility, CB), Garchomp(SD, CB) are just some prime examples

Special Sweeper-Alakazam (Calm Mind, Choice Specs), Gengar (Mixed+Status, CSP), Porygon-Z (Nasty Plot), Togekiss (Flncher, NP), Azelf(NP) are more prime examples

Physical Wall-Skarmory (Good Resists/Defense Scores), Gliscor (Good Resists/Defense Scores), Rhyperior (Insane Defense Scores, Good Resists, Insane Trait) all work well. The can all still be broken by Physical Attacks at some point or another

Special Wall-Blissey (Infinite HP and High Special Defense, Good Trait and Movepool/50% Recovery), Cresslia (is that spelled right?) (Similar To Bliss)

Mixed Wall-There is not really a Mixed Wall. Some Pokemon have the Stats to be mixed (Dusknoir, Cress), but there are not enough EV's to go around to make both defenses high, and them still able to do much damage.

Status Absorber Anything with ability "Natural Cure" works good for anything but sleep (w/ Sleep Clause), Almost all RestTalkers, Pokemon with abilities activated under a status condition (Guts, Quick Feet, Marvel Scale)

 

[xShadowSinx]

Physical Sweeper-Weavile, Salamence, T-tar
Special Sweeper-Zam, Gengar, Azelf,
Physical Wall-Cresselia, Skarmory, Gliscor, Forretress
Special Wall-Cresselia, Blissey
Mixed Wall-Dusknoir
Status Absorber -Rest Talking Milotic. Sleep forces marvel scale to work.

 

[SNX7]

Physical Sweeper-Salamence, TTar, Heracross
Special Sweeper-Porygon-Z (Nasty Plot OR Agility), Azelf, Alakazam, Gengar, Salamence
Physical Wall-Cress, Skarm, Gliscor
Special Wall-Blissey, Cress
Mixed Wall-Dusknoir
Status Absorber-Anything with Natural Cure, Celebi worked wonders in ADV for me

 

[KCDinc]

I registered just to ask:

Why has nobody mentioned Snorlax as a special wall?

160 base hp
110 base Sp Def
Thick Fat
Amnesia

Am I missing something here?

 

[Masock-TM90]

Well the reason no one's mentioned Lax is because Blissey, in a manner or speaking, has outclassed him. He's still a great special wall, but everyones gonna use Blissey cause she's better.

 

[Mekkah]

Snorlax has no recovery outside of Rest compared to Blissey's reliable Softboiled. He has no Natural Cure, and gets worn down by these really overwhelming Special Attacks (think aid from Choice Specs, Nasty Plot, Life Orb, etc). Amnesia doesn't help anything. Blissey can Calm Mind too, which helps.

 

[BlackArmor]

Does the fact that Snorlax can take a Physical Hits thanks to Curse help at all? Or the fact that Snorlax has the power and Attacks to deal with the most common Special Attackers(Azelf, Alakazam, Starmie, Gengar = Crunch....) and make them switch out or KO them?

 

[Great Sage]

Snorlax simply doesn't have enough Special Defense to take on all the superpowerful special attackers in D/P, and it recovers very slowly.

 

[BlackArmor]

Hm.. I see. Thanks.

 

[aquasuicune]

Heracross is usually considered a status obsorber because of Guts. Switch him in on a Wil-o-Wisp, and you have your self a good game, really. Guts Machamp (or Hariyama, but hes better with thick fat) also works.

like said before, mixed sweepers are usually Salamence and Infernape, with Lifeorb. Thunderbolt Electrivire is considered mixed too, IMO.

Also quick feet ursaring on thunder waves.