This compendium will contain typical roles that should be filled by any successful VGC team, which I thought should be useful if you're using the frameworks thread to build teams or just stuck with ideas for roles on your own teams, and so on. So under each role there will be a number of mons that should satisfy it. This be sorted into restricted mons, as well as (for the most part) solid and shaky mons that fulfill the listed role. Feel free to post about mons that I have missed out or got wrong, and I'll sort it out into the correct category based on your post. These lists will strictly be for mons in the viability rankings and roughly in viability order, so feel free to comment on this aspect, although discussion on individual pokemon viability belongs in the viability rankings or SQSA thread.
Crucial Roles
At least one Pokemon from each of these should be on each VGC team so that you have a decent chance of winning against any archetype. If a team contains no Pokemon from the "Solid" section, the team is likely weak to the specified threat. However, these roles are more a guide than a framework - i.e there are still many ways to fulfill all these roles that would result in a bad or unbalanced team.
Primal Groudon Checks:
Restricted mons:
Solid:
Shaky:
Non-restricted mons:
Solid:
Shaky:
(with HP water/Water Move - paired with rayquaza/kyogre)
Primal Kyogre Checks:
Restricted mons:
Solid:
Shaky:
Non-restricted mons:
Solid:
Shaky:
Xerneas Checks:
Restricted mons:
Solid:
Shaky:
Non-restricted mons:
Solid:
Shaky:
Mega Rayquaza Checks:
Restricted mons:
Solid:
Shaky:
Non-restricted mons:
Solid:
Shaky:
Smeargle/Sleep Checks:
Taunt:
Double-Hit Moves:
Substitute/Lum Berry:
Safeguard/Crafty Shield:
Yveltal Checks:
Restricted mons:
Solid:
Shaky:
Non-restricted mons
Solid:
Shaky:
Speed control users:
Tailwind:
Paralysis:
Trick Room:
Misc: (Icy Wind)
(Rock Tomb)
(Quash)
(After You)
Non-essential Roles
These will be specific to your team (combos etc), and therefore these pokemon should not be necessary on every team.
Redirection users:
Solid:
Shaky:
Fake Out users:
Solid:
Shaky:
Feint Users:
Solid:
Shaky:
Quick Guard Users:
Solid:
Shaky:
Wide Guard Users:
Solid:
Shaky:
Intimidate Users:
Solid:
Shaky:
Weather Support:
Skill Swap:
Role Play/Worry Seed: (Shaky)
Gravity Abusers:
Spread Moves:
Dark Void/Hypnosis:
Gravity Setters:
Solid:
Shaky:
Hope this article helps you to have a more general idea of VGC '16 teambuilding if you're new to the meta, there's for sure some stuff that I've probably missed out so please feel free to comment for improvements :)
Crucial Roles
At least one Pokemon from each of these should be on each VGC team so that you have a decent chance of winning against any archetype. If a team contains no Pokemon from the "Solid" section, the team is likely weak to the specified threat. However, these roles are more a guide than a framework - i.e there are still many ways to fulfill all these roles that would result in a bad or unbalanced team.
Primal Groudon Checks:
Restricted mons:
Solid:
Shaky:
Non-restricted mons:
Solid:
Shaky:
(with HP water/Water Move - paired with rayquaza/kyogre)
Primal Kyogre Checks:
Restricted mons:
Solid:
Shaky:
Non-restricted mons:
Solid:
Shaky:
Xerneas Checks:
Restricted mons:
Solid:
Shaky:
Non-restricted mons:
Solid:
Shaky:
Mega Rayquaza Checks:
Restricted mons:
Solid:
Shaky:
Non-restricted mons:
Solid:
Shaky:
Smeargle/Sleep Checks:
Taunt:
Double-Hit Moves:
Substitute/Lum Berry:
Safeguard/Crafty Shield:
Yveltal Checks:
Restricted mons:
Solid:
Shaky:
Non-restricted mons
Solid:
Shaky:
Speed control users:
Tailwind:
Paralysis:
Trick Room:
Misc: (Icy Wind)
Non-essential Roles
These will be specific to your team (combos etc), and therefore these pokemon should not be necessary on every team.
Redirection users:
Solid:
Shaky:
Fake Out users:
Solid:
Shaky:
Feint Users:
Solid:
Shaky:
Quick Guard Users:
Solid:
Shaky:
Wide Guard Users:
Solid:
Shaky:
Intimidate Users:
Solid:
Shaky:
Weather Support:
Skill Swap:
Role Play/Worry Seed: (Shaky)
Gravity Abusers:
Spread Moves:
Dark Void/Hypnosis:
Gravity Setters:
Solid:
Shaky:
Hope this article helps you to have a more general idea of VGC '16 teambuilding if you're new to the meta, there's for sure some stuff that I've probably missed out so please feel free to comment for improvements :)
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