My first Monotype Team - Poison

AceNinja

Here's my first monotype team and I decided to choose Poison to start with. By the way, I'm kind of new so I would definitely take suggestions.

To start...

Venomoth.jpg

Venomoth (M) @Focus Sash
Timid : 252 HP/252 Spe/6 Def
Ability: Wonder Skin
- Quiver Dance
- Baton Pass
- Sleep Powder
- Toxic Spikes

So for my Venomoth, my main strategy is to set at least 2 Quiver Dances then either Sleep Powder to hopefully get some extra time or just Baton Pass to one of my Special Attackers. I'm still thinking of replacing Toxic Spikes for Bug Buzz because once Venomoth gets Taunted, it will be kind of useless. However, Toxic Spikes are good with my Gengar because of Venoshock.

gengar.jpg

Gengar (F) @Life Orb
Timid: 252 SpA/252 Spe/6 Def
Ability: Levitate
- Hex/Shadow Ball
- Venoshock (still thinking of a possible replacement)
- Focus Blast
- Disable/Protect

Gengar is my first QuiverPass recipient. When I tried out this set, it worked well when I get Toxic Spikes up because of Hex and Venoshock, plus the Quiver Dance boost if Venomoth pulls it off. Both Hex and Venoshock get STAB and if the opponent is poisoned, they get double power and when you add the Quiver Dance boost, Gengar will sweep. Shadow Ball is also good but I prefered Hex because of the Poisoning. Focus Blast is there to hit anything that would resist Hex/Shadow Ball/ Venoshock. For the last move slot, I first tried using Protect but recently, I changed it to Disable.

drapion_by_psidra-d31cbct.png

Drapion (F) @Scope Lens
Jolly/Adamant: 252 Atk/252 Spe/6 SpD
Ability: Sniper
- Swords Dance
- Night Slash/Crunch
- Earthquake
- Cross Poison/Poison Jab

I've only used Drapion a few times but those few times were good. Scope Lens gives me a higher critical hit rate. Cross Poison and Night Slash have good critical hit chance and with Sniper as its ability, those two attacks will deal good damage IF it's a critical hit. Earthquake is there for some coverage against Steels and Swords Dance is there to....well, boost its attack.

The next 3 Pokemon were totally random picks (just saying)

tentacruel.jpg

Tentacruel (M) @Black Sludge
Calm: 252 HP/252 SpD/6 SpA
Ability: Rain Dish
- Toxic Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Protect

I have 2 defensive Pokemon in my team. Tentacruel is one of them. Tentacruel can also set up Toxic Spikes and Rapid Spin is to get rid of entry hazards on my field. I also put Scald there to hopefully burn any physical attackers that could be a threat. Protect is mainly to stall, either for healing or letting the enemy rot to death from poisoning.

weezing.jpg

Weezing (F) @Black Sludge
Bold: 252 HP/252 Def/6 SpA
Ability: Levitate
- Will-O-Wisp
- Pain Split
- Sludge Bomb
- Clear Smog

Weezing is my second defensive Pokemon but more on the physical side. Will-O-Wisp is to burn any physical attackers that could be a threat. Pain Split is for recovery. Sludge Bomb is the first attack that I thought of in addition to Clear Smog which erases all of my opponent's stat boosts.

407.png

Roserade (M) @Life Orb
Modest: 252 SpA/216 Def/42 Spe
Ability: Natural Cure
- Leaf Storm
- Sludge Bomb
- Sleep Powder
- Synthesis

If I can remember correctly, I think this spot was first filled with Nidoking. I changed to Roserade just today and I haven't really used it yet...But to summarize its moveset: Sludge Bomb+Leaf Storm because of STAB, Sleep Powder to hopefully give me some time to heal with Synthesis or switch out.

And that's about it! This is also my first post.....
Anyway I will take suggestions to improve my team but please if possible, don't put any hate comments! Thank you!
 
Hi and welcome to Smogon, AceNinja! It's nice to see someone trying this wonderful metagame that is the monotype one, and even nicer to see someone with a Monopoison team. I tested your team on the ladder and it has some obvious flaws, but we'll try to fix them, shall we?

After seeing and testing your team, there are two main problems with it. The first is that you're completely helpless against most Steel-types, if not all. The only Pokemo that can deal with Steel-types on your team are Gengar and Drapion, but they are not the best (Gengar relies on a move with 70% chance of hitting, and Drapion's EQ is weak without a boost). Bulky Steel-type tanks such as Cobalion, Metagross and Excadrill take a hit and return it harder. Steel-type walls such as Forretress, Skarmory and Ferrothorn also can set up freely. You said you had Nidoking instead of Roserade, right? Well, change it back. Roserade may be strong, but unless you're facing a full team with weakness to just Poison and Grass it will be a liability since its coverage is awful. Nidoking is a Steel killer by nature. he not only has a godly movepool with Earth Power / Fire Blast / Thunderbolt / Ice Beam / Sludge Wave / Shadow Ball / Focus Blast / Rock Slide (your team is quite weak to monofire too, especially Volcarona and Rotom-H) to pick your poison (pun intended) and demolish everything, but it also has Stealth Rock, necessary to every team since it helps your main attackers to grab some OHKOs they couldn't. Nidoking is also a good recipient for a QD Pass, and becomes extremely deadly after a single SpA boost.

The second weakness I could notice on your team is that all of your Pokemon bar Drapion hit by the special spectrum, thus special tanks have a field day against you. Things like Amoonguss, defensie Rotom-W and Snorlax are trouble, especially the latter (I faced a Snorlax while testing this team that swept me :/). You need another way to deal with special walls. Tentacruel doesn't fit well on your team tbh. Your team isn't very damaged by SR and Spikes (and I think you lead with Venomoth anyway) and Scald is pitfully weak outside rain. I suggest SD Toxicroak over the Jellyfish. Toxicroak has the merit of countering most Water-type Pokemon, and also most Special Walls. The frog also has a sweet priority in Sucker Punch and Ice Punch for Dragon- and Ground-types. It'll raise you Psychic-type weakness a bit, but aside Alakazam (Damn Focus Sash) and Slowbro all are destroyed by a boosted Sucker Punch or Drain Punch.

Other things that may help on your team are initially changing the status reliance moves on Gengar to Shadow Ball and Thunderbolt / HP Fire. Especially Venoshock since you'll likely burn or put the foe to Sleep rather than spreading Toxic Spikes at fist sight. Shadow Ball is more reliable if no opponent is statused. Thunderbolt deals with Water- and Flying-types such as Staraptor and Tentacruel that outspeed the rest of your team, while HP Fire eats Steel-types on switch-in, and is more reliable somewhat than Focus Blast. Destiny Bond could also replace the fourth slot on Gengar, but that is up to you. And replace Sludge Bomb with Fire Blast or HP Ground on Weezing. Monopoison coverage is awful, and Weezing is one of those Pokemon that can take advantage of momentum to attack and spread burns. Fire Blast deals with Scizor, Ferrothorn and Skarmory, while HP Ground is useful against Terrakion, Tyranitar and Heatran. And a last thing is that if Scope Lens on Drapion isn't making crits appear too often, replace it with Black Sludge because Drapion likes passive recovery.

Nidoking > Roserade
Toxicroak > Tentacruel

034.gif

Nidoking @ Life Orb | Sheer Force
Timid / Hasty (If using Rock Slide) | 4 HP (Atk if using Rock Slide) / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Earth Power
- Fire Blast
- Ice Beam / Rock Slide (Ice Beam if you think Dragon-types worries you more, and Rock Slide if Rotom-H and Volcarona are more annoying)
- Stealth Rock

454.gif

Toxicroak @ Life Orb / Black Sludge | Dry Skin
Jolly | 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Swords Dance
- Drain Punch
- Sucker Punch
- Ice Punch

Gengar: Shadow Ball > Hex | Thunderbolt or Hidden Power Fire > Venoshock | Destiny Bond > Protect / Substitute (Optional)
Weezing: Fire Blast or Hidden Power Ground > Sludge Bomb
Drapion: Black Sludge > Scope Lens (Optional)

Goodluck with your team ^^
 
Don Honchkrorleone said:
Hi and welcome to Smogon, AceNinja! It's nice to see someone trying this wonderful metagame that is the monotype one, and even nicer to see someone with a Monopoison team. I tested your team on the ladder and it has some obvious flaws, but we'll try to fix them, shall we?

After seeing and testing your team, there are two main problems with it. The first is that you're completely helpless against most Steel-types, if not all. The only Pokemo that can deal with Steel-types on your team are Gengar and Drapion, but they are not the best (Gengar relies on a move with 70% chance of hitting, and Drapion's EQ is weak without a boost). Bulky Steel-type tanks such as Cobalion, Metagross and Excadrill take a hit and return it harder. Steel-type walls such as Forretress, Skarmory and Ferrothorn also can set up freely. You said you had Nidoking instead of Roserade, right? Well, change it back. Roserade may be strong, but unless you're facing a full team with weakness to just Poison and Grass it will be a liability since its coverage is awful. Nidoking is a Steel killer by nature. he not only has a godly movepool with Earth Power / Fire Blast / Thunderbolt / Ice Beam / Sludge Wave / Shadow Ball / Focus Blast / Rock Slide (your team is quite weak to monofire too, especially Volcarona and Rotom-H) to pick your poison (pun intended) and demolish everything, but it also has Stealth Rock, necessary to every team since it helps your main attackers to grab some OHKOs they couldn't. Nidoking is also a good recipient for a QD Pass, and becomes extremely deadly after a single SpA boost.

The second weakness I could notice on your team is that all of your Pokemon bar Drapion hit by the special spectrum, thus special tanks have a field day against you. Things like Amoonguss, defensie Rotom-W and Snorlax are trouble, especially the latter (I faced a Snorlax while testing this team that swept me :/). You need another way to deal with special walls. Tentacruel doesn't fit well on your team tbh. Your team isn't very damaged by SR and Spikes (and I think you lead with Venomoth anyway) and Scald is pitfully weak outside rain. I suggest SD Toxicroak over the Jellyfish. Toxicroak has the merit of countering most Water-type Pokemon, and also most Special Walls. The frog also has a sweet priority in Sucker Punch and Ice Punch for Dragon- and Ground-types. It'll raise you Psychic-type weakness a bit, but aside Alakazam (Damn Focus Sash) and Slowbro all are destroyed by a boosted Sucker Punch or Drain Punch.

Other things that may help on your team are initially changing the status reliance moves on Gengar to Shadow Ball and Thunderbolt / HP Fire. Especially Venoshock since you'll likely burn or put the foe to Sleep rather than spreading Toxic Spikes at fist sight. Shadow Ball is more reliable if no opponent is statused. Thunderbolt deals with Water- and Flying-types such as Staraptor and Tentacruel that outspeed the rest of your team, while HP Fire eats Steel-types on switch-in, and is more reliable somewhat than Focus Blast. Destiny Bond could also replace the fourth slot on Gengar, but that is up to you. And replace Sludge Bomb with Fire Blast or HP Ground on Weezing. Monopoison coverage is awful, and Weezing is one of those Pokemon that can take advantage of momentum to attack and spread burns. Fire Blast deals with Scizor, Ferrothorn and Skarmory, while HP Ground is useful against Terrakion, Tyranitar and Heatran. And a last thing is that if Scope Lens on Drapion isn't making crits appear too often, replace it with Black Sludge because Drapion likes passive recovery.

Nidoking > Roserade
Toxicroak > Tentacruel

034.gif

Nidoking @ Life Orb | Sheer Force
Timid / Hasty (If using Rock Slide) | 4 HP (Atk if using Rock Slide) / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
- Earth Power
- Fire Blast
- Ice Beam / Rock Slide (Ice Beam if you think Dragon-types worries you more, and Rock Slide if Rotom-H and Volcarona are more annoying)
- Stealth Rock

454.gif

Toxicroak @ Life Orb / Black Sludge | Dry Skin
Jolly | 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Swords Dance
- Drain Punch
- Sucker Punch
- Ice Punch

Gengar: Shadow Ball > Hex | Thunderbolt or Hidden Power Fire > Venoshock | Destiny Bond > Protect / Substitute (Optional)
Weezing: Fire Blast or Hidden Power Ground > Sludge Bomb
Drapion: Black Sludge > Scope Lens (Optional)

Goodluck with your team ^^
Click to expand...

Oh ok. Thanks for the help! I appreciate it!
 
nice job on creating a poison team. I usually dont see those.

Venomoth is kinda weak with his highest stats being speed and special attack at 90. I would recomend replacing him with a croboat
 
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