My First Team

Blaine

Novice battler seeks advice on developing team.

Recent ideas/concerns/experimental pokemon are in bold.

Team at a glance:
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Gengar @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Nature: Timid
- Hypnosis
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Focus Blast

So I've changed Gengar to my lead/special sweeper, so far he's been pretty close to fantastic at what he does. Just a tad worried about being outrun, but I'm hesitant on using scarf on him.

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Charizard @ Salac Berry
Ability: Blaze
EVs: 252 Atk/6 Def/252 Spd
Nature: Adamant
- Belly Drum
- Earthquake
- Fire Punch
- Substitute


I love Charizards. I've recently gotten the Bellyzard to work for me, although I need practice with him still. I'm hating when I start setting him up and then he loses his sub or something like that. Advice to alleviate this poblem would be nice but I'm pretty sure it's just me not using him right.
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Dugtrio @ Life Orb
Ability: Arena Trap
EVs: 252 Atk/252 Spd/4 SAtk
Nature: Adamant
- Earthquake
- Aerial Ace
- Rock Slide
- Sucker Punch

Still trying to get Dugtrio to work at his fullest for me, I hate choice items due to the fact that I probably can't use a choiced pokemon well yet. Despite the fact that I need improvement using him, Dugtrio has won me matches and/or cleared threats to my other sweepers, he also manages Blissey pretty well if I use him right.


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Experimental: Donphan @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP/6 Atk/252 Def
Nature: Impish
- Roar
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard

I was using Tentacruel before, but he seemed to be slacking in his spinning duties, so I'm trying out other options as spinners go. I'm very tempted to change his moves, but I'd like to get some adivce/play with him a little before I make any decisions.


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Weezing @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 Spd
Nature: Bold
- Pain Split
- Haze
- Explosion
- Fire Blast


My physical wall, haze user, and exploding bag of gas. Weezing has been walling with a fairly high success margin, but I'm tempted to ditch explosion seeing as he's almost never able to get it off. Jury is still out though on that. Fire Blast was added on suggestion to kill Heracross, which oddly enough he did right after I changed him.

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Blissey @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 240 HP/252 Def/18 Spd
Nature: Bold
- Softboiled
- Seismic Toss
- Ice Beam
- Sing

I hate the fact that I love Blissey. I just recently started using Sing over Thunder Wave because I generally like sleep better, but I hate Sing when it misses. The rest of the set should explain itself, the 240 EV's in HP are for a teeny speed boost and so that Blissey's health is at 711, which makes me feel awesome.

If you see any glaring flaws please suggest a remedy for it, I'm using the excuse that I'm new to say that I don't know what counters my team as a whole very well.

Thank you for your time.
 
Ninjask is really the biggest disadvantage to your team. You could make a pretty good bellyzard team out of this also. First off I would lead with a Gengar instead to sleep something and do some damage. Ninjask and baton passing don't work quite as well now. Also Electivire is more of a late game sweeper and you want Charizard to be your late game sweeper instead. I would use maybe Zapdos over it instead. You might have problems with fighting types and Gyarados which can stop your sweep. Use Knock off on Tentacruel instead since Sludge Bomb doesn't get very good coverage.
 
If I use Gengar over Ninjask, and Gengar using sleep, should I switch Blissey's moveset to have Thunder Wave instead? Also, for Zapdos, I'm guessing you're telling me to use the special sweeping moveset in the stratdex, or something else?

Thanks for the tips.

Edit: I'm also considering Gallade.
 
lol I don't think two Spinners are necessary, even if you are trying to abuse Charizard.

Let's try to go a different route here. As previously mentioned, Ninjask is nearly deadweight to the team. What'd like to do here first of all is add in a Dugtrio. This will kill off any Tyranitars who's Sandstorm will annoy the bejesus out of Charizard. Of course I'm also suggesting that we use a weather changer. Tangrowth comes to mind here, as it also provides an EXCELLENT Gyarados counter, who will see plenty of switch in's against Dugtrio off revenge kills and Charizard itself. It can also sleep something to take care of the opponent for a good bit.

Now we do need a Rapid Spinner, so we can keep the Tentacruel, however I'll add Toxic Spikes in there. The poison can help in the long run while you're getting the point to setting up Charizard.

So the team is now Charizard, Dugtrio, Tangrowth, Tentacruel. This is a little troublesome against Garchomp. We can go two ways here. Weezing would provide excellent coverage, helps with Lucario as well and counters Heracross. Cresselia, however, can use the Sun to Moonlight to it's fullest extent, still help with Garchomp and Lucario as well, and helps more so with Salamence. I'd personally go with Cresselia and then use the last Poke as like Blissey, who can take care of Heatrans and provide constant Wishes to the team.
 
I've changed the team's make-up enough to warrant a bump, seeing how at the moment it's no longer a pseudo-Bellyzard team. Edits to the team have been included.

In response to the changes above.

I tested a Gengar a little, but Dugtrio left a better first impression and kept impressing me, still holding the possibility of using him though.

I tried Tangrowth, and I liked him less and less as I used him. If he's really neccesary to the team's success I can swap him back in for something.

Thanks for the advice!
 
I think Life Orb for duggy would work I guess but as a lead I am not a big fan.

Energy Ball or Grass Knot on Sceptile

I think you need more attack and would consider SDZard or BellyZard. If dugtrio meets a wobb lead then you have no way at all to beat blissey it seems (Subseeding will only get you so far and blissey will switch out of weezing explosion)

On weezing I would use Fire Blast though for Heracross
 
Definitely Grass Knot or Energy Ball on Sceptile, Giga Drain just has too little power and besides, it doesn't even give much health back.

Use whatever Charizard works better for you.

Weezing needs Fire Blast to 2HKO Heracross.

Put CB or LO on Duggie, maybe even Choice Scarf. Either way, don't lead with it.
 
Any suggestions on what I should lead with then?

Also, which move on Weezing should I swap out for Fire Blast?

The team has been updated, Sceptile now has Energy Ball over Giga Drain.
 
So swap scept in for the starter and do what else with the rest of the team? Did you mean meh regarding them overall or meh as in they're bad starters?
 
Switched Charizard w/Scarf for the starter, gave Dugtrio Life Orb since I like the little variety in his attacks. Also edited to address some concerns.

Good ideas or not?
 
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