My first team ^.^

[Emerald]

Hello all!

I'm fairly new to the competitive battling circuit, in fact I'm just getting started. Hence why I came here! Nice to meet everyone. I've been doing a lot of studying and reading on Smogon and other websites, so HOPEFULLY I won't sound like a complete and utter newbie. Right now all the movesets are based off what Smogon's guide told me. If anyone has any suggestions for other moves to use, such as replacements for Hidden Power for instance (as it's annoying getting the right one!) I'd appreciate it.

When I started building this team, I immediately thought "I don't want to use a team where everyone Pokemon is a common generic tough one!" I'd rather use Pokemon that I actually LIKE. It turns out, some of the Pokemon I like are OU Pokemon and some are a bit common. You can't avoid that really I suppose can you? So, here's how I (eventually once I get the right natures and IV spread) want my competitive team to look.

Here we go!

Roserade
Purpose: Lead Pokemon
Nature: Timid
Item: Focus Sash
EV Spread: 4 HP, 252 Spe, 252 SpA
Moveset:
Sleep Powder (Sleeping Pokemon can't hurt you........much)
Toxic Spikes (Set up to deal damage to any switches)
Leaf Storm (More reliable than Grass Knot, good damage)
Hidden Power Fire (Type coverage)

From what I read, Roserade makes a really good lead. She can sleep powder and then set up Toxic Spikes. She also hits pretty hard. Always been one of my favorite Pokemon also, so why not? I'll give her a shot hehe.

Lucario
Purpose: Revenge Killer/Mid-Late Game Sweeper
Nature: Modest
Item: Choice Specs
EV Spread: 4 HP, 252 Spe, 252 SpA
Moveset:
Aura Sphere (STAB attack off good Sp. Atk stat)
Shadow Ball (Type coverage, allows Lucario to neutral anything)
Hidden Power Rock (Anti Salamence and Gyarados)
Vacuum Wave (STAB priority move)

Ever since Lucario came out, It became an instant favorite of mine. Who doesn't love Lucario hehe. Umm, I chose the Choice Specs setup from Smogon because of the coverage. Aura Sphere and Shadow Ball will do at least neutral damage on just about everything from what I saw. Plus Aura Sphere is Lucario's move, come on! ^^

I also have an Adamant Nature Lucario to run as a Swords Dancer if I need a Physical. Someone pointed out to me this team does have an overabundance of Special Attacks.

Mismagius
Purpose: Wall Breaker
Nature: Timid
Item: Leftovers
EV Spread: 4 HP, 252 Spe, 252 SpA
Moveset:
Nasty Plot (Increase it's Special Attack)
Substitute (Gives Mismagius some extra staying power)
Shadow Ball (Fair damage and good accuracy)
Thunderbolt (Good damage and extra type coverage)

My favorite ghost type, period. I love the cute little witch Pokemon. I had planned on putting her in anyways, but when I read she could potentially be an Anti-Blissey, one of the most common walls in the game, that sealed the deal. I'll of course have to learn to use it effectively, but hey, everyone starts somewhere.

Suicune
Purpose: Early-Mid Sweeper
Nature: Timid
Item: Life Orb
EV Spread: 4 HP, 252 Spe, 252 SpA
Moveset:
Calm Mind (Gives Suicune more staying power to help it sweep)
Surf (Accuracy over Hydro Pump)
Ice Beam (For taking out Flying and Dragon type, common threats)
Hidden Power Electric (Useful against Flying and other Bulky Water)

I wasn't going to use Suicune, but then I caught a good one and my friend said it would be a good Pokemon to compliment my team. So why not. I was going to use it as a Bulky type, but mine is a Timid nature with a good IV spread, so I decided to use it as an offensive sweeper. We'll see how well it goes.

Umbreon
Purpose: Trap Passer
Item: Leftovers
EV Spread: 252 HP, 92 SpD, 164 Spe
Moveset:
Mean Look (Lock opponents in place)
Yawn (Hopefully put them to sleep and pass to a counter)
Wish (Set up to heal the counter that comes in)
Baton Pass (Switch to a more reliable counter after Mean Look)

Umbreon's a favorite also. Like a lot of folks I do like the Eevee's, though I do think they get a raw deal a lot of the time. Umbreon's use here is fairly obvious. Mean Look an opponent in place, then switch to a reliable counter. I might change Umbreon out with something, I don't know yet.

After much discussion from the comments below. I've switched out my Dragonite Cleric, and swapped in a Salamence.

Salamence
Purpose: Late Sweeper
Nature: Naughty
Item: Choice Scarf
EV Spread: 252 Atk, 80 SpA, 176 Spe
Moveset:
Outrage
Earthquake
Fire Blast
Hydro Pump

With this ScarfMence setup we have good type coverage and a powerful STAB move. So hopefully he'll be alright!



So there you have it for now. My first competitive team. Hopefully it'll work out well. If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears! However the 3 Pokemon I would like to keep in there are Roserade, Lucario, and Mismagius. The other 3 you can recommend to your hearts desire. I'll listen! You guys are the experts after all ^.^

Thanks in advance to everyone for comments and suggestions!

 

[KingEmpoleon]

While it is good and all, there's some fixes needed.

Lucario, if meant to be a Specs user, should be either Timid or Modest. Lonely isn't helping a Special Attacker with Specs.

By the by, what are the EV spreads on these? I'm curious to know.

 

[Emerald]

Fixed Lucario's nature. I guess I got a bit absent minded.

I use the recommend EV spread from the website for them. Unless anyone can recommend better.

4 HP, 252 Speed and Special Attack on Lucario, Roserade, Mismagius, and Suicune,

252 HP and Special Defense, and 4 Speed for Dragonite

and 252 HP, 92 Special Defense, 164 Speed for Umbreon.

 

[Lucien Lachance]

I'm pretty noob too and I think you got a fair team. There is no such thing as a "perfect" team because you can always counter it with something else but there are certain pokemon that you can always use. First off, Roserade. I know you want to keep it but Stealth Rock is a way better entry hazard than toxic spikes and that is why I am suggesting changing roserade for Azelf. Azelf is fast so it can taunt on the first turn preventing them from using stealth rock and then setting up your own stealth rock. Most people then use Fire Blast and Explosion, but it's all opinion. I'm just curious but do you EV train your pokemon? you don't mention the EV spread you use. I personally never use Choice Items unless it's a baton pass reciever. Personally I would change Choice Specs on your lucario to Life Orb so you don't constantly have to switch pokemon. The moveset is fine and I can't really think of anything to change. If your looking for a Blissey wallbreaker and also a SpA sweeper, have you considered Gengar? Gengar is stronger and faster. Running Sub+Pain Split Gengar can stall out Blissey and then finish with Focus Blast. It can't boost SpA but it can heal. I like your suicune and I can't really think on how to improve it. Of course you could always trash it for Starmie with Recover, Surf, Ice Beam and T-Bolt. Suicune is more of a defensive pokemon so if your looking for a sweeper, I would go for Starmie for the stronger SpA and Spe. I would run the set stated above for the same coverage with a life orb. I like how you use your Umbreon so you can easily cripple their pokemon and then switch to a counter. When I use my umbreon, I use him Baton Pass curse boosts to a Scizor so Scizor can sweep, but that's me and by switching to curse Bp you would have to remove a pokemon for Scizor or something like that. Dragonite over Mence? are you serious? Mence is common and is usually countered, but because their same type, why not go for the stronger one? I used Mence and he was an amazing fall back with Roost, Fire Blast, Dragon Pulse, and Brick Break with a life orb. Mence was a very strong asset to my team so I would really suggest using it.

I'm sorry I destroyed your plan to keep Roserade and Mismagius.

You got a nice type coverage with no major weaknesses anywhere. But if you changed Suicune to Starmie, Roserade to Azelf, and Mismagius to Gengar, (Nite to Mence does nothing) your type coverage worsenes. A lot. So don't change them ALL just one. Like suicune to Starmie.
Hope I helped and Best of Luck
-that one kid

 

[Emerald]

Dragonite can do one thing that Mence can't. He can status heal with Heal Bell.

Also he's bulkier which helps in this situation as he's there for support. That's the reason I went with him over Mence. Also I like it better than Mence :) Who knows though. Maybe I'll throw it in. I'm learning all I can. Also yes, I am EV training my Pokemon. Right now I'm just using the Smogon recommended EV spreads.

 

[Lucien Lachance]

Hell Bell is very nice and I understand your choice over Mence, but it's my experience against your opinion. I never tried Nite but everyone says Mence is better overall and that's why I went for Mence. Of course you have to be able to set up for your Nite to be effective which can be a pain in the butt and being a mono-attacker with dragon claw... Sketchy if you ask me... isn't there only like 4 dragons in OU tier? I would use like fire punch for annoying steels and magnezone or maybe thunder punch if your mono-attacking.

 

[ghost]

I don't mean to rain on your parade here, but this team belongsin the OU section and hardly has enough description as is.

Rate coming later.

 

[Yoz]

... but it's my experience against your opinion...

I'm sorry but that was very rude and you certainly have no right to say that too if you are a newb as well.

Anyway I'll just outline what I told you Emerald in our little chat.

I would change Dnite to Mence and use it for sweeping, either way, it is a bad use of a poke like that for Support.

Then to support the Dragon I'd use Heatran (Magnezone gives a bad Fire weakness) to deal with most steels who would stop your sweep.

Finally, if you still want the Heal Bell/Aromatherapy Support, I'd put Celebi/Shaymin as your lead instead of Roserade. However this one is very non vital and I'd suggest against it unless you really want Heal Bell Support and someone to absorb Status Inflictions.

EDIT: I agree, you MUST post the EV spreads of your pokes so we can Rate properly XD (in your Opening Post)

 

[Emerald]

I suppose you're right. Experience does say a lot about Salamence. I'll see what a couple other people have to say.

Technically I guess this is an OU team, so I probably should have posted it there. Though to be honest it was just my attempt at a casual wifi battle team on SS or Pt. I wasn't really thinking about it. (I've not been feeling well lately either so that might account for my lapse in judgment) If a mod wants to move it to the OU section, then by all means.

A lot of people have suggested Heatran to me, someone even said I should replace Umbreon with it, and take Dragonite out for a Tyranitar. I might consider it. I'm not sure.

You're right about Life Orb though. I might consider that on Lucario. Being locked into one move is a pain, and if he gets locked against something the one attack he's been using is weak on, that will be a problem. Hmm. A lot of good things you guys are saying. This is of course why I came ^^ I'll have to consider it.

Thank you everyone for the help.

 

[Emerald]

So there you have it. I've dropped in a Salamence instead of running my Cleric Dragonite.

I'm still debating on whether I should drop Umbreon for Heatran. We'll see.

 

[Lucien Lachance]

If you wanted to keep a hell beller, you could always get rid umbreon and put in a blissey with seismic toss, wish, hell bell, and toxic/thunder wave/ will-o-wisp. You don't seem to have a way to heal your other pokemon and blissey can do just that. be careful for trick users though, but every time someone suggests that, I reply "why waste a whole pokemon to counter a few stalls?"