National Dex Nat Dex Team Help.

[Vatntar82]

So i've been playing pokemon showdown for a while and using other peoples teams that i find on the internet. I finaly decided to make my own team, but it sucks. I really want to play with it, but like i said it sucks. Im asking for help to make this team better, try and not change the purpose of the team.

The team is built around a protein greninja. I put a move that allows to switch on most pokemon.

Mew @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Synchronize
Tera Type: Psychic
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Whirlwind
- Toxic
- Endeavor
I put Mew here as a safe pokemon to switch into whenever. I added heavy-duty boots to stop taking damage on switch in, and furthermore, i added defog to remove anything on the field. Toxic is a safe put here dealing insane damage to pokemon if the opponent doesnt act fast. Whirlwind is there to ease anything that could kill the mew or the next pokemon on switch out of the mew. Endeavor is there because it can give some quick easy damage to pokemon.

Greninja @ Expert Belt
Ability: Protean
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
hasty Nature
- Ice Beam
- Gunk Shot
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Fire]
This Greninja is built around protean and the possible STAB opertunies i can get. I added alot of moves i've seen on other peoples Greninja here, i don't think theses are the best moves for this team, but they provide quite alot of coverage. The expert belt pushes even more the STAB damage. U-turn was placed here for bug type damage, but more importantly for the switch out. I thought that if i switched out after killing a mon, i could potentially re-use protein to get another possible kill. I tried prioritizing speed on this mon, as i wanted it to give damage quickly, and to be able to switch into other mons quickly.

Ribombee @ Focus Sash
Ability: Shield Dust
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Bug
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Tailwind
- Sticky Web
- Toxic
- Bug Buzz
Ribombee is placed here for support. I added Tailwind and Sticky Web to try and boost my chances to attack first. Toxic again on this mon to get easy damage, i've thought of maybe adding a diffrent effect, but i belive poison just works. Bug buzz here as just an easy STAB move for damage potential. The focus sash allows always to use atleast sticky web or setup a tailwind. This build is not optimal, and i know that, but i have no idea on how to fix it.

Iron Thorns @ Air Balloon
Ability: Quark Drive
Tera Type: Rock
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpA
brave Nature
- Earthquake
- Brick Break
- Dragon Tail
- Electroweb
Iron thorns is used here just for extra safety and type coverage. I put Earthquake for easy damage as it's always just a stong move, even without STAB in this case. Brickbreak is just for type coverage as a stong fighting type move and can go through tank setup mons. Drangon tail is used here for type coverage but mainly as a way to allow for match ups that can give an eaiser time. Electroweb is a stong electric type move here.

Urshifu-Rapid-Strike
Ability: Unseen Fist
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
jolly Nature
- Surging Strikes
- Acrobatics
- Fire Punch
- Iron Defense
Urshifu is very good and is present in the meta game for a while now, but i decided to add it either way. This mon can also benefit from the speed up suports for the ribombee. Surging strikes is quite obvious in here, as it's an insanly strong water type move. Acrobatics here is not optimal, but i just want to have extra speed. Fire punch is to stop super effective pokemon from killing Urshifu instantly, even if he gets killed he can give quite powerful supereffect move. Iron Defense is here to bring up the tankinesse of this mon.

Meowscarada @ Assault Vest
Ability: Overgrow
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
hasty Nature
- Flower Trick
- Dark Pulse
- Lash Out
- Quick Attack
I put Meowscarada as a grass type for coverage. I just put on a random moveset. I don't think this does much to the team, as i don't know many good grass types that i could place here. But, the flower trick does really well. Plus this mon also allows dark type coverage, that benefited me whilst i played games with this team. quick attack is here just for priority but i don't need it.

 

[Untrue_reality]

helloooo!! :) first of all rly creative team i love meow one of fav mons ever
Anyways, so basically, your team has a bunch of issues down to the very core of it, but hey, dont stress it or get discouraged okay?

But yeah, like i said, this teams has lots of issues in the basics of it, I'll divide the issues and solutions into these sections so I'm more organized and you have a better reading of everything:

1. Basic Structure and goal of the team

2. Sets

3. Basic must haves that you're lacking

Get ready, this is gonna be a bit of a long read (i yap a lot).

1. Basic Structure and goal of the team​

Ok, so the "goal" of your team is to win thru the power of a type changing ability on greninja.
That's cool, however, the whole idea fumbles the moment you look at the structure that's supposed to allow greninja to dish out as much hits as possible.
All mons teams have 1. a goal/main way of getting to the win and 2. a structure that supports this "goal" to be achieved.
Although you do have a goal, you are in lack of a structure, hence, your team was kinda not really working well.
Personally I think you should figure this out before ever trying fix any of the other issues you have.
Down in the links at the end of the post the first one explains you some team structures.

2. Sets​

a more fitting set for your mew, keeping it's role
this set still clears hazards, but now actually has longevity with roost and knock off (you can try mystical fire too) to at least punish gholdengo somehow.


viable greninja sets
protean greninja is generally considered worse than battle bond but not unusable, you can also use a z move on it if you'd like.


the only set it uses
keep in mind ribombee is a horrible fit into not just your team but any team not specialized to using it and taking maximum advantage of it's webs, so personally this is the only mon that's actually like mandatory to replace here no matter what.


one that could fit your team better and the usual set
keep in mind that iron thorns does literally nothing tyranitar can't do wayyyyy better.


viable urshifu sets
not much to say, your shifu set was bad mostly because you were running a defense boosting move on a glass cannon (it's still frail after a boost), additionally acrobatics aren't doing anything that ice spinner or U-turn can't and fire punch, although nice to hit gholdengo, doesn't have much merit over the simply better close combat.


viable meowscarada sets
using assault vest isn't making you any bulkier, and you're lacking the infinitely better knock off dark stab, as well as the lack of protean.

3. Basic must haves you're lacking​

- Ground-type immunity: 99% of all teams need this, ground is js THAT good, and no iron thorns doesn't count because ground types can pop your baloon easily, or put you on a timer in the case of gliscor with toxic

- immediate power AKA a wallbreaker: a Pokemon that can come in and do huge damage quickly.
Items like the and work amazingly with these type of Pokemon.

- speed control
Pokemon that are supposed to outspeed most of everything in front of it, be that with priority (normally needs another speed control to pair with it), a or a Pokemon with at LEAST 130 base speed.
I'm not counting your tailwind/webs because: 1. tailwind frankly sucks in singles.
2. webs need a team dedicated for it and yours isn't, so setting them and especially making them stay up is a nigh impossible task for you, especially when you can clear your own hazards with defog mew.

- a slow pivot: not mandatory on every team, but definitely mandatory on yours because you have 3 frail offensive mons.

- a status absorber: a Pokemon that is immune or just doesn't mind staus conditions like burns or poison, examples include Gliscor after activating poison heal, clefable and Magic bounce pokemon.

With the old sets, you're also lacking these must haves:
- Knock off: All things considered, it's top 10 move in all of Pokemon, not just the good power when your opponent is holding a knockable item is amazing, but also the advantage knocking off an item gives you.

Hazards/stealth rock: Again, not counting sticky webs for previously said reasoning, but just so you have an idea, the only teams that basically NEVER uses stealth rock are, ironically, specialized sticky web teams, literally EVERY other team can, and most definitely will use stealth rocks somehow, it's the most influential Pokemon move ever and generally the best move you can ever use in singles.

Here's my take on how your team could be better, without any changes to the pokemon.
(Keep in mind this team is still bad with these changes, it just has the bare minimum now, overall this need to be rebuilt)


Links to help you to build future Natdex Teams:
This Smogon Flying Press Article does a good job at explaining you various teambuilding principles.
The Viability Rankings tells you what Pokemon are best in the current metagame.
Natdex Simples Questions and Answers
Sample Teams can let you get a generally better grip of the metagame and how teams should function.
The Role Compendium can help you find the right pokemon that does certain things most teams need while also having it's unique traits over other mons that fill the same role.
Checks and Counters if you're struggling with a specific Pokemon.
The Speed Tiers can help you find the right speed control for your team.
Good Cores that can help you getting a good early start when you make a new team.

 

[Vatntar82]

helloooo!! :) first of all rly creative team i love meow one of fav mons ever
Anyways, so basically, your team has a bunch of issues down to the very core of it, but hey, dont stress it or get discouraged okay?

But yeah, like i said, this teams has lots of issues in the basics of it, I'll divide the issues and solutions into these sections so I'm more organized and you have a better reading of everything:

1. Basic Structure and goal of the team

2. Sets

3. Basic must haves that you're lacking

Get ready, this is gonna be a bit of a long read (i yap a lot).

1. Basic Structure and goal of the team​

Ok, so the "goal" of your team is to win thru the power of a type changing ability on greninja.
That's cool, however, the whole idea fumbles the moment you look at the structure that's supposed to allow greninja to dish out as much hits as possible.
All mons teams have 1. a goal/main way of getting to the win and 2. a structure that supports this "goal" to be achieved.
Although you do have a goal, you are in lack of a structure, hence, your team was kinda not really working well.
Personally I think you should figure this out before ever trying fix any of the other issues you have.
Down in the links at the end of the post the first one explains you some team structures.

2. Sets​

a more fitting set for your mew, keeping it's role
this set still clears hazards, but now actually has longevity with roost and knock off (you can try mystical fire too) to at least punish gholdengo somehow.


viable greninja sets
protean greninja is generally considered worse than battle bond but not unusable, you can also use a z move on it if you'd like.


the only set it uses
keep in mind ribombee is a horrible fit into not just your team but any team not specialized to using it and taking maximum advantage of it's webs, so personally this is the only mon that's actually like mandatory to replace here no matter what.


one that could fit your team better and the usual set
keep in mind that iron thorns does literally nothing tyranitar can't do wayyyyy better.


viable urshifu sets
not much to say, your shifu set was bad mostly because you were running a defense boosting move on a glass cannon (it's still frail after a boost), additionally acrobatics aren't doing anything that ice spinner or U-turn can't and fire punch, although nice to hit gholdengo, doesn't have much merit over the simply better close combat.


viable meowscarada sets
using assault vest isn't making you any bulkier, and you're lacking the infinitely better knock off dark stab, as well as the lack of protean.

3. Basic must haves you're lacking​

- Ground-type immunity: 99% of all teams need this, ground is js THAT good, and no iron thorns doesn't count because ground types can pop your baloon easily, or put you on a timer in the case of gliscor with toxic

- immediate power AKA a wallbreaker: a Pokemon that can come in and do huge damage quickly.
Items like the and work amazingly with these type of Pokemon.

- speed control
Pokemon that are supposed to outspeed most of everything in front of it, be that with priority (normally needs another speed control to pair with it), a or a Pokemon with at LEAST 130 base speed.
I'm not counting your tailwind/webs because: 1. tailwind frankly sucks in singles.
2. webs need a team dedicated for it and yours isn't, so setting them and especially making them stay up is a nigh impossible task for you, especially when you can clear your own hazards with defog mew.

- a slow pivot: not mandatory on every team, but definitely mandatory on yours because you have 3 frail offensive mons.

- a status absorber: a Pokemon that is immune or just doesn't mind staus conditions like burns or poison, examples include Gliscor after activating poison heal, clefable and Magic bounce pokemon.

With the old sets, you're also lacking these must haves:
- Knock off: All things considered, it's top 10 move in all of Pokemon, not just the good power when your opponent is holding a knockable item is amazing, but also the advantage knocking off an item gives you.

Hazards/stealth rock: Again, not counting sticky webs for previously said reasoning, but just so you have an idea, the only teams that basically NEVER uses stealth rock are, ironically, specialized sticky web teams, literally EVERY other team can, and most definitely will use stealth rocks somehow, it's the most influential Pokemon move ever and generally the best move you can ever use in singles.

Here's my take on how your team could be better, without any changes to the pokemon.
(Keep in mind this team is still bad with these changes, it just has the bare minimum now, overall this need to be rebuilt)


Links to help you to build future Natdex Teams:
This Smogon Flying Press Article does a good job at explaining you various teambuilding principles.
The Viability Rankings tells you what Pokemon are best in the current metagame.
Natdex Simples Questions and Answers
Sample Teams can let you get a generally better grip of the metagame and how teams should function.
The Role Compendium can help you find the right pokemon that does certain things most teams need while also having it's unique traits over other mons that fill the same role.
Checks and Counters if you're struggling with a specific Pokemon.
The Speed Tiers can help you find the right speed control for your team.
Good Cores that can help you getting a good early start when you make a new team.

Thanks this was so useful :D . You explained this excellently.

Firstly, the goal of the team. I wanted the goal to be greninja with his moveset and stuff, like i said, but you are right that it just falls apart. As for the new goal of my team i have pretty much no idea, but i know i want to change it. I might remove greninja alltogether, because i belive he fits less and less into the main structure of the team. As what to replace him with i honeslty have no idea :(. Maybe if i find a new pokemon i could make the team more aimed to it.

Now as for the basic changes i made to the team:

The first change was TTar. Its pretty obvious to me now that TTar outshines iron treads so i decided to try using him here.
Not a robot (Tyranitar) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Superpower
- Ice punch
This Ttar could be used as slow pivot or wallbreaker (from what i read). I decided to go without stealth rock as i wanted to fill the place with a diffrent mon. The same reason could be said for the absence of earthquake.

The second change is adding a gliscor. Unlike TTar i have no clue on where to add this to my team, but i consider removing one of the offensive mons as you said they were all fraile. But i could also opt for changing ribombee. Here's the build:

Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 244 HP / 52 Def / 192 SpD / 20 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Roost
- Crabhammer
I will use this as a setup pokemon with stealth rock. I added Earthquake here for STAB ground move with good damage to alot of types. Now the inclusion of Crabhammer on this pokemon, im not completely sure if this is useful. I used it as my anti ground on this pokemon + the flying type can help with this role, again the poison heal will just make him insanly tanky not only to ground types but to any pokemon. In addition, roost makes this pokemon espacially tank and annoying to kill.

After playing a couple games, i got completely sweeped by a bunch of diffrent pokemon. And i have no idea on how to stop that from happening.

I think there is still much much more I can improve in this team. So, I hope you can give me feedback on how these changes are. Thanks again :D.

 

[Untrue_reality]

Thanks this was so useful :D . You explained this excellently.

Firstly, the goal of the team. I wanted the goal to be greninja with his moveset and stuff, like i said, but you are right that it just falls apart. As for the new goal of my team i have pretty much no idea, but i know i want to change it. I might remove greninja alltogether, because i belive he fits less and less into the main structure of the team. As what to replace him with i honeslty have no idea :(. Maybe if i find a new pokemon i could make the team more aimed to it.

Now as for the basic changes i made to the team:

The first change was TTar. Its pretty obvious to me now that TTar outshines iron treads so i decided to try using him here.
Not a robot (Tyranitar) @ Choice Band
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Superpower
- Ice punch
This Ttar could be used as slow pivot or wallbreaker (from what i read). I decided to go without stealth rock as i wanted to fill the place with a diffrent mon. The same reason could be said for the absence of earthquake.

The second change is adding a gliscor. Unlike TTar i have no clue on where to add this to my team, but i consider removing one of the offensive mons as you said they were all fraile. But i could also opt for changing ribombee. Here's the build:

Gliscor @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 244 HP / 52 Def / 192 SpD / 20 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Roost
- Crabhammer
I will use this as a setup pokemon with stealth rock. I added Earthquake here for STAB ground move with good damage to alot of types. Now the inclusion of Crabhammer on this pokemon, im not completely sure if this is useful. I used it as my anti ground on this pokemon + the flying type can help with this role, again the poison heal will just make him insanly tanky not only to ground types but to any pokemon. In addition, roost makes this pokemon espacially tank and annoying to kill.

After playing a couple games, i got completely sweeped by a bunch of diffrent pokemon. And i have no idea on how to stop that from happening.

I think there is still much much more I can improve in this team. So, I hope you can give me feedback on how these changes are. Thanks again :D.

hello again :)
I'll comment on your statement about possibly removing greninja later but first I'll just fix the sets on your new mons

https://pokepast.es/c98b1d38ee49d362
Ttar changes: I'll make the ttar a mega for the sake that, simply, it's just better than a ttar with another item, even if you have less immediate power with a mega and not a band.
Also, reminder that knock is like the best physical dark move and every physical dark type wants to use it, ttar doesn't lose anything by running it, other than that, all things considered, not a bad set! Especially move choices, spot on!!

Gliscor Changes: roost is only better than protect on swords dance facade sets, also yeah like you guessed crabhammer really doesn't do anything on gliscor at all


As for potentially abandoning greninja off your team, it's not a horrible to take since you already had another water type in urshifu-rapid-strike.
And again, dont get discouraged! Even if still a bit disfuncional, this team is improving much better than the one you first posted.
And, even though like i said this team still isn't super amazing even with the changes, the teambuilding principles you're trying to put in practice now will be much useful for your future teams!
I feel like it's definitely worth it for you to try and optimize this as much as you can without changing the pokemons much before moving to future teams.