When you create a team, what steps do you take?

[remix01]

Depending on the team, I have different methods.

Stall teams take a long time and and a bit of commitment too actually build a successful one, what with plans to figure out how to bring down a aggressive offensive team, and to be able to cripple other stall teams, e.g. Trick Scarf Rotom-[x]. They need to find an effective way to stop CB Sally Outrages, and countering Scizors, Heatran, and Skymin., who can be stopped pretty well by a balanced tank Zapdos, if not a fully Special.

Offensive teams are complicated, I generally ask for one, test and change to suit my more conservative play.

 

[1059860]

I usually find walls and tanks first, ones that can stand the most overused, frequently seen sweepers, such as Heatran for Scizor and Suicune for Salamence, etc. and then build around that.

 

[PMEmpoleon]

- Pick the strategy
- After step 1, I pick some random Pokemon that are useful for the main strategy. (SR, Spikes, a sweeper team, etc.)
- I try to combine some of the pokemon (usually 2 or 3), and write down the type-advantages and disadvantages. Then I look for some pokemon that fit their roll (wall, support, sweeper) and are effective against the disadvanages of the main pokemon.
- Chosing a lead (probably the most difficult part of the job, because a good lead can make, or break my team)

I've tried the 4-2 balance, but I prefer the 3-3 (physical/special).
When I completed my team, I test it and apply some minor tweaks.
After the main tweaks are done, I start using it and/or breeding it on DPP.

 

[dr4g0n]

My favoured technique involves beginning with pokes that can take out the most common threats in the metagame before filling in the blanks.

In my own opinion, finding a good lead is the most difficult of all when making a team.

 

[13blue101]

most of the time i just pick 5 pokes and 1 that stealth rocks and see how they do.

 

[Captain Falcon]

i loved themed teams (rain dance, trick, BP etc.) so i usually think of a theme and then put in pokémon that fit the theme. Playtesting is very important too.

 

[Janenmori]

1. I choose types that compliment each others resistances.

2. I find specific pkmn that fit that criteria.

3. I choose from the list of pre-assemled pkmn which fit the roles of walls or tanks or attackers.

 

[Thorns]

First of all:

Just wanna say 2 things:

1) You don't need a comma before "because"

2) I'm pretty sure "Toxic" "Stealth Rock" "Choice Band" and "Choice Specs" are NOT a team type like you listed it with.

You don't have to grammar nitpick, it's still readable. Also, Sandstorm/Toxic/Stealth Rock is a type of team, one that focuses on wearing down the enemy's team, like my one below.


This isn't entirely my work, Blue Kirby helped me out as part of the tutoring program, but here we go.

This team will be focused on wearing the enemy down until they are in kill range of my fast sweepers.

1. Create a strategy, and make a lead that adapts to that strategy.
I will use Toxic Spikes and Stealth Rock to damage incoming Pokemon, and Roserade can lay them down well. Roserade also can sleep threats, counter Swampert and other bulky waters, and just generally hit hard with Sludge Bomb.

Team at Present

2. Add in a Pokemon that will destroy or block any threats to the strategy.
The most obvious counter to my strategy is Rapid Spin. A good idea would be to add in something that could block Rapid Spin, ie. a Ghost type. This Pokemon should be able to counter common spinners. I could use Gengar, but Gengar is too frail to switch in normally, so I'll use Rotom.

Team at Present

3. Add in more Pokemon that will help out with the strategy.
I'll need fast, strong Pokemon to sweep up the Pokemon hurt by Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes. They should optimally be mixed, for maximum damage. Infernape and Salamence can go mixed, and are both fast, so in they go.

Team at Present

4. Add in a tank.
It seems like a simple step, but you must take into account what your team is weak to and act accordingly. I used Gyarados here, double Intimidate with Salamence is very useful for weakening physical attackers too.

Team at Present

5. Add in any Pokemon needed to complete the strategy, or add in a Pokemon designed to take out serious threats to your team,
I still need Stealth Rock, and another defensive Pokemon couldn't hurt. Bronzong is a plain simple wall, it can use Stealth Rock and it can blow up, too, so I'll put it in.

Final Team

I've started using this method to build all of my teams, and it works pretty well. And unlike other methods, this method can be used to build any type of team at all.

 

[yeahyeahyeah]

Usually, I try to find a good Anti-Lead, and work my way around that. I write down a threat list so I can counter them, those usually make edits to standard pokemon to my favorable movesets/evs and strategy.

But uh, team making is very different among people. Not to be offensive or anything, If you want to learn to make a team by yourself, you should either learn your own way, or maybe study more about pokemon to have more understanding. I know you might just be curious, but just saying.

 

[Matthew]

Yeahyeahyeah, I'm a plenty good battler and team builder. This was a thread designed to stir conversation about how different people build teams.

>_> I swear people need to lrn2read

 

[Ninjadead]

I start with the lead and try to base the team around it. I pick a wall or two that I can switch into easily if my lead faces a likely OHKO. That I choose sweepers that can rip apart common pokes. My lead is usually versatile and fast.

 

[Objection]

I basically pick six clearly different pokemon, take the standard Smogon movesets (sometimes replacing choice items with life orb) and pick one of them as the lead. Then I test this team and lose a lot of matches, so I look at my team and ask myself what went wrong. Sometimes, there's a better move for the job than, say, Thunderpunch. Sometimes, the sweeper was too slow or the wall too frail, in which case I have to replace the faulty pokemon with one that does a better job. Sometimes, it's a case of being Nasty Plot Ninetails weak or something similar, which again often requires a change of pokemon. Eventually, I end up with a team that is really solid and difficult to change when another problem shows up.

The development of my current UU team is a perfect example.

 

[Steinhauser]

My teams are usually 6 Pokémon chosen willy-nilly from my imaginary "list of useable Pokémon" and slapped together. Synergy, strategy, balance, counters...all that shit comes later over weeks of tweaking. I find I can never make a cohesive team from the ground up, so I never even try. I just alter the team I have in response to necessity.

One thing I strive for when building a team is "countering everything." I know this approach is widely considered a folly, as no team can counter every threat. But the way I look at it, if I can get the best of every style of play (stall, offensive, setup-sweep, mixed/balanced) through tricks and surprises, everything else can be played around.

Speaking of tricks and surprises, I try to imbue all of my teams with an element of the unexpected. At best it allows me to get quick leads on unprepared teams; no matter what, it makes the game extremely fun to play.

 

[diinbong]

1)Start with theme. Ex: Sandstorm
2)Choose the main Pokemon of the team. Ex: Cradily+Hippowdon
3)Find a Pokemon who resists their weaknesses. Ex: Empoleon
4)Pick a main pair of sweepers to match the theme. Ex: Zapdos+Rhyperior
5)Pick a lead. Ex: Infernape
6)Playtest.
7)Adjust. Ex:I'm Gengar weak, so Zapdos is now Scarfed.

<---This is literaly how I got my main team and how I make most teams.
They always have theme and are never allowed to consist of all OU.

 

[SMZ]

1- Make a list of possible Pokemon I like and want to use.
Before I build any team, I think of Pokemon I like then select from them and add/remove to make it have a strategy behind it.

2- Narrow the list to possible Pokemon to apply for each role for the team.
For example if I want a rapid spinner, a physical wall and a special wall I'll choose Starmie/Tentacruel, Blissey and Gliscor/Hippowdon. Basically choose what I want and at the same time covering each others weaknesses or at least don't share many weaknesses.

3- Choose an effective lead.
This is very important for me as I often lead with an anti-lead. For example, let's say you want a Pokemon that counters Gyarados, Salamence and Infernape I'll use ScarfGross.

4- Final list of sweepers/tanks.
After second step I do another check to see if the sweepers and tanks don't share weaknesses and if they're effective together. Also, on this step I check the threat list and see if I can take care of common threats.

5- Review team strategy and troubleshoot for flaws.
This is also important as it allows me to be sure my team is solid.

6- Test on Shoddy then possibly post an RMT.
IMO every new team should be tested on Shoddy. See how much it works, if it gets you fair amount of wins and it's effective don't change it and if you'd like more opinion on it post an RMT.

 

[Fatal Edge]

Here is the basic process I go through when I make my teams:

1) Look at a few RMT threads

I usually get my ideas from other teams.

2) Revamp it to my style

This makes the team mines, sorta.

3) Compare the team to a threat list

4) Make the necessary changes while still maintaining my style.

This makes the team a lot better as a whole

5) Look at the resists and immunities

This way I know if there is a threat that I may have overlooked that can really hurt me.

6) Tweak EV's and Movesets to fit the synergy

EV's can say a lot about a teams style and moveset. So I'm not gonna give Salamence bulky EV's if I'm trying to go all out offensive. But if I was making a stall team I would give it bulky EV's and use a team supporting set.

7) Playtest and always post a rmt thread.

The system works and usually produces a solid team.

 

[Lorak]

1. Pick a Pokemon I want to draw.
2. Draw it.
3. Give it an item / a moveset I think will work on it.
4. Repeat.
5.

 

[comoesa]

Hmmm well not in any particular order, but...

Have some way to do damage.

Have a lead that does something for your team. this can be setting them up or stopping the oher setup something tat would harm your team.

Come up with a basic battle plan. Howwill you use your team to win:sweeping, stalling etc. this can get really interesting.

Have a general idea of what you will be facing.


That's it.

 

[DR809]

Usaully I'll just pick a good lead one that someone bearly sees.
Pick two sweepers that complement each other.
Add some 2 walls usually at least one that can set up.
And the last poke will be a gimicky poke or something someone wouldnt expect.
Test it out.
Fix any problems
Rinse wash and repeat.

 

[Stathakis]

7) Playtest and always post a rmt thread.

uhh no please. don't post a thread if you aren't either retiring a team or in huge need of help that you cannot get via pm request, talking to friends, etc. it's a waste of your time and our time, you show your team to the public so if they battle you they may or may not have an idea of what you use, and the forum gets cluttered up, while other threads that really are in need of help get moved to the second page.

jeesh, I just noticed the amount of teams you've posted, lay off it will ya?

 

[Ash Borer]

Most of the time i do that kind of thing, but occasionally i build around a certain sweeper. Usually a fast stat upper. Like syclant, or something like infernape.


Build around its weaknesses, set up some rocks/spikes, spin, put counters to sleep and get rid of obvious counters. Like tentacruel.

 

[xBLUEx]

First and foremost is fairness. I like having no more than 2 (maybe 3) OU on my team. I know that standard battles consist of all OU, but I want to and like having a fair and different team (makes it hard to win as well if your looking for difficulty). I must have a Physical and Special sweeper, Defense and Special Defense tank, status inflictor and a mixed pokemon. I chose 2 pokemon that were UU and BL first to set up the team. From there I base the types on what I need and how they will conincide with the first 2. After I'm done, I test out my team and see what needs to be adjusted. It took me about at least 10 pokemon and 5 months to get my final team right.

 

[stormtrooper]

decide if im going for an offensive or defensive team then
slap 6 pokemon together and then test it to see what needs to be changed or try to actually have a team build around one pokemon sweeping but that usaully doesnt work to well for me at least.

 

[Stathakis]

First and foremost is fairness. I like having no more than 2 (maybe 3) OU on my team. I know that standard battles consist of all OU, but I want to and like having a fair and different team (makes it hard to win as well if your looking for difficulty). I must have a Physical and Special sweeper, Defense and Special Defense tank, status inflictor and a mixed pokemon. I chose 2 pokemon that were UU and BL first to set up the team. From there I base the types on what I need and how they will conincide with the first 2. After I'm done, I test out my team and see what needs to be adjusted. It took me about at least 10 pokemon and 5 months to get my final team right.

jesus enough of this "i use uu therefore I am cool" bullshit, it's really annoying.

if you use uu because they fit your team, great, no need to go parading them about. nobody gives a shit whether you make sure to not use bog standard mons on your team.

 

[happyeskimo]

Forget what everyone has told you in this thread and focus on what i am about to say.

When making a team it is important....nay essential to include something that is capable of OHKOing a max hp minimum defense Sunflora. If you choose to ignore this then you are paving the way for an almost inevitable Sunflora sweep.

May I suggest a choice scarf Blissey with Ice beam.

Now centre your team around other ways to defeat Sunflora. Rain dancers are a neccessity in the current metagame as to prevent sunflora gaining even more deadly potential under a sunny day team. Ever wonder why Kyogre is so popular in ubers? thats right it is only used to get out the rain to stop sunflora wrecking havoc on all in its path.

I hope this helps

Rain dance Kingdra is good againsnt sunflora as it can set up the rain and not be super effectively hit by sunfloras viscous grass attacks.