[RATE MY TEAM] My first competitive VGC 15 team :)

[TheNukeGamer]

Hey guys, I´m currently building my first competitive, VGC 15 legal, team (trying to avoid using all the OP stuff everyone uses) and would like to get some opinions on it.
I´m testing it on pokemon showdown at the moment and it works as intended, more or less.

So what I wanted to do was to build a trickroom-team but still give myself the option do play non-trickroom with the other 2 pokes left.
This is the current result:


My Team:


Mega-Altaria @ Altarianite
Ability: Pixilate
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 196 SpA / 60 Spe
Modest Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Heat Wave
- Draco Meteor
- Ice Beam

My all-out non-trickroom special attacker, with Pixilate Hyper Voice and Draco Meteor as strong STABs and Ice Beam and Heat Wave for coverage.
I got the EV spread from Smogon because their explanation sounded quiet good to me,
´252 HP EVs allow Altaria to survive max Special Attack Mega Charizard Y's Overheat in sun, as well as max Attack Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Salamence's Double-Edge. 60 Speed EVs under Tailwind are enough for Mega Altaria to outspeed Choice Scarf Adamant Landorus-T and all other Pokemon under 215 Speed, with Mega Altaria only being outsped by +1 Sharpedo, and positive-natured Mega Alakazam, Mega Sceptile, and Mega Aerodactyl. The rest of the EVs are put into Special Attack to allow Altaria to hit as hard as possible, OHKOing threats such as Mega Salamence and Bisharp.´



Togekiss @ Lum Berry
Ability: Serene Grace
Level: 50
EVs: 248 HP / 192 Def / 68 SpD
Calm Nature
- Tailwind
- Follow Me
- Roost
- Air Slash

Togekiss provides the Tailwind for Mega-Altaria, as well as some sort of protection for the whole team due to its bulk and the combination of Follow Me and Roost, the last slot is Air Slash with its 60% flinch chance thanks to Serene Grace.
For the item I chose Lum berry to avoid being crippled by paralysis or getting chipped away by burn or poison, at least for once.



Mega-Camerupt @ Cameruptite
Ability: Sheer Force
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
- Flash Cannon
- Earth Power
- Heat Wave
- Protect

This is where the actual trick-room team starts.
Mega-Camerupt with a quiet nature to be as slow as possible for trickroom and max special attack and HP to hit like a truck while still managing to take some non-water-type hits quite well.



Conkeldurr @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
Level: 50
EVs: 96 HP / 252 Atk / 68 Def / 80 SpD / 12 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Mach Punch
- Ice Punch
- Hammer Arm
- Rock Slide

My physical trickroom and non-trickroom attacker. He has an amazing physical attack stat which is boosted even more by life orb, and sheer force boosting at least Ice Punch and Rock Slide even further while also negating the life orb damage on these moves.
For the EV spread I went with 252 on Atk for maximum damage output especially in trickroom, the other EVs are splitted almost evenly between HP,Def and SpD for some bulk. 12 EVs in speed to outspeed other trickroom conkeldurr that run adamant instead of brave and because they didnt do to much in the Def slot anyways (did some calculations on my own there I think).
The main problem though is his speed when out of trickroom. Even with tailwind up his speed is only about 100, which isnt too much.



Machamp @ Roseli Berry
Ability: Guts
Level: 50
EVs: 172 HP / 148 Def / 188 SpD
Careful Nature
- Quick Guard
- Earthquake
- Helping Hand
- Knock Off

My defensive Machamp with Quick guard to protect itself and Conkeldurr form Gale Wings Brave Birds from Talonflame and moves with prankster priority.
Helping Hand instead of a STAB move because helping hand has become quite a thing in VGC at the moment and because I had it on Musharna before I switched out for
reflect and didnt want to miss it, since its boost can really make the difference between win and lose sometimes.
The other two moves are Knock off for coverage against psychic and ghost types and EQ because I was missing out on it on my team and I feel it is still one of the strongest moves out there, plus it has great synergy with Musharna´s Gravity-Telepathy combination.
The item is Roseli Berry which lowers the power of fairy type attacks which are super effective against Machamp and because the spread is calculated for Machamp to survive a choice specs Sylvion or Mega Gardeviors Pixilate Hyper Voice and thus also most other Fairy attacks that could surprise me or that I might have to tank for Conkeldurr.



Musharna @ Mental Herb
Ability: Telepathy
Level: 50
EVs: 240 HP / 112 Def / 156 SpD
Relaxed Nature
- Gravity
- Healing Wish
- Trick Room
- Reflect

My trickroom setter and full support with no offensive move at all which is why I chose Mental Herb to not get countered by a single Taunt completely.
Relaxed nature to be faster in trickroom.
The EV spread was calculated by myself giving Musharna some massive bulk (calculations are included a bit further down).
For moves i go with
- trickroom, obviously,
- Gravity to possibly catch some opponents off guard and deal some good damage with an unexpected earthpower or earthquake hit while not taking EQ damage myself thanks to telepathy
- Healing wish to bring some almost defeated mon back into play and for some surprising element aswell (doesnt work out all to often, but when it does it can win you games with ease)
- and Reflect to cover my teams overall weaker physical defense (Musharna and Togekiss are more specially than physical defensive) and the missing intimidate


Defensive calculations (quite a lot, I do not expect you to read ´em all, but I did them anyways; the calculations are for the most common threads in the current meta game and thier strongest attacks against Musharna):

· +1 252+ Atk Life Orb Bisharp Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 240 HP / 112+ Def Musharna: 320-377 (144.7 - 170.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
· 252+ SpA Aegislash-Blade Shadow Ball vs. 240 HP / 156 SpD Musharna: 150-176 (67.8 - 79.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
· 252 SpA Life Orb Hydreigon Dark Pulse vs. 240 HP / 156 SpD Musharna: 156-187 (70.5 - 84.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
· 252 SpA Gengar Shadow Ball vs. 240 HP / 156 SpD Musharna: 122-146 (55.2 - 66%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
· 252+ Atk Life Orb Tyranitar Crunch vs. 240 HP / 112+ Def Musharna: 187-221 (84.6 - 100%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
· 252+ SpA Life Orb Tyranitar Dark Pulse vs. 240 HP / 156 SpD Musharna: 140-166 (63.3 - 75.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after sandstorm damage and Leftovers recovery
· 252+ Atk Landorus-T U-turn vs. 240 HP / 112+ Def Musharna: 90-106 (40.7 - 47.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
· 224 Atk Scrafty Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 240 HP / 112+ Def Musharna: 116-140 (52.4 - 63.3%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
· 252+ Atk Life Orb Conkeldurr Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 240 HP / 112+ Def Musharna: 156-185 (70.5 - 83.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
· 252 SpA Life Orb Greninja Dark Pulse vs. 240 HP / 156 SpD Musharna: 135-164 (61 - 74.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
· 252 Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Return vs. 240 HP / 112+ Def Musharna: 118-141 (53.3 - 63.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
· 180+ Atk Huge Power Mega Mawile Play Rough vs. 240 HP / 112+ Def Musharna: 127-150 (57.4 - 67.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
· 252 SpA Pixilate Mega Gardevoir Hyper Voice vs. 240 HP / 156 SpD Musharna: 79-94 (35.7 - 42.5%) -- 95.6% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
· 252+ SpA Choice Specs Sylveon Shadow Ball vs. 240 HP / 156 SpD Musharna: 120-142 (54.2 - 64.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
· 252 Atk Tough Claws Mega Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 240 HP / 112+ Def Musharna: 103-123 (46.6 - 55.6%) -- 18.4% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
· 252 Atk Mega Gallade Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 240 HP / 112+ Def Musharna: 124-146 (56.1 - 66%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
· 252+ Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 240 HP / 112+ Def Musharna: 147-174 (66.5 - 78.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
· 252 Atk Life Orb Garchomp Dragon Claw vs. 240 HP / 112+ Def Musharna: 83-99 (37.5 - 44.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
· 252+ SpA Heatran Heat Wave vs. 240 HP / 156 SpD Musharna: 58-70 (26.2 - 31.6%) -- 36.9% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery
· 252 SpA Mega Charizard Y Heat Wave vs. 240 HP / 156 SpD Musharna in Sun: 94-112 (42.5 - 50.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
· 252+ Atk Huge Power Azumarill Play Rough vs. 240 HP / 112+ Def Musharna: 88-105 (39.8 - 47.5%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery


So that are my thaughts on this team, I really appreciate any of your thaughts on this, any constructive critics or suggestions for improvement, any mistakes that you see in my thaught-process or whatever comes to your mind reading it. If there are any questions ask, I try to answer as soon as I can.

Thanks in advance, TheNukeGamer!

[Jasiel Nabi]

I really like your team and even though I'm new to VGC building teams, i can at least give my thoughts about it. You have 2 fighting types that while its ok to have them flying types with brave birds can be a serious threat. Also i recommend using some pages like nugget bridge for information and some times testing the team also recommend the team magma page team builder which can be found on http://www.teammagma.net/teambuilder/. I really hope i can put links here..... but basically what it does is that you input the whole team and it tells you what you are weak too and what you are strong against while also telling you a type coverage of your team. Really hope it helps!! and good luck with the team.

[DanielJames]

I feel like you have to go all or nothing when running a Trick Room team. Tailwind Togekiss completely conflicts with your Trick Room theme. I see what you're going for and I like the fact that it's not a typical team build, but I feel like you're wasting two party slots but using Togekiss and Mega Altaria. A Prankster Taunt user like Whimsicott or Tundurus would be good, as it can shut down other Taunt users that could shut down your Musharna from using Trick Room. Also, I might look into a second Trick Room user in case Musharna goes down. Just some suggestions!

[Marcusube]

To start it off, you have a huge amount of weaknesses. 2 Flying, 2 Poison, 1 Ghost, 2 Steel, a x4 weakness to Water, 2 Psychic, 2 Ice and 3 Fairy. This team has to be scrapped because ALL of these attack types are VERY COMMON in VGC 2015.

If you want to do a Trick Room team, you have to commit all 6 of your Pokemon to it. When cases come up where you need a specific Pokemon that isn't in the Trick Room strategy to turn the game around, you risk putting your entire team in a position where the Trick Room doesn't get set up and everything that can't out-bulk enough attacks get destroyed.

If you are going to make a Trick Room team, you should invest into at least 2 trick room setters. Good Trick Room Pokemon are Slowbro, Slowking, Aromatisse, Porygon2 and Cresselia.

Always run natures that reduce speed when doing Trick Room and go for 0 speed IVs all the time.

Having two Mega Evolutions on your team may result in a situation where you have to use both Pokemon at the same time but you have to sacrifice an item which makes fainting the non-Mega Pokemon even easier.

Your Mega Altaria is hyper offensive indeed, however, not running Protect on one of the cores of your team may cost you a game. Take out Draco Meteor since Hyper Voice gets STAB and hits hard enough and if the Hyper Voice doesn't cut it, the Ice Beam surely will.

Togekiss is good but why not Leftovers? Other than the unavoidable Prankster Thunder Wave, no other status really threatens it.

Assault Vest Guts/Iron Fist Conkeldurr is the way to go. Just like singles, even the slightest amount of hax from the secondary effects of moves can win you a game. Also Drain Punch over Hammer Arm for more sustain.

Ditch EQ on Machamp for either Drain Punch or Close Combat. Always try to avoid moves that damage your team mates unless it is a part of a strategy. I know that the Gravity/Telepathy combination sounds great but since Musharna sets up Trick Room, it will die in the space of 1-3 turns.

Musharna's moveset is all over the place. What is this team? A Trick Room team or a Gravity team? Ditch Healing Wish for Protect/Psychic and Reflect for Yawn/Moonlight. If Musharna is the only thing setting up Trick Room then it needs to stick around long enough to possible even do it again after the 5 turns are over.

This team gets a 4.3/10. Too many weaknesses, too many conflict with move sets, type match ups and team synergy and too much emphasis on offense and not much on defense/support/pivoting.

[TheNukeGamer]

Thanks to everyone replying, I clearly have a lot of work to do now. But since this is the first time team building for me I think its not too surprising.
I will go back to my drawingboard now and see what I can do with all these tips in mind.
So thanks again to everyone who took the time to look over my team by now!