Oct 23, 2015, 05:56 AM
Honestly I would recommend using somebody else's team and trying to ladder a bit on Pokemon Showdown. After around a 1200 rating you should start seeing people using serious teams and take a note of what their Pokemon are doing. Take a look at some of the builds we have on this site or the Smogon Strategy Dex for the format you are interested in if you're unsure of what certain Pokemon carry. For example, someone new to VGC probably wouldn't expect a Suicune to use Tailwind, which could catch you off guard.
Once you have a basic understanding of the format and the game in general, watch some videos on battles and teambuilding. The way people often build is starting with a core/Mega and patching its weaknesses. As for sets, feel free to use the ones already posted on here, that's kind of why they were posted. Then again if a different EV spread helps a Pokemon take on another Pokemon which is a particular threat to your team otherwise, feel free to change it.
Other than that, keep testing. Try new things, experiment and just have fun with it. I would recommend straying away from gimmicks, as they're often shut down incredibly easily and even though you will more than likely get caught off guard and beaten by something like Spinda Arcanine on the lower ladder because you don't know the gimmick, once you are more familiar with the format you realise how easily shut down it is.
If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. I don't consider myself an expert, or even particularly good but I'd say I'm very familiar with VGC and pretty familiar with Smogon.
Once you have a basic understanding of the format and the game in general, watch some videos on battles and teambuilding. The way people often build is starting with a core/Mega and patching its weaknesses. As for sets, feel free to use the ones already posted on here, that's kind of why they were posted. Then again if a different EV spread helps a Pokemon take on another Pokemon which is a particular threat to your team otherwise, feel free to change it.
Other than that, keep testing. Try new things, experiment and just have fun with it. I would recommend straying away from gimmicks, as they're often shut down incredibly easily and even though you will more than likely get caught off guard and beaten by something like Spinda Arcanine on the lower ladder because you don't know the gimmick, once you are more familiar with the format you realise how easily shut down it is.
If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. I don't consider myself an expert, or even particularly good but I'd say I'm very familiar with VGC and pretty familiar with Smogon.
