Hey everyone, I am just getting my feet wet in competitive play and need feedback on this team that I made. I'm a complete noob at teambuilding so keep that in mind.
I also decided to build a team out of pokemon not commonly seem in competitive play. With over 700 pokemon to choose from I figure there are a lot not given a second look and I feel sad for them.
I also got a lot of help building my team by going to forums such as Pokemon Database, so thank you to those who post movesets for people like me. That said here is the team I built.
Furfrou is there to be a pain in the butt. With Fur Coat and Cotton Guard, Furfrou becomes a very tanky support.
Thunder Wave to throw out some paralysis and Protect for those attacks that also hit party members.
Return is there in case damage is needed to get rid of a hurt pokemon.
Gastrodon @ Leftovers
Ability: Storm Drain
EVs: 144 HP / 108 Def / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Surf
- Earth Power
- Recover
- Ice Beam
Gastrodon is like Swampert only cooler. His ability Storm Drain allows him to redirect water attacks to him and increase his special attack. He is also immune to water attacks.
Because of his similarities to Swampert a lot of the moves are the same, except he can learn Recover which can keep him longer in the game and deal out more damage.
Skuntank @ Black Sludge
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Toxic
- Crunch
- Rock Smash
- Poison Jab
This bulky physical attacker also has the extra bonus of being able to poison his enemies. His item Black Sludge means he can restore some of his health at the end of each turn.
Aftermath can deal some extra damage even after Skuntank is knocked-out so long as the KO was made with a contact move.
Braviary @ Sky Plate
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Rock Slide
- Brave Bird
- Crush Claw
- Tailwind
The all-American pokemon. Like most flying type pokemon he has Brave Bird. But he also has some support with Tailwind and can attack other flying types with Rock Slide. Rock Slide and Crush Claw also go well with his ability Sheer Force which boosts attacks with secondary effects by 1.3x damage and nullifies the effect.
I know, I know. Arcanine is the better version of Pyroar, but Arcanine doesn't have Unnerve, which prevents pokemon from eating berries, popular in double battles. If you are able to keep a pokemon from healing himself, you might have enough time to faint him. Will-O-Wisp goes without saying as does Flamethrower. Dark Pulse can sometimes flinch and Hyper Voice attacks both opposing pokemon.
Meganium is another all support pokemon able to put up shields and help cure the party's status conditions with Aromatherapy. The only real attack is Leech Seed which is basically just to chip away at the opponent's health.
That's it. Thanks for looking at my team and leaving your suggestions. I really appreciate it!
Feb 22, 2015, 06:59 AM (This post was last modified: Feb 22, 2015, 06:59 AM by GiMYz.)
These are really new faces for me in VGC scene (except for Gastrodon of course). I'll tell you my sincere opinion of this team: it's bad. There are many reasons for why i'm saying that, but i'll just focus on the most important thing: you are not using a Mega Evolution.
VGC requires much more effort to build a solid team. Your team seems a Singles team because you have just thrown a bunch of pokemon with different types just to have an overall typing coverage. In addiction to this, 252/252 spreads in many cases is not the best option.
My suggestion is to choose a Mega evolution and then post here, so that we can help you in building a team around that pokemon. From the moment you choose your Mega, please share with us any idea you have that can fit well with it
As for a mega, I'm not particularly partial to any of them. The only megas I kinda like are Manectric, which I heard is a pretty poor mega, and Pidgeot, which may not be too useful. Other than that, none of the megas are interesting to me.
I do rather like these pokemon and would rather put a mega that matches with one or a couple of them instead of the other way around.
Furfrou - She is my favorite. If I could only pick one pokemon she would be it.
Emolga - Love this flying electric squirrel, not sure on her usefulness.
Gastrodon - Just look at him.
Aurorus - I know she is very weak, but I love her.
Luxray - Electric lion way cooler than Pyroar.
Braviary - Love this all-American pokemon.
Other pokemon that are used frequently in doubles that I like are Arcanine, Gyrados, and Milotic.
Sorry if this isn't very useful, but you like what you like.
All these movesets are very singles oriented. I will disagree with the notion that the Pokemon you chose are not viable, however, you can't just throw 6 Pokemon together and call it a team. A team supports its members in every way possible.
The 252/252 EV spreads can work in VGC but you can't run these kind of spreads on all your Pokemon, especially the core of your team(which by the way needs to be developed because none of these Pokemon hit hard enough or out bulk enough hits to win a game. I know you want to use Pokemon that aren't seen as much on the VGC scene but you just can't use Pokemon with mediocre stats.
Now to break down the team.
Furfrou is an amazing Physically Defensive wall. I share the same thoughts on the Pokemon because I made a build on it on the forums. Furfrou is best suited for support. That being said, you can't be using set up Moves such as Cotton Guard on it. I would criticize this build but I think its best to show you want I developed and try to compare it with yours
Gastrodon is pretty great in VGC however I have a few pointers:
If it is a Tank, run Protect so you can get more Leftovers recovery and evade attacks.
Running Surf is suicidal. Don't hurt your team mates with spread moves. Muddy Water would be a better selection.
Since you want to make sure that your Pokemon don't get out-sped by common threats, Icy Wind would be preferred over Ice Beam.
Running 252 SpAtk EVs is unnecessary. You aren't going to one shot anything with a fully investment so just use a nature to boost the stat then place EVs into bulk
Skuntank is a mediocre offensive Pokemon. It is not bulky by any means, it just has a very high HP base stat. Skuntank is in a speed tier that gets out-sped by a lot of threats such as Garchomp, Landorus-T, Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Salamence so running max speed is unnecessary. I wouldn't even say invest into bulk. Scrap this Pokemon, it is going to disappoint you in battle with its limited movepool and lack of speed and bulk. DO NOT RUN ROCK SMASH!
Defiant Braviary is the only way it can be viable in VGC. With all the Intimidate teams and teams that bring speed control in the form of Icy Wind, Braviary's ability would shine, making it a deadly force to be reckoned with. You are going to need to put in some speed EV investments to get the most out of Tailwind. This is not a Pokemon you should be 252/252 EVing. Max its attack out then work in some speed along with a little bulk. Take out Crush Claw for Facade/Return and you should be good to go, however, you are going to need to work in a spot for Protect in this move set.
Pyroar is great but Life Orb it for more damage. Also Heat Wave over Flamethrower for a better widespread attack.
Meganium is good and all but the dual screen set up is risky especially with Pokemon that can take out Meganium before it sets up.
All the suggestions are just based on the Pokemon individually. This cannot be a team. Too many flaws, lack of stratergy, non-viable move sets and the list goes on.
To familiarize yourself with VGC please check out:
Also check out the Pokemon Global link Rating Battles section in the Doubles category to see the top threats in VGC and what people run in their movesets.
Keep up the dream of using Pokemon that are not common in VGC. I wish you all the best. Please remember that you have to consider other peoples strategies while focusing primarily on your own. Don't rush into it, take time and research and you will exceed. Avoid using Pokemon Database for movesets. Either take ideas from the Pokemon Global Link or develop your own. Avoid 252/252/4 EV spreads. EV your Pokemon based on your strategy, what they need to survive and what they need to faint.
Here is a Pokemon Calculator you can use to determine how much damage your attacks are doing and how much damage you are taking. This is the way to develop solid EV spreads.
Have fun getting into the competitive meta game and feel free to ask questions here and we, the forum community, will get to them with haste
I kinda hate to tell you, but this time really isn't good. The others hit most of the main points already, and while I don't play a lot of VGC, I'm fairly knowledgeable in it, so I can add a little bit, I guess. Your EV spreads are pretty bad. Good VGC players tend to EV their pokemon to survive certain hits, i.e. Putting Sp.Def EV's into a Rotom-Wash to survive a Solarbeam from Charizard-Y.
Second, VGC really isn't about picking Pokemon you like. This team looks more like a UU Singles team. Except for Pyroar back in 2014, I haven't really seen any of those Pokemon you have being used in VGC. But still, Pyroar is pretty outclassed now. You said you like Arcanine; I suggest you replace pyroar with a support oriented Arcanine. As for Braviary, it's not bad, just be careful with it. Meganium is not that great, and it's slow, so you won't get your screens up fast enough. Gastrodon is pretty good, can't knock it, but maybe you can replace it with Milotic. Both are bulky water types and are somewhat similar. Skunktank, I really can't recommend. He's just not that great. Now Furfrou, I know he's your favorite, and yes, he can be an amazing physical tank with cotton guard and his ability fur coat, but it's just not that great.
Now on to Megas. First, Mega Manectric is good, just not the best Mega. You may say you're not interested in the other Megas, but Megas such as M-Kangaskhan, M-Mawile, M-Salamence, M-Charizard Y (sometimes X but less often), M-Gyarados, M-Slowbro, M-Camerupt, and my personal favorite, Mega Lucario, are all very powerful and all very viable, and I cannot stress how helpful it is to at least have a mega on your team. Most VGC Worlds games you see will have both players taking a Mega in, unless the opponents team outs them in a disadvantageous situation. You said you like Gyarados, so maybe go with Mega Gyarados. That thing can tear through the competition if you use it well. Sejun Park used it quite well, so maybe watch some of his matches.
So yeah, this team right now is bad, but Pokemon is all about making innovative new strategies, so let's make this work.
Furfrou is definitely not bad, it's a really bulky Pokemon physically, and 90 Sp.Def is respectable. It could fit well on the team. Krystle just needs to tell us what they want from the rest of the team.
Hey guys, sorry for taking so long. I've been working around my apartment this weekend.
I'm glad there is some love out there for Furfrou and glad that it can maybe work on a team.
As for a direction on the team, I'm not too sure.
I do know that I would rather like to keep away from Mega Kangaskhan and Garchomp if possible. I know it's stupid, but I don't like playing pokemon with pokemon I don't like, and I don't like those two. But if one or both are needed I'll deal with it.
That's also my problem with picking a mega, none of them interest me so picking one to base a team around is difficult.
The best bet to force me to pick one is to say, "Here are like 3-4 that will work best with Furfrou in starting a team. Pick one and move on dummy!"
With that I would like to apologize now for being so difficult. You guys are awesome for taking time out to help a newbie like me and I would like to give back in some way.
I'm not good at competitive battling, but I am good at cross stitch and will be willing to make anyone who helps me a free sprite cross stitch of the pokemon of their choice. This one I made for a friend.
Feb 22, 2015, 07:09 PM (This post was last modified: Feb 22, 2015, 07:09 PM by GiMYz.)
(Feb 22, 2015, 06:46 PM)krystleplaysstuff Wrote: That's also my problem with picking a mega, none of them interest me so picking one to base a team around is difficult.
There has to be something you like! For example, Furfrou is weak to Fighting. These are the viable megas that can work with Furfrou:
Mega Venusaur (resistant to Fighting x1/2)
Mega Charizard Y (resistant to Fighting x1/2, but it would need a lot of support, i don't know if you would like it)
Mega Gardevoir (resistant to Fighting x1/4, hits with Pixiliate Hyper Voice x2)
Mega Salamence (resistant to Fighting x1/2, hits with Aerilate Hyper Voice/Return/Double-Edge x2 - also in this case it needs a lot of support)
Mega Latios (resistant to Fighting x1/2, hits with Psyshock/Psychic x2)
Mega Gallade (resistant to Fighting x1/2, hits with Psycho Cut x2)
Feb 22, 2015, 08:05 PM (This post was last modified: Feb 23, 2015, 07:35 AM by krystleplaysstuff.)
@naitre I'm cool with Sylveon and although I've never seen Virizion before I think it's cool too. I didn't play Black and White hence why I never seen it. Not the biggest fan of Mawile, but I'm willing to use it. Also I like Arcanine and Milotic like I said before.
@GMX I kinda like the mega Gardevoir and Mega Gallade.
I think first of all, this should be sad: Sadly not every pokemon in VGC is viable, and it sucks because there are so many cool looking pokemon out there that are out classed on the field. I recommend one day trying out Smogon singles if you want to eventually play with all pokemon. It's cut in tiers so pokemon that aren't that good, go up against other pokemon that aren't that good: So it's always a even playing field and it helps them seem much more useful. That being said, let's work on your team:
How does a team of: Arcanine, Milotic, Virizion, Sylveon, Furfrou and Mega Gallade sound?
With these 6 we maintain great bulk and still have offensive pressure on all of our mons, excluding M-Gallade thats somewhat frail: But makes up for it in raw power and speed.
Milotic @ Assault Vest
Ability: Competitive
EVs: 252 HP / 216 Def / 36 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Icy Wind
- Dragon Tail
This is my favorite Milotic set. With this you keep great bulk, while having decent SPA. However if you get the competitive boost, it does wonders. Competitive is like the opposite of Bisharps defiant. Instead of raising the attack 2 stages, it raises Milotics special attack by 2 stages. Scald is STAB + being a great move, ice beam is great coverage, icy wind for speed control, and dragon tail to switch out an opposing threat/maybe get the enemies intimidate user on the field.
Virizion @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Justified
EVs: 180 HP / 252 Atk / 68 Def / 8 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Leaf Blade
- Zen Headbutt/Sacred Sword
- Stone Edge
For Virizion, I think this set would work best for you. Being able to outspeed so many things in the meta while having great offensive force. Close Combat/Leaf Blade are STAB and great moves. The 3rd is up to you, but I'd say put Sacred sword since we have m-gallade. Finally Stone edge is to hit things like Thundurus/Zapdos/etc
Arcanine @ Choice Band or Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 110 HP + 152 ATK + 248 SPE
Wild Charge or Close Combat
Extreme Speed
Flare Blitz
Morning Sun or Crunch
I think an offensive Arcanine would work best on your team as well. We already have so much bulk, especially on Furfrou. So this would be a nice surprise to players who only see Arcanine as a stall user. The moves are generally up to you, as is the item.
Sylveon is a monster and always does great work. Use it, it's like a staple on every team I make. Go in, click hyper voice, and watch things get KO'd. hidden power ground is for heatran who is a common threat. shadow ball for coverage, hyper beam to blow something up if needed.
I recommend using the furfrou build Naitre posted on the first page.
As for Mega Gallade:
Gallade-Mega (M) @ Galladite
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Protect
- Close Combat
- Psycho Cut
- Ice Punch
This is the basic set for him currently and it works very well, this is also the set justin used to win his own tournament. Protect is to cover you as you m-evolve, while cc/psycho cut are stab. ice punch is for dragons/lando
This team definitely isn't bad and could be a real threat if you mess around with it and learn it all to the core.
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