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Competitive Team Questions (and Incomplete Team Help)

Call me Gamma

Dusty Old Trainer
55
Posts
10
Years
  • Age 37
  • Seen Aug 3, 2017
I'm working on my first real competitive team for doubles matches and need some serious help. I've never played competitively and though I have a grasp of EVs and natures, I can't seem to find synergy in the team I've put together. Ill accept any suggestions you might have with a completely open mind. I'm not expecting perfection, just better cohesion.

Here is what I have. I'm holding off on EV training and such until I can get it right. I've tried the set on pokemon showdown with my Krookodile and Tornadus-T in tow but I can't seem to find the right balance and I have no way to stop weather teams as of yet.

Thunderus-T (planning on building him for special Atk and Spd.)
Landorus-T (I'm thinking about going the bulky route with landorus)
Rotom-W (hydro pump and volt switch are my intended staples for the washing machine)
Heatran (bulk and special attack seem to be the best option here)

I'm not sure of the last two members especially since I just dropped Tornadus-T from the list. However, the tournament rules for the June international say we will only be using four of six pokes anyway.
 

PlatinumDude

Nyeh?
12,964
Posts
13
Years
Anyone have ideas who can go well with a Stalling chansey shuckle team?

Tbh, Shuckle isn't that good. Its typing sucks and its low HP offsets its high defenses.

Anyway, if you're aiming for a stall team, Whimsicott is a good candidate to include:
-Encore
-Leech Seed
-Substitute/U-turn
-Stun Spore/Taunt
Nature: Bold/Impish
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 SDef
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
 

WingedDragon

Competitive Trainer
1,288
Posts
11
Years
Tbh, Shuckle isn't that good. Its typing sucks and its low HP offsets its high defenses.

Anyway, if you're aiming for a stall team, Whimsicott is a good candidate to include:
-Encore
-Leech Seed
-Substitute/U-turn
-Stun Spore/Taunt
Nature: Bold/Impish
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 SDef
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Prankster

I was mainly using shuckle for its guard swap to chansey. I was thinking of Whimsicott with TR or a TR set.
 

PlatinumDude

Nyeh?
12,964
Posts
13
Years
I was mainly using shuckle for its guard swap to chansey. I was thinking of Whimsicott with TR or a TR set.

Remember that in a VGC environment, the pace is a lot more faster compared to singles, so there's no time to stall and you're better off with bulky attackers, fast attackers and/or bulky supporters (and by bulky supporters, I mean those with Helping Hand, Reflect, Light Screen, Follow Me, etc.).
 

WingedDragon

Competitive Trainer
1,288
Posts
11
Years
Remember that in a VGC environment, the pace is a lot more faster compared to singles, so there's no time to stall and you're better off with bulky attackers, fast attackers and/or bulky supporters (and by bulky supporters, I mean those with Helping Hand, Reflect, Light Screen, Follow Me, etc.).

Such as a togekiss right?

What are your thoughts on a Psych up team? I would have chansey max out on minimize then have someone like Alakazam or starmie to use psych up to copy that stat. Tried on Terrakion but things still seem to hit him
 

WingedDragon

Competitive Trainer
1,288
Posts
11
Years
DK where to start

I dont know where to start anymore. I tried a tailwind team but they cant hit hard enough and dont take hits well. trying a stall and grind cant get my evasion right. I just dk what to do anymore. i am tired of losing
 

Griffinbane

I hate Smeargle.
1,293
Posts
16
Years
First of all, doubles or singles? If it's doubles, I can show you my old rain team and let you try playing with that. It's not 100% but it's built alright. Can't help you much with singles.

General advice: Get used to playing with and against different pokemon. Get an idea, at least, of their strengths and weaknesses. Decide on what sort of team you want to build. There's a lot of different teams out there that utilizes different strategies. One pokemon carelessly added in can wreck with your team's synergy.
 

Adrian!

Urban Adventurer
18
Posts
11
Years
Help with an Arcanine?

Hey guys, I'm breeding a Growlithe right now and saved before receiving the current egg. The nature is set to adamant with the Intimidate ability. I want to raise it to be a physical attacker with Flare Blitz, Close Combat, and Extreme Speed. I'm planning on just doing 252 EV's for speed and attack, and then 4 EV's for HP.

Now my question is about IV's: I'm either soft resetting for max IV's in attack OR speed, and right now just landed on 31 speed IV's. Should I keep it as is, or should I reset for one with max attack IV's instead? Which would be more useful with the build I have planned? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

HaiImNate

Ice Cream
209
Posts
11
Years
  • Seen Jul 27, 2013
Amateur question, but is it possible that you could get max IVs in both speed and attack? It seems like you have a good build already for a physical attacker. Those extra speed IVs will give it the edge imo. Also, give him/her wild charge attack as well if you can.
 

HaiImNate

Ice Cream
209
Posts
11
Years
  • Seen Jul 27, 2013
It's okay man, keep trying. I didn't know what I was doing starting off and lost in everything from wifi to online simulator play. The key to getting better is to try different teams and to get used to teams that you are good with. Learn the metagame- that is key. Learn good matchups. Find a niche. Are you an offensive player or are you better on the defensive end. If you're offensive, go for an offensive full attack team. If defensive, go more for a stall team. Personally, I do better with stall teams but I really like offensive teams as well.

Use smogon or this site to try to find a good team. Then experiment, switch out Pokemon in that team. Here's a pretty good tailwind team:

Spoiler:


If you don't have an online simulator like Pokemon Online or Pokemon Showdown I suggest you get one. These two programs have really helped me out with competitive battling.
 

Adrian!

Urban Adventurer
18
Posts
11
Years
Amateur question, but is it possible that you could get max IVs in both speed and attack? It seems like you have a good build already for a physical attacker. Those extra speed IVs will give it the edge imo. Also, give him/her wild charge attack as well if you can.

Thanks for the advice, Nate. I was hoping not to have to reset until I get max IV's in both, so that's why I was asking which one seems a little more logical. But by charge attack, do you mean something like Giga Impact?
 

Miau

If I fits...
812
Posts
11
Years
  • Age 33
  • Seen Oct 31, 2022
I'm guessing he meant Wild Charge.

Also, I don't know if you're already using parents with high IVs in the stats you want to increase the chances of passing down those IVs, but if you aren't, I have a couple of Growlithe males with 31 Speed IV (and 31 Sp. Atk) and a female with 30 Attack IV, if you need any help to breed one with higher IVs.
 

PlatinumDude

Nyeh?
12,964
Posts
13
Years
I'd prioritize Arcanine having good IVs in Attack and Speed (31 is ideal for Speed, but anything between 20-31 is okay for me. The same goes for Attack)
 

HaiImNate

Ice Cream
209
Posts
11
Years
  • Seen Jul 27, 2013
I'm guessing he meant Wild Charge.

Also, I don't know if you're already using parents with high IVs in the stats you want to increase the chances of passing down those IVs, but if you aren't, I have a couple of Growlithe males with 31 Speed IV (and 31 Sp. Atk) and a female with 30 Attack IV, if you need any help to breed one with higher IVs.

Yeah, I meant Arcanine's wild charge attack. It's an electrical type attack which is good against water types.
 

WingedDragon

Competitive Trainer
1,288
Posts
11
Years
It's okay man, keep trying. I didn't know what I was doing starting off and lost in everything from wifi to online simulator play. The key to getting better is to try different teams and to get used to teams that you are good with. Learn the metagame- that is key. Learn good matchups. Find a niche. Are you an offensive player or are you better on the defensive end. If you're offensive, go for an offensive full attack team. If defensive, go more for a stall team. Personally, I do better with stall teams but I really like offensive teams as well.

Use smogon or this site to try to find a good team. Then experiment, switch out Pokemon in that team. Here's a pretty good tailwind team:

Spoiler:


If you don't have an online simulator like Pokemon Online or Pokemon Showdown I suggest you get one. These two programs have really helped me out with competitive battling.

I dont like sims because just for the fact that people tend to cheat on simulators and I dont have time for that
 

Adrian!

Urban Adventurer
18
Posts
11
Years
I'm guessing he meant Wild Charge.

Also, I don't know if you're already using parents with high IVs in the stats you want to increase the chances of passing down those IVs, but if you aren't, I have a couple of Growlithe males with 31 Speed IV (and 31 Sp. Atk) and a female with 30 Attack IV, if you need any help to breed one with higher IVs.

You mean like with power items? I'm familiar with that, but I was just breeding for an adamant one with decent IV's for a friend when this one came out shiny, so that's why I'm stumbling over what to do with it. :3
 

WingedDragon

Competitive Trainer
1,288
Posts
11
Years
Which move is better for Zapdos? Volt Switch or U-turn. I would like a move that causes a return. Which one is more beneficial tho
 
50,218
Posts
13
Years
Which move is better for Zapdos? Volt Switch or U-turn. I would like a move that causes a return. Which one is more beneficial tho

Based on the information on the Choice Specs set, it's much better off with Volt Switch due to getting STAB on the move and it also works off its much higher Special Attack, as U-Turn is physical.

So yeah, definitely Volt Switch is better.
 
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