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-   -   Do you make your pokemon try to cover its own weakness or aim to cover party weaknesses? (https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=311811)

bajuwa October 30th, 2013 4:57 PM

Do you make your pokemon try to cover its own weakness or aim to cover party weaknesses?
 
For example if you have an electric pokemon that's weak to ground, would you:
A) make that pomemon learn a water move
B) have a water pokemon in the party ready to switch in

PS assume that you aren't allowed to switch pokemon once your opponent faints and declares their next pokemon.

Relica October 30th, 2013 5:00 PM

I like having a fairly balanced team that's capable of responding to all situations if need be. I know it's truly impossible for one Pokemon to cover all of its weaknesses easily, so I rather go with option B overall, not that I haven't had Pokemon before that I've set up to counter their weaknesses, it's just more of team synergy thing for me.

Pilkie October 30th, 2013 5:06 PM

I perfer to have a well balenced party that can cover my arse against any type as oppesed to putting all my chips into one Pokémon. I try to focus on training each individual pokémon to be effective using its STAB. I, of course, have a few much-purpose pokémon (ie: Torterra knowing bite to keep ghost a psychic pokémon at bay)

acatfrommars October 30th, 2013 7:48 PM

I honestly do it differently each team. The most recent Pokemon game I have beaten was X and I trie to get other Pokemon to cover up each weakness. I tried to form my in game team in a way that I would use to battle competitively online. Weaknesses that Greninja had, I would try to cover up with Raichu or Snorlax.

Boilurn October 30th, 2013 8:22 PM

I'd rather select a Pokemon than choose a move. If I'd chose a move on a checked Pokemon I might not realize it if the checker is simply faster than me and has its super-effective move to OHKO my Pokemon. To avoid checks is one of the reasons why we switch out during battling.

Hiatus October 30th, 2013 8:40 PM

I try to do a bit of both. Whenever I put a new Pokémon on my team, I always make sure that it has an attack in its moveset to help protect itself, and also has a couple of moves that provide assistance to some of its fellow teammates. Let's say that I have a Gyarados on my team, whose major weakness would be electric-types. To counter electric, I would teach it Earthquake. With this move, it could take out any electric-type Pokémon within just a blink of an eye. Its other attacks would consist of Waterfall, Stone Edge, and perhaps Bounce. Waterfall should give it the chance to defeat any fire, rock, or ground-types, which my Pokémon would be super-effective to if they're either grass, ice, or steel. Stone Edge would allow it to take down flying-types, which could make any of my fighting Pokémon feel safer. Finally, with Bounce, Gyarados should be able to defeat a variety of fighting Pokémon. Once they're out of the way, none of my normal-types could ever be taken down. Well, they could, actually, but it'd just take a longer time for the opponent to beat them. xD

Hikamaru October 30th, 2013 8:47 PM

Covering weaknesses is one of my OCD things when it comes to team building. Like, if I have a Water Pokemon I usually carry a Flying, Ground or Fire-type to counter its main weaknesses. Also, I tend to put a variety of moves on my Pokemon as well as covers for certain types.

FSNW5yiFrXVXqv October 30th, 2013 8:48 PM

I try to "build it up" so it does what it can do best**, whilst covering up for another party member's weakness, if need be. In the end, the decisions I make depend on the current battle's flow -- whether or not I would switch to gain advantage is totally situational.

** This also means that it may or may not have a move covering it's own weakness. Depends on the pokemon.

Nakala Pri October 30th, 2013 11:21 PM

I don't make my Pokemon learn different type moves. :P Well, if it's something like Hyper Fang, then of course! But otherwise, nah. :X

Starry Windy October 31st, 2013 1:13 AM

I have a mixture of both, that sometimes I manage to give my Pokémon some moves to backing up if it happens to have type disadvantages, and I like variation of moves on my Pokémon, but mostly I resort to switch to another Pokémon which could handle it better.

WhiteKnightL October 31st, 2013 2:06 AM

I just make my Pokemon as strong as possible. Depending on the stats, some switch out as soon the opponent brings out a stronger Pokemon while others stay in. A good example is my Conkeldurr. It can tank physical hits with the right EV investment and gave it Payback in order to surprise Ghost- and Psychic- types. (Note: Gave it a Smogon set but replaced Mach Punch for Payback)

Vairan November 3rd, 2013 7:23 PM

Out of habit every party member needs to be a dual type and i can't have 2 members have a same type. I can't have 2 with flying ect. Also i can't stand having normal on my team :/
I also try to have only one move of their type in their moveset. I'm not a comp battler but i like the idea of being versatile.

PumpJack November 3rd, 2013 7:38 PM

Kinda both. If it can learn a decent move that helps cover its most obvious weakness (lessay a Fire type trying to cover its Water weakness), I'll go ahead an teach it that.

But I also try to make sure that my team covers as many bases as possible. Just common sense, really. Don't want to end up in an online match or deep inside some cave just to get jumped by something that you have no real way to deal with.

I learned that the hard way the first time I ran into a Wooper- didn't know it was dual type, so I figured that I could send my Mareep out and hand its ass to him.


BUT I WAS WRONG, WASN'T I.

EB November 3rd, 2013 9:04 PM

I like having all four in my moveset available for either sweeping or setups. I don't play competitively (yet), so that's probably why having each pkmn fend for itself hasn't become something habitual.

Firox November 4th, 2013 12:59 AM

Since I play with my favorite Pokemon, so weakness at times is a big issue for me at times. I know I can't cover all of them. I always try to teach my 'normal type' Pokemon an attack or 2 (either by TM or Move Tutor - many normal types can learn attacks from other types) from another type to try and cover the weakness.

One example that comes to my mind: My #1 favorite Pokemon is fighting-type (Mienshao) so I know it's weak to psychic and flying (and fairy for gen 6), since none of the psychic (before gen 6 that is) or flying type Pokemon I like - I'll rely on one of my normal type Pokemon to cover for both flying and psychic types
Spoiler:
my example would be Watchog, I would teach it a TM for electric move like Thunder to take down flying, and a dark move like bite to take down the psychic Pokemon - hope my example helps a bit
.

Poll: it would be closer to the second choice, (75%) but also partial first choice too (35%). So went with the second option

Arma November 4th, 2013 2:28 PM

Why not both? I mean, I try to have as much coverage as possible when picking a moveset. I don't usually pay that much attention to my team's types, if they look cool, and are able to pull their own weight, I'll gladly train 'em Maybe that's why half of my current team is weak against ice

Shirayuki-san November 5th, 2013 1:45 AM

No, I usually make a balanced team wherein one covers another's weakness. There was this one time that I fought someone with the same strategy as me and we wasted several turns switching pokemon to counter each other. lol.

Kikaito plush November 5th, 2013 2:47 AM

I just make that pokemon learn a move to cover that weakness.

Palmer-Granate November 17th, 2013 7:51 PM

I consider each talent of the individuals, and I roll with the battles. The key is to have more than one prime attack. (The Prime Attack should be of the matching type. eg: Blastoise should have Surf.) If you have a fighter w/ his Prime Matching Attack, he should have another attack, one nearly or more powerful than the Prime, like Skull Bash. It's Normal, but it still has a lot to offer in terms of sheer power, I will accept it as 'Prime Attack', yeah.

Weakness is where you see it. If you lose, reform your team, re-level and try again. Type differences is one of the key elements of the series, it's universal.

KittenKoder November 18th, 2013 2:22 AM

Depends on the stat spread. I only use those with two types, and always try to ensure they have one of each move with STAB. This maximizes the move set for the team, and many of them will have non-STAB moves of other types as well.

For EVs, training is always catered to each pokemon, sometimes it's maxed HP and defenses split, sometimes it's maxed attack or satk and speed, depends on what it's weaknesses are and if you can feasibly predict what is most likely to pose a threat.

Some type combinations it's very easy to predict which defense is most valuable, in which case I try to maximize the EVs for that and add one status affliction move to the move set. For IVs, well, I breed with highest IVs in all but the least important stats, usually at least maxed IVs.

Frokage November 18th, 2013 2:28 AM

My battling style usually involves many different kinds of pokémon that know many different attacks that cover most Pokémon's weaknesses. :)

Nah November 18th, 2013 12:00 PM

I generally like to have a Pokémon cover its own weaknesses, particularly in WiFi battles where you can't use your whole party of 6. I don't like to switch too much (you rack up too much damage from attacks and entry hazards). It also makes it so the Pokémon isn't helpless if you didn't bring a counter or your counter is dead. Nothing wrong with the other option, though.

fireflystorm November 18th, 2013 2:38 PM

Most of the time, to be honest, I make the Pokemon cover its own weakness. A lot of the time it can seriously change the tide of a battle and be a huge surprise for the opponents! At the same time, though, I like to have a team which can balance the weakness of the individuals...

Terff December 11th, 2013 8:02 PM

I catch pokemon... and teach them moves. Thats about it...

Pinkie-Dawn December 11th, 2013 10:01 PM

I make sure all Pokémon in my team have moves to cover their own weaknesses. In competitive battles, switching onto other Pokémon who cover your previous mon's weaknesses would risk from being damaged by those sneaky pebbles Stealth Rock, since spikes are avoided by Flying types and Poison types absorb Toxic Spikes. Your goal is to make sure your team is full of Pokémon who are capable to wipe out most if not all of your opponent's team solo with little to no support from your other Pokemon.

Brendino December 12th, 2013 2:01 AM

I always try to do a bit of each by having as many types covered in my party as possible, and by having my own Pokemon be able to cover their weaknesses when possible. Sometimes (in game at least), I like to throw out a Pokemon that I know is weak to the type I'm about to face, just because I know one of its moves is super effective against that Pokemon, just for fun. I don't do it all that often since it can be risky, but at least I usually have the option.

Arlo December 13th, 2013 4:01 PM

That's why I have a team of pokemon - so they can cover each other's weaknesses. IF a pokemon has room for a move to cover its weakness and IF it's powerful enough that it can actually faint the opponent instead of just doing maybe half damage then getting fainted itself anyway, then I might give it a move to cover its weakness, but generally I just give it moves that complement its strengths and count on other pokemon to cover its weaknesses.

Zorogami December 15th, 2013 9:28 AM

Of course having a team is the best way to cover all possible weaknesses. At the same time i try to give each of my Pokemon at least one move that will cover as many as his weaknesses as possible, because they always come in handy.

Nah December 15th, 2013 9:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zorogami (Post 7989230)
Of course having a team is the best way to cover all possible weaknesses. At the same time i try to give each of my Pokemon at least one move that will cover as many as his weaknesses as possible, because they always come in handy.


Yeah, I've been starting to think this is the best idea. Might as well do both.


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