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How's Mah Team? Tell Me What You Think

phinamthi

60
Posts
12
Years
    • Aggron-
    Nature-Brave
    Ability-Sturdy

    Moves
    -Metal Burst
    -Thunder
    -Earthquake
    -Iron Tail

    Super effective to Water types, added thunder to finish them off before they can finish me
    ____________

    Metagross-
    Nature-Lax
    Ability-Clear Body

    Moves
    -Meteor Mash
    -Psychic
    -Shadow Ball
    -Hammer Arm

    Nothing to say here
    ____________

    Magmortar-
    Nature-Gentle
    Ability-Flame Body

    Moves
    -Earthquake
    -Flamethrower
    -Brick Break
    -Thunder Punch

    All round good PKMN
    _____________

    Heracross-
    Nature-Brave
    Ability-Guts

    Moves
    -Megahorn (16 PP)
    -Brick Break
    -Close Combat
    -Horn Attack or Giga Impact?

    Allround
    ______________

    Bastiodon-
    Nature-Bashful
    Ability-Sturdy

    Moves
    -Earthquake
    -Thunderbolt
    -Iron Head
    -Iron Defense

    Iron Defense= Evil defense stat
    Earthquake destroys opponent after bad attempt to kill me
    ______________

    Hitmontop-
    Nature-Quirky
    Ability-Intimidate

    -Close Combat
    -Rolling Kick
    -Triple Kick
    -Endeavor

    Bad PKMN in my opinion, so I added Endeavor JUST IN CASE
    ______________

    I am deciding to replace Hitmontop and Magmortar for Gengar and Gardevoir after I finish EV training them. (They're still Ralts and Haunter)

    Thanks

    *Please don't say anything about Black and White, for I do not have these guys there
     
    Fairy

    Fairy

    17,133
    Posts
    12
    Years
    • she / they
    • Seen Jan 12, 2024
    Hello!

    I would like to apologize. I'm sorry this thread went so far down the list without any comments. :(

    So, this is a 4th Gen team, right? Well, before I get into rating your Pokemon, I'd like to touch base with you on a few things. First of all, all of your Pokemon (including Gardevoir), save Metagross (and Gengar), are UU (underused). Which is absolutely fine, but you'd have to get rid of Metagross to play in it, because Metagross actually falls into the OU (overused) tier, which is standard play. If you want a little more help in identifying what tiers are look here. Second, your team is very weak to Water. So Rotom-W, Gyarados, Swampert, and the likes are going to wipe out half your team with minimal effort. You might want to look into getting a Pokemon that resists it. Also, anything that's a Fighting type is going to give your team a hard time as the only thing that resists Fighting is Heracross. I would say that Conkeldurr is a threat, but again, I'm not really sure if this is a 4th or 5th Gen team. On a good note, you do have some very nice resistances to Poison, Bug, Rock, Dark, and Ice.. just to name a few. So, well done! :) Oh, and we need the EVs of your Pokemon. If you don't know what EVs are, you can read about them here.

    Now, I would love to go on to rate your Pokemon individually, but without certain information it's, more or less, impossible. Your Bastiodon, for example.

    phinamthi said:
    Bastiodon-
    Nature-Bashful
    Ability-Sturdy

    Moves
    -Earthquake
    -Thunderbolt
    -Iron Head
    -Iron Defense

    Iron Defense= Evil defense stat
    Earthquake destroys opponent after bad attempt to kill me
    Click to expand...

    Bastiodon is a UU Pokemon, which is okay, *if* you want to play in UU. If you want to play in OU, than I would recommend replacing Bastiodon with Heatran. Heatran can do everything that Bastiondon can do, but better. Bastiodon's typing is sub-par at best, its movepool is mediocre, and it's stats, save defenses, are rubbish. To be blunt, Heatran just has more going for it. (Mind you, I stated previously that you have a weakness to Water/Fighting. Heatran will not help with that. At all.)

    Heatran @ Air Balloon (Air Balloon is a 5th gen item, if not this, than Leftovers.)
    Flash Fire
    252 HP / 252 Sp.Attack / 4 Sp.Defense
    Quiet [+Sp.Attack; -Speed] / Modest [+Sp.Attack; -Speed]
    - Stealth Rock
    - Fire Blast
    - Earth Power
    - Taunt / Hidden Power [Ice]

    This would probably be a good set for you as it will give you entry hazard support, something your team currently lacks. But, this brings me to a rather unfortunate part of this rate. You have some serious problems with your Pokemon that desperately need fixing if you ever want to survive in a competitive environment. Thunder Bolt..? On Bastiodon? I'm sorry, but that's just no good. Bastiodon has a lot more in its arsenal than that. I understand that Thunder Bolt sounds good for coverage, but in reality, Bastiodon can not use it with its dismal Special Attack. Now, a standard Bastiodon set could look like this: Iron Head / Toxic or Stone Edge or Earthquake / Stealth Rock / Taunt or Roar, a Careful [+Sp.Defense; -Sp.Attack] nature, 252 HP / 248 Sp.Defense / 8 Attack, and Leftovers. As you can see, this set is very similar to Heatran. Therefore, Heatran is the superior choice. Again, this all depends on what tier you want to play in.

    All these things apply with your other Pokemon. Aggron shouldn't have Thunder, maybe Thunderwave, but not Thunder. It also shouldn't have a Brave nature as it doesn't bring out the best in Aggron. Now, I know very little about Aggron and his competitive value. And to me, even with the base 180 Defense, I see Aggron and I think, "Earthquake? Done." and "Focus Blast? Done". Its resistances just don't outweigh its inadequacies and in today's Metagame, Aggron just doesn't have the ability to witch in on a Choice equipped Physical Sweeper anymore. However, if you are dead set on using Aggron, the best I can recommend is: Substitute / Focus Punch / Stone Edge or Iron Head / Aqua Tail, 252 Attack / 252 Speed / 4 HP, Adamant [+Attack; -Sp.Attack] nature and Leftovers. If you want help finding a good, OU replacement for Aggron, just let us know and we'll be more than happy to help you.

    The same can be said for Metagross. And unfortunately, there is much to be said about your set also. Metagross fails at attacking with Special Attacks (at least, when left to its own devices). ;[ It really does. So, Psychic and Shadow Ball are completely lost upon Metagross. The same applies for your Metagross' nature. Metagross works best when you don't add or subtract from any Defensive stat. With the recommendations I will be giving you, an Adamant nature will be in order. That way, you'll be adding 10% to the stat you use the most, and subtracting from the stat you don't use at all. Metagross likes having: Bullet Punch / Earthquake / Pursuit or Trick / Meteor Mash, 252 HP / 252 Attack / 4 Defense, an Adamant nature, and a Choice Band. This way, Meteor Mash and Earthquake have near perfect coverage, Earthquake hitting the three types that resist Meteor Mash. Pursuit can get those Lati twins,and Bullet Punch can make up for Metagross' "okay" Speed.

    Well, there are still a few problems with this team, so I'll come back and finish this up when I find the time. Definitely edit your team with Gengar and Gardevoir's sets and we'll work from there.

    I hope this was a bit helpful.
     

    PlatinumDude

    Nyeh?
    12,964
    Posts
    13
    Years
    • If you're still willing to use Aggron, you can go for a somewhat gimmicky Metal Burst lead set:
    -Stealth Rock
    -Metal Burst
    -Stone Edge
    -Aqua Tail/Earthquake
    Nature: Adamant
    EVs: 252 HP/252 Atk/4 Def
    Item: Leftovers
    Ability: Sturdy
    (on a side-note, Bisharp somewhat does this better due to a somewhat better typing)

    Or you can use an offensive Rock Polish Aggron to fix its bad Speed and take advantage of recoil-free Head Smashes:
    -Rock Polish
    -Head Smash
    -Earthquake
    -Aqua Tail/Iron Tail
    Nature: Adamant/Jolly
    EVs: 4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spe
    Item: Leftovers/Life Orb
    Ability: Rock Head

    Hitmontop's set doesn't seem to cut it. It's horribly walled by Ghosts, which can be remedied with this:
    -Fake Out
    -Mach Punch
    -Close Combat/Hi Jump Kick
    -Stone Edge/Sucker Punch
    Nature: Adamant
    EVs: 252 HP/252 Atk/4 Def
    Item: Life Orb
    Ability: Technician

    or

    -Rapid Spin
    -Foresight/Toxic
    -Close Combat/Hi Jump Kick
    -Stone Edge/Sucker Punch/Rest
    Nature: Impish
    EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 SDef
    Item: Leftovers
    Ability: Intimidate

    For Heracross, use Stone Edge instead of Brick Break. Also, don't use Horn Attack or Giga Impact. Not only do they provide no coverage whatsoever, the latter leaves you a sitting duck. Use Night Slash or Pursuit.

    Also, for Metagross, I'd use the Agility set:
    -Agility
    -Meteor Mash
    -Earthquake
    -Zen Headbutt/ThunderPunch/Ice Punch
    Nature: Adamant
    EVs: 60 HP/252 Atk/196 Spe
    Item: Life Orb/Leftovers/Lum Berry
    Ability: Clear Body

    Use Thunderbolt over ThunderPunch on Magmortar since T-bolt works off of Magmortar's better Special Attack. Brick Break and Earthquake are also redundant with one another (use Hidden Power (Grass/Ice instead of Earthquake).
     

    phinamthi

    60
    Posts
    12
    Years
    • Thanks, and sorry for the late reply.

    So, here are the replacements
    (Natures I got down)


    Aggron-

    Moves
    -Stone Edge
    -Aqua Tail
    -Earthquake
    -Iron Tail/Focus Blast

    EV's
    252 Attack/252 Defense/4 Sp.Defense
    ____________

    Metagross-

    Moves
    -Meteor Mash
    -Earthquake
    -Bullet Punch
    -Hammer Arm

    EV's
    252 Attack/252 Defense/4 Speed
    ____________

    Magmortar- ????

    Moves
    -Earthquake
    -Flamethrower
    -Brick Break
    -Thunder Punch

    EV's
    252 Attack/252 Sp.Attack/4 Speed
    _____________

    Heracross-
    Nature-Brave
    Ability-Guts

    Moves
    -Megahorn (16 PP)
    -Night Slash
    -Close Combat
    -Stone Edge

    EV's
    252 Attack/252 Defense/4 Speed

    ______________

    Heatran :D

    - Stealth Rock
    - Fire Blast
    - Earth Power
    - Taunt / Hidden Power [Ice]

    EV's
         252 HP/252 Sp.Attack/4 Sp.Defense
    ______________

    Magnezone

    -Thunderbolt
    -Discharge
    -Wild Charge
    -Iron Head

    EV's
    252 Attack/252 Defense/4 Speed
    ______________

    So, I see that Hitmontop is a bad choice so I switched it with Magnezone.
    I took Alexia's choice of Heatran, PlatinumDude's Heracross set, and other stuff. Please confirm.

    Thanks
     

    PlatinumDude

    Nyeh?
    12,964
    Posts
    13
    Years
    • Your Magnezone isn't very good. Physical Attacks on it: no, just no. It's best to use special attacks:
    -Thunderbolt
    -Substitute
    -Hidden Power (Ice/Grass)
    -Flash Cannon/Charge Beam
    Nature: Timid
    EVs: 36 HP/252 SAtk/220 Spe
    Item: Air Balloon/Leftovers
    Ability: Magnet Pull

    Make Heracross Adamant ands give it Choice Band/Scarf or a Life Orb

    Did you see the Aggron sets I posted earlier? Also, Aggron doesn't need max Defense. It also could use Head Smash in conjunction with Rock Head and Rock Polish to fix its bad Speed. It also shouldn't use Special attacks

    Try out this Magmortar:
    -Fire Blast
    -Thunderbolt
    -Hidden Power (Grass/Ice)
    -Cross Chop
    Nature: Naughty
    EVs: 64 HP/164 Atk/252 SAtk/28 Spe
    Item: Expert Belt/Life Orb
     

    phinamthi

    60
    Posts
    12
    Years
    • Oops, I forgot about Magnezone's low Attack.

    So Magnezone should look like-
    -Thunderbolt
    -Substitute
    -Hidden Power (Ice/Grass)
    -Flash Cannon

    EVs: 36 HP/252 Sp.Atack/220 Speed
    _______________________________

    Aggron shouldn't have max Def.? I figured it's base Defense was really high already and adding more EV's would make it even higher! Welp, you seem good at this, so I'm going with it.

    Aggron
    -Stone Edge
    -Head Smash
    -Earthquake
    -Rock Polish

    EV's: 252 HP/252 Attack/4 Defense
    _____________________________

    Magmortar is good. I don't need to say anything to that.

    So here's a relist
    _____________________________________________
    _____________________________________________

    Aggron

    -Stone Edge
    -Head Smash
    -Earthquake
    -Rock Polish

    EV's: 252 HP/252 Attack/4 Defense
    ____________

    Metagross-

    Moves
    -Meteor Mash
    -Earthquake
    -Bullet Punch
    -Hammer Arm

    EV's
    252 Attack/252 Defense/4 Speed
    ____________

    Magmortar- ????

    Moves
    -Earthquake
    -Flamethrower
    -Brick Break
    -Thunder Punch

    EV's
    252 Attack/252 Sp.Attack/4 Speed
    _____________

    Heracross-
    Nature-Brave
    Ability-Guts

    Moves
    -Megahorn (16 PP)
    -Night Slash
    -Close Combat
    -Stone Edge

    EV's
    252 Attack/252 Defense/4 Speed

    ______________

    Heatran :D

    - Stealth Rock
    - Fire Blast
    - Earth Power
    - Taunt / Hidden Power [Ice]

    EV's
         252 HP/252 Sp.Attack/4 Sp.Defense
    ______________
    Magnezone

    -Thunderbolt
    -Substitute
    -Hidden Power (Ice/Grass)
    -Flash Cannon

    EVs: 36 HP/252 Sp.Atack/220 Speed
    ______________

    Appreciate the quick reply
     
    Perriechu

    Perriechu

    i make this look easy tik-tik boom like gasoline-y
    4,079
    Posts
    15
    Years
    • Magnezone wants either Hp Ice or Fire. Since it can trap Steel types and then kill them with Hp Fire. Hp Ice is just so you could kill dragon and ground types, since you can't really harm them outside of Flash Cannon. Also; you really don't need to run 4/252/252 on everything. ):

    Heracross wants Adamant/Choice Scarf, not Brave. ;-; and the Ev's need to be 4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe. It can kill a lot of stuff with it's spread and moveset. Speaking of which, it could do with Megahorn/Close Combat/Stone Edge/Pursuit. So, overall your Heracross set should be;

    Heracross @Choice Band/Choice Scarf
    EVs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
    Adamant/Jolly Nature
    Ability: Guts
    -Megahorn
    -Close Combat
    -Stone Edge
    -Pursuit

    The Aggron set you're running now has the wrong Ev's. Even with Rock Polish you will not hit a good speed at all with no Speed Ev's or speed boosting nature.

    Your team now has an ugly weakness to Water and Fighting, as well as a 5x Ground weakness. \: If you're actually going to play OU, then, Aggron and Magmortar aren't as good in it. Even with both of them gone, Metagross, Heatran and Magnezone still give you a nasty weakness to Ground moves. I'd say get rid of Metagross and Magnezone and replace them. Something like Scizor could replace Metagross. Since it has the same base attack and gives you the STAB priority that your team really needs.

    Heatran is really good, so replacing it would be kinda stupid. \: Magnezone could be replaced with something that gives you a Ground/Water/Fighting resistance, like Gyarados? ;;

    I've rambled enough, I'll let someone else take over and suggests some Pokemon and the correct sets.
     

    phinamthi

    60
    Posts
    12
    Years
    • I know! Maybe I can replace Magnezone with Kingdra, Ground/Fighting/Water shouldn't do much. Is there a good replacement for Magmortar that's resists Ground/Fighting/Water?
    No matter what reason, I will REFUSE to replace Metagross and Aggron.

    Kingdra

    -Dragon Dance -Brine
    -Hydro Pump
    -Dragon Pulse
    -Ice Beam

    EV's: 52 HP/252 Sp.Attack/100 Defense/100 Sp.Defense
    ______________________________

    Aggron's EV's should look like

    This?vvvv
    EV's: 100 HP/252 Attack/152 Speed
    ______________________________

    I was thinking Salamence, but it was Uber :(

    I know that Grass types resist Ground/Water/Fighting, but I couldn't find any good ones. Maybe I can add Sceptile as a replacement for Magmortar.
    Help?
     
    Last edited:

    PlatinumDude

    Nyeh?
    12,964
    Posts
    13
    Years
    • Nah, keep Dragon Dance on Kingdra; it's one of the things it does best; it's the rest of your moves that need fixing:
    -Dragon Dance
    -Waterfall/Hydro Pump
    -Outrage
    -Hidden Power (Fire)
    Nature: Lonely
    EVs: 252 Atk/112 SAtk/144 Spe
    Item: Life Orb
    Ability: Swift Swim

    Kingdra doesn't resist Ground and Fighting, IIRC. Dragonomega's right; use Gyarados if you don't really like Kingdra that much:
    -Rest
    -Sleep Talk
    -Waterfall
    -Dragon Tail/Roar
    Nature: Impish
    EVs: 248 HP/252 Def/8 SDef
    Item: Leftovers
    Ability: Intimidate

    or
    -Dragon Dance
    -Waterfall
    -Earthquake
    -Stone Edge/Bounce
    Nature: Adamant/Jolly
    EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe
    Item: Leftovers/Life Orb


    Also, Aggron needs max Speed to take advantage of Rock Polish. It shouldn't have both Head Smash and Stone Edge; replace Stone Edge with Aqua Tail (or Iron Tail)
     
    Perriechu

    Perriechu

    i make this look easy tik-tik boom like gasoline-y
    4,079
    Posts
    15
    Years
    • phinamthi said:
    I know! Maybe I can replace Magnezone with Kingdra, Ground/Fighting/Water shouldn't do much. Is there a good replacement for Magmortar that's resists Ground/Fighting/Water?
    No matter what reason, I will REFUSE to replace Metagross and Aggron.

    Kingdra

    -Dragon Dance -Brine
    -Hydro Pump
    -Dragon Pulse
    -Ice Beam

    EV's: 52 HP/252 Sp.Attack/100 Defense/100 Sp.Defense
    ______________________________

    Aggron's EV's should look like

    This?vvvv
    EV's: 100 HP/252 Attack/152 Speed
    ______________________________

    I was thinking Salamence, but it was Uber :(

    I know that Grass types resist Ground/Water/Fighting, but I couldn't find any good ones. Maybe I can add Sceptile as a replacement for Magmortar.
    Help?
    Click to expand...

    Salamence isn't Uber... Wait, are you playing 5th or 4th Gen? Sceptile is a bad choice over Magmortar. Grass doesn't resist Fighting. Sceptile has a very low defense stat meaning any strong fighting attack such as Close Combat, Drain Punch, Hi-Jump Kick etc will end it. There are better options for moves than Brine, btw. \; I'd take Platinumdudes advice and use the DD Kingdra.
     

    phinamthi

    60
    Posts
    12
    Years
    • Well.... I am playing in 5th AND 4th gen. so, yeah, I know, 5th gen. also has strong dudes like Gigalith, Conkeldurr, Darmanitan, etc., but I'm keeping it 4/3 gen. cause I haven't really gotten used to the kinds of Pokemon there yet.

    Ok, Gyrados, got it, G-bye Kingdra
    _______________________
    Gyrados

    -Rest
    -Sleep Talk
    -Waterfall
    -Dragon Tail/Roar

    EVs: 248 HP/252 Def/8 SDef
    __________________________

    Aggron

    EV's: 252 Attack/252 Speed/4 Defense
    __________________________



    Right now, I'm liking the look of Absol, but it is overpowered by Fighting types :(

    It's kinda frustrating to go through serebii.net's Pokedex just to find a top-fighting/ground/water non-super effective pokemon...

    Heres a list that I might be using...

    Banette
    Scizor
    Leavanny
    Dusknoir
    Shedinja
    Skarmory
    Dragonite
    Alakazam
    Mismagius

    But if they are just really bad, then fine, 5th gen.
    Thanks you guys for the great help :D. I'm actually learning something at the same time

    P.S I'm having trouble trying to find the right natured dittos. Modest and Adamant. I got every other besides them. Any suggestions?
    Getting a pokemon with Syncronise or something with the same nature just turns into another problem. I have to find even more Pokemon. I need these dittos to breed a perfect natured Pokemon
     
    Last edited:
    Perriechu

    Perriechu

    i make this look easy tik-tik boom like gasoline-y
    4,079
    Posts
    15
    Years
    • phinamthi said:
    Well.... I am playing in 5th AND 4th gen. so, yeah, I know, 5th gen. also has strong dudes like Gigalith, Conkeldurr, Darmanitan, etc., but I'm keeping it 4/3 gen. cause I haven't really gotten used to the kinds of Pokemon there yet.

    Ok, Gyrados, got it, G-bye Kingdra
    _______________________
    Gyrados

    -Rest
    -Sleep Talk
    -Waterfall
    -Dragon Tail/Roar

    EVs: 248 HP/252 Def/8 SDef
    __________________________

    Right now, I'm liking the look of Absol, but it is overpowered by Fighting types :(

    It's kinda frustrating to go through serebii.net's Pokedex just to find a top-fighting/ground/water non-super effective pokemon...

    Heres a list that I might be using...

    Banette
    Scizor
    Leavanny
    Dusknoir
    Shedinja
    Skarmory
    Dragonite
    Alakazam
    Mismagius

    But if they are just really bad, then fine, 5th gen.
    Thanks you guys for the great help :D. I'm actually learning something at the same time
    Click to expand...

    Banette, Leavanny, Shedinja are all bad. Mismagius, Alakazam, Dusknoir are really only good to use in UU. Dragonite would be a nice contender, since it resists all 3. Bulky Scizor could also help you. Skarmory, as well.
     

    phinamthi

    60
    Posts
    12
    Years
    • dragonomega said:


    Banette, Leavanny, Shedinja are all bad. Mismagius, Alakazam, Dusknoir are really only good to use in UU. Dragonite would be a nice contender, since it resists all 3. Bulky Scizor could also help you. Skarmory, as well.
    Click to expand...

    Screw Magmortar, I'm going with Skarmory
    ___________________________________

    Skarmory

    -Night Slash
    -Swords Dance
    -Drill Peck
    -X-Scissor -Fly -Flash Cannon

    EV's 252 Attack/252 Speed/4 Defense
    _____________________________________

    btw, would anyone mind battling me when my set is done? I would like to try it out ;).
     
    Fairy

    Fairy

    17,133
    Posts
    12
    Years
    • she / they
    • Seen Jan 12, 2024
    phinamthi said:
    Screw Magmortar, I'm going with Skarmory
    ___________________________________

    Skarmory

    -Night Slash
    -Swords Dance
    -Drill Peck
    -X-Scissor -Fly -Flash Cannon

    EV's 252 Attack/252 Speed/4 Defense
    _____________________________________

    btw, would anyone mind battling me when my set is done? I would like to try it out ;).
    Click to expand...

    Skarmory can do much better things than what you have going on. Maybe try:

    Skarmory @ Leftovers / Shed Shell
    Sturdy
    252 HP / 252 Defense / 4 Speed
    Impish [+Defense; -Sp.Attack]
    - Spikes
    - Roost
    - Whirlwind
    - Brave Bird / Taunt

    Skarmory works best as a physical wall, not a sweeper. And besides, Flash Cannon isn't exactly a good option considering you have an attack like Brave Bird at your disposal. It's a great STAB attack, it hits hard, it plays to Skarmory's strengths, and Skamory can heal off the recoil with ease. Drill Peck can also be used if you don't like the recoil damage, but personally, I like Brave Bird. Also, Skarmory likes having EVs in HP and Defense (someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe a specially defensive variation of Skarmory is viable because of its typing) simply because it can take more hits, better. Shed Shell is listed because of Magnezone, but Leftovers is probably the best and most conventional option. This is by far the most effective set for Skarmory. Layer the Spikes, which Skarmory can do with ease, heal off any damage taken with Roost, phaze set-up sweepers with Whirlwind and deal entry hazard damage to the entire team, then attack when needed. Done.

    I hope this was a bit helpful! Good luck to you. Also, when you're team is done, be sure to check out Pokemon Online to test it out!
     

    Snorelacks

    Guest
    0
    Posts
    Hello! You've improved this team a lot, so I thought I'd help.

    Note: You didn't provide natures, abilities, or items.

    Pokemon need items.

    You're really so adamant about not replacing Aggron? It has 2 4x weaknesses and can't take adantage of Sturdy because it's so slow. I think Aggron is a bad Pokemon, even for NU. No offense.

    Also, Leavanny is pretty good, but only on a sun team.

    Magmortar is a great Pokemon, you're just using it the wrong way. It's a born Special attacker.

    Magmortar @ Life Orb/Choice Specs
    Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)/Modest Nature (+SpAtk, -Atk)
    EVs: 4 HP/252 SpAtk/252 Spe
    ~Flamethrower/Fire Blast/Overheat
    ~Thunderbolt
    ~Focus Blast
    ~Will-O-Wisp/Psychic

    Also, Skarmory doesn't really support your team very well, considering the number of Steel-types you have.

    Could I see your team as it is envisioned after you finish reading this post?

    Also, assuming this is your team:

    Aggron
    Metagross
    Gyarados
    Magmortar
    Heatran
    Heracross

    You have a HUGE weakness to Ground, along with a fairly large one to Water, and STAB Fighting and Fire attacks aren't good for your team. So, basically, watch out for a team with both Infernape and Swampert/Gastrodon.

    Also (and I'm sorry if this sounds rude), I thought you were hopeless when I saw your first post, but evidently you've made incredible strides. Good job!
     

    phinamthi

    60
    Posts
    12
    Years
    • Whew! Boy, I have a lot of catching, breeding, hatching, leveling in my real B/W-D/P game.

    Hello! You've improved this team a lot, so I thought I'd help.

    Note:     You didn't provide natures, abilities, or items.

    Pokemon need items.

    You're really so adamant about not replacing Aggron? It has 2 4x weaknesses and can't take adantage of Sturdy because it's so slow. I think     Aggron is a bad Pokemon, even for NU. No offense.
    Click to expand...


    Thanks! And I left the items, natures, and abilities because I don't really have the time to list all of them. Sorry, but now that I do have time, maybe I will relist the PKMN at the end of this post.
    Also, Skarmory doesn't really support your team very well, considering the number of Steel-types you have.
    Click to expand...
    :( I am a steel type fanatic. I know that Dragonite is WAAY stronger than Skarmory, but I used Skarmory anyway.
    You have a HUGE weakness to Ground, along with a fairly large one to Water, and STAB Fighting and Fire attacks aren't good for your team. So, basically, watch out for a team with both Infernape and Swampert/Gastrodon.
    Click to expand...
     Sadly, but I already know my strengths and weaknesses. Maybe I can take Magmortar/Skarmory out for Dragonite-despite your great response for Magmortar. I would have used him, but I am greatly outnumbered by ground/fire/water, so I have no choice, but to replace Skarmory with Dragonite instead. :( Bye Skarmory.
    Also (and I'm sorry if this sounds rude), I thought you were hopeless when I saw your first post, but evidently you've made incredible strides. Good job!
    Click to expand...
     It doesn't sound rude at all! :D This is the nicest sentence in my first couple months on PC I've ever heard! (Incredible strides caught my attention)
    Skarmory can do much better things than what you have going on. Maybe try:

    Skarmory @ Leftovers / Shed Shell
    Sturdy
    252 HP / 252 Defense / 4 Speed
    Impish [+Defense; -Sp.Attack]
    - Spikes
    - Roost
    - Whirlwind
    - Brave Bird / Taunt

    Skarmory works best as a physical wall, not a sweeper. And besides, Flash Cannon isn't exactly a good option considering you have an attack like Brave Bird at your disposal. It's a great STAB attack, it hits hard, it plays to Skarmory's strengths, and Skamory can heal off the recoil with ease. Drill Peck can also be used if you don't like the recoil damage, but personally, I like Brave Bird. Also, Skarmory likes having EVs in HP and Defense (someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe a specially defensive variation of Skarmory is viable because of its typing) simply because it can take more hits, better. Shed Shell is listed because of Magnezone, but Leftovers is probably the best and most conventional option. This is by far the most effective set for Skarmory. Layer the Spikes, which Skarmory can do with ease, heal off any damage taken with Roost, phaze set-up sweepers with Whirlwind and deal entry hazard damage to the entire team, then attack when needed. Done.

    I hope this was a bit helpful! Good luck to you. Also, when you're team is done, be sure to check out Pokemon Online to test it out!
    Click to expand...
    Thank you! But I'm not even sure if I'm using it at all. (I might sneak it into my team using you advice every once in awhile :D)

    Relist of Current Team
    ^ = official member
    X = unofficial member
    s = substitution member
    !!! = MUST REVISE
    UNSURE MEMBER



    ^Metagross @ Leftovers
    Clear Body
    252 Atk / 152 Def / 100 Spd
    Adamant
    -Meteor Mash
    -Earthquake
    -Bullet Punch
    -Hammer arm
    _________________________

    ^Heracross @ Choice Band
    Guts
    252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
    Adamant
    -Mega Horn
    -Night Slash
    -Close Combat
    -Stone Edge
    __________________________

    ^Heatran @ Air Balloon    (I have no idea what this does, but I just know it's good from Alexia's post)
    Flash Fire
    252 Sp.Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
    Modest
    -Stealth Rock
    -Fire Blast
    -Earth Power
    -Taunt
    ___________________________

    ^Gyrados @ Leftovers
    Intimidate
    252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 Sp. Def
    Jolly
    -Dragon Dance
    -Waterfall
    -Ice Fang
    -Stone Edge
    ___________________________

    ^    Dragonite @ Life Orb
    Multiscale
    252 HP / 212 Spd / 44 Atk
    Adamant
    -Dragon Claw
    -Fire Punch
    -Dragon Dance
    -Roost
    ___________________________

    s Skarmory @ Shed Shell
    Sturdy
    252 HP / 252 Defense / 4 Speed
    Impish
    - Spikes
    - Roost
    - Whirlwind
    - Brave Bird
    ____________________________

    s Aggron @ Leftovers
    Rock Head
    252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
    Joyful/Adamant
    -Head Smash
    -Earthquake
    -Rock Polish
    -Iron Tail/Aqua Tail
    _________________________
     Thanks for the help I think this would be a thread to remember-especially because this is the most anyone has ever posted on one that I made.
    This experience of creating Pokemon sets had leveled me up! I am no longer a Battle Noob :D (I should get the level up emblem)
    I can't thank you all enough for this accomplishment
    By the way... Thanks!



    ​
     
    Last edited:
    Fairy

    Fairy

    17,133
    Posts
    12
    Years
    • she / they
    • Seen Jan 12, 2024
    Allow me to say, I am very, very happy that you decided to repost your team with the appropriate changes. Not a lot of people come back after the rates here give advice, and I think you're investment into your team is a reflection of how committed you are to competitive battling. I'm happy for you, and I also think you should be very proud of the team you have now. There are just a few things I'd like to cover with you first.. I highly recommend you try out this Team Builder. This will help you identify your teams threats by type. I think this will be a great asset for you and your competitive battling future! :D Now, let's move on.

    phinamthi said:
    Aggron @ Leftovers
    Rock Head
    252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
    Joyful/Adamant
    -Head Smash
    -Earthquake
    -Rock Polish
    -Iron Tail/Dragon Tail/Aqua Tail
    Click to expand...

    Aggron is still UU and will probably always be UU. Unless it goes down a tier, of course. So, the question is, do you want a Pokemon that can replace Aggron? Because there are better options in the OU tier that do the same thing and have superior typing. This is completely up to you, as your team is now more prepared for a standard play environment. So if Aggron is your personal favorite Pokemon and you refuse to replace him with anything, that is fine. But, if you started battling competitively to win, and Aggron isn't working as it should, the raters here can suggest alternatives. Again, this is up to you. But, as far as your set is concerned, the only thing I have to say about it is; it's Jolly, not Joyful. :>

    phinamthi said:
    Metagross @ Shell Bell
    Clear Body
    252 Atk / 152 Def / 100 Spd
    Adamant
    -Meteor Mash
    -Earthquake
    -Bullet Punch
    -Hammer arm
    Click to expand...

    For Metagross: Just use Leftovers. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Leftovers heals 1/16 of your overall HP. The Shell Bell heals 1/16 of however much damage you deal during an attack. So Leftovers is always a better choice for it's consistency.

    phinamthi said:
    Heracross @ ---------- I was going to give him the Choice Band/Scarf from dragonomega's earlier post, but it seemed unreasonable, suggestions?
    Guts
    252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
    Adamant
    -Mega Horn
    -Night Slash
    -Close Combat
    -Stone Edge
    Click to expand...

    The Choice Band/Scarf is completely reasonable. There is a major deficit for using a Choice Item, but trust me, the benefits outweigh the shortcomings. Test it out, see if it works for you, if not, you can always try the Life Orb.

    phinamthi said:
    Heatran @ Air Balloon (I have no idea what this does, but I just know it's good from Alexia's post)
    Flash Fire
    252 Sp.Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
    Modest
    -Stealth Rock
    -Fire Blast
    -Earth Power
    -Taunt
    Click to expand...

    Okay, Heatran has excellent typing. But it does have a few disadvantages. Like, its weakness to Water, Fighting, and most importantly, Heatran's x4 weakness to Ground. This is where the Air Balloon comes in. When the Air Balloon is held by a Pokemon, that Pokemon is immune to Ground type attacks and Entry hazards until that Pokemon is hit with an Attack. So, let's say you switch your Heatran into a Forretress. Forretress has had time to lay Spikes and Toxic Spikes and whatever other entry hazards it sports, so, when you switch Heatran in, Heatran will not take damage from those hazards. Then, Forretress uses Earthquake! But tough cookies for Forretress, because your Heatran has an Air Balloon and is immune to Earthquake. However, if an opponent pops the Air Balloon, Heatran is subject to all Ground attacks and entry hazards, so you best predict the best time to use it. Long story short, the Air Balloon provides Heatran (or any other Pokemon you attach it to) an immunity from Ground type attacks for one turn, more often than not.

    phinamthi said:
    Gyrados @ Leftovers
    Intimidate
    252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 Sp. Def
    Jolly
    -Dragon Dance
    -Waterfall
    -Earthquake
    -Stone Edge
    Click to expand...

    Your Gyarados set looks pretty good. The only thing I would do is replace Earthquake for Bounce or Ice Fang. The Water/Ground coverage is pretty mediocre. With Bounce, you'll have a good STAB attack, or with Ice Fang, you can deal with opposing Dragons. But it's not like Earthquake is the end of the world, you know?

    phinamthi said:
    Dragonite @ Leftovers ---- Official?
    Inner Focus
    252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
    Adamant
    -Dragon Dance
    -Dragon Claw
    -Aqua Tail
    -Earthquake
    Click to expand...

    Dragonite gets Multiscale. Which is infinitely superior to Inner Focus. It's really some of the very few things that separate Dragonite and Salamence. I recommend you revise your Dragonite set to something of a Bulky Attacking variant.

    Dragonite @ Leftovers / Life Orb
    Multiscale
    252 HP / 212 Speed / 44 Attack
    Adamant [+Attack; -Sp.Attack] / Jolly [+Speed; -Sp.Attack]
    - Outrage / Dragon Claw
    - Fire Punch
    - Extreme Speed / Dragon Dance
    - Roost

    Roost and Multiscale make a particularly potent combination for preserving Dragonite's HP. Fire Punch will hit Bulky Grass types and Steel types. Now, some people will argue this, but I absolutely adore Dragonite with Extreme Speed. And it's excellent for picking off weakened opponents, but it can be replaced with Dragon Dance if you feel Dragonite needs the boost in Attack and Speed. Outrage / Dragon Claw are your best STAB options. However, if you're looking for an all out Attacking Dragon, you're best bet is with Salamence or Haxorus. Test it out, see how Dragonite works, and if you want suggestions for good Haxorus / Salamence sets than we'll be more than happy to help. :)

    phinamthi said:
    Skarmory @ Shed Shell
    Sturdy
    252 HP / 252 Defense / 4 Speed
    Impish
    - Spikes
    - Roost
    - Whirlwind
    - Brave Bird
    ​
    Click to expand...

    Nice Skarmory set! ;)

    Now, you're team as a whole doesn't have too many crazy weaknesses that aren't checked in one way or another. I ran your team through the team builder I linked you to above and with Dragonite on the team, there are no outstanding weaknesses. However, with Skarmory replacing Dragonite, three of your Pokemon are weak to Fire. So you're going to have to play around with what works best for you. If Skarmory is amazing and you must have it on your team, than we can work something out to replace Metagross or Aggron so you have a nice balance. Go ahead and play test. Then come back and let us know how it went. From there, you'll have a better idea of what you want/experienced and the raters will be able to give you better advice because we'll have a more diverse field to work with!

    Good luck!
     

    phinamthi

    60
    Posts
    12
    Years
    • Allow me to say, I am very, very happy that you decided to repost your team with the appropriate changes. Not a lot of people come back after the rates here give advice, and I think you're investment into your team is a reflection of how committed you are to competitive battling. I'm happy for you, and I also think you should be very proud of the team you have now. There are just a few things I'd like to cover with you first.. I highly recommend you try out this Team Builder. This will help you identify your teams threats by type. I think this will be a great asset for you and your competitive battling future! :D Now, let's move on.
    Click to expand...
    Yeah, I figured, I see a bunch of other threads like this on this forum, and most don't go on that long. And about the reflection, well... not that much really. I just really hate to be called a noob all the time when I lose real badly to people on B/W Wi-Fi. (I used rare candies all the time until I learned about EV's in January and IV's 3 days ago.) I 'm learning to be more critical about the natures and a Pokemon's born higher stat and it's moves. Thanks for the Team Builder by the way, I remember using it one time, but I forgot the link.
    Aggron is still UU and will probably always be UU. Unless it goes down a tier, of course. So, the question is, do you want a Pokemon that can replace Aggron? Because there are better options in the OU tier that do the same thing and have superior typing. This is completely up to you, as your team is now more prepared for a standard play environment. So if Aggron is your personal favorite Pokemon and you refuse to replace him with anything, that is fine. But, if you started battling competitively to win, and Aggron isn't working as it should, the raters here can suggest alternatives. Again, this is up to you. But, as far as your set is concerned, the only thing I have to say about it is; it's Jolly, not Joyful. :>
    Click to expand...
    Sigh... I guess I could replace Aggron, but I still might sneak it in every once in awhile. Just like Skarmory ;). Oh, and I just mixed up both of the "J-o's" J-o-lly, J-o-yful. See how it looks the same? :P
    For Metagross: Just use Leftovers. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Leftovers heals 1/16 of your overall HP. The Shell Bell heals 1/16 of however much damage you deal during an attack. So Leftovers is always a better choice for it's consistency.
    Click to expand...
    No, your right I looked it up on serebii, and that's exactly what is says.
    The Choice Band/Scarf is completely reasonable. There is a major deficit for using a Choice Item, but trust me, the benefits outweigh the shortcomings. Test it out, see if it works for you, if not, you can always try the Life Orb.
    Click to expand...
    Ok, I'll test it to see if it's OK
    Okay, Heatran has excellent typing. But it does have a few disadvantages. Like, its weakness to Water, Fighting, and most importantly, Heatran's x4 weakness to Ground. This is where the Air Balloon comes in. When the Air Balloon is held by a Pokemon, that Pokemon is immune to Ground type attacks and Entry hazards until that Pokemon is hit with an Attack. So, let's say you switch your Heatran into a Forretress. Forretress has had time to lay Spikes and Toxic Spikes and whatever other entry hazards it sports, so, when you switch Heatran in, Heatran will not take damage from those hazards. Then, Forretress uses Earthquake! But tough cookies for Forretress, because your Heatran has an Air Balloon and is immune to Earthquake. However, if an opponent pops the Air Balloon, Heatran is subject to all Ground attacks and entry hazards, so you best predict the best time to use it. Long story short, the Air Balloon provides Heatran (or any other Pokemon you attach it to) an immunity from Ground type attacks for one turn, more often than not.
    Click to expand...
    Ahhhhh... that's why you gave it the Air Balloon. I'm hoping that hacking to get right natures, fast egg breeding, hatching, and all items still makes it fair for other people...
    Your Gyarados set looks pretty good. The only thing I would do is replace Earthquake for Bounce or Ice Fang. The Water/Ground coverage is pretty mediocre. With Bounce, you'll have a good STAB attack, or with Ice Fang, you can deal with opposing Dragons. But it's not like Earthquake is the end of the world, you know?
    Click to expand...
    Ok, I'm going with Ice Fang
    I'm going to edit the list after this post
    Dragonite gets Multiscale. Which is infinitely superior to Inner Focus. It's really some of the very few things that separate Dragonite and Salamence. I recommend you revise your Dragonite set to something of a Bulky Attacking variant.
    Click to expand...
    Yeah, I know about that, but the only problem is that it's only found in the Dream World am I right?

    Thanks for the Dragonite set by the way it proves extremely useful in my current team
    Nice Skarmory set! ;)
    Click to expand...
    Thanks ;)
    Now, you're team as a whole doesn't have too many crazy weaknesses that aren't checked in one way or another. I ran your team through the team builder I linked you to above and with Dragonite on the team, there are no outstanding weaknesses. However, with Skarmory replacing Dragonite, three of your Pokemon are weak to Fire. So you're going to have to play around with what works best for you. If Skarmory is amazing and you must have it on your team, than we can work something out to replace Metagross or Aggron so you have a nice balance. Go ahead and play test. Then come back and let us know how it went. From there, you'll have a better idea of what you want/experienced and the raters will be able to give you better advice because we'll have a more diverse field to work with!
    Good luck!
    Click to expand...

    Actually, Aggron and Metagross is amazing to me :D
    Thanks for your help!
     
    Last edited:
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