Game Help: What have you found useful when making in-game teams?

I've enjoyed making balanced in-game teams for a while now and I was wondering how all of you do it. Personally I try to not to use more than one Pokémon of each type on my teams and cover any major weaknesses.

I find that using an all favorites pokemon team is really boring. And now I go out of my way to break the norm and go for some weaker pokemon to provide a challenge.

Dual Type Pokemon generally give your team the greatest amount of coverage but while dual typing allows you to attack or defend against certain Pokémon, it makes you more vulnerable to others at the same time. Therefore, when I make teams, I try to pick single type Pokémon so as to specialize each team member into a particular role while limiting its exposure solely to what its weak against(hence no x4 vulnerability). My favorite happens to be this one from Yellow and in general, my teams are built to beat the regional Gym Leaders and Elite Four.

Single Type Team
Pikachu: Electric Starter
Sandslash: Ground
Ninetales: Fire with 100 Special(before the Generation 2 Special split and subsequent offensive nerf)
Snorlax: Normal
Mew: Psychic
Blastoise: Water

I've also gone with Lapras for Ice STAB if I'm not limiting myself to single type Pokémon. Other favorites are Pidgeot, Rhydon and Starmie.

The basic things I go for when making an in-game are usually just a) do I have the needed HMs covered and b) can my team pretty much handle all the major opponents in the game

It's not something to super strictly adhere to though, but planning things out ahead of time certainly helps

One is not required to keep the starter that was given on your team. Sometimes, that slot should go to some other pokemon that would fit one's team better.

I never keep the starters for my in-game teams.

I will always stand by the stereotypical diverse team build where no types are doubled, but I also like to use Pokemon I didn't get to use the last time I played the game or Pokemon I had to go well out of my way to get. For example, I added Heracross to my team on a recent play through of Heart Gold (made an absolute joke out of Whitney) and friggin Feebas/Milotic (Took forever to find but worth it) of all things on a recent play through of Platinum!

Reyzadren said:

I never keep the starters for my in-game teams.

Click to expand...

I don't know why I've never tried this, I'll try it for sure!

You know, I'm actually kinda interested in doing a playthrough without a starter. The only reason I've avoided doing so is because I kind of have a sentimental attachment to my Pokemon and I feel like it's kinda cruel in a way to just box my starter moments after getting it. u.u

Anyway... I always feel like I tend to build my teams as I go, without really any forethought to them. I figure that, at least as far as the main story goes, I let my team more or less construct itself organically with Pokemon that I kind of like as I peruse around the region, and then I tend to take teambuilding more seriously as I finish the main story.

To always have a well balanced team, so it would usually consist of the following: A lead, a strong defender, a Powerhouse, a strategic, a healer and one with an overall balance. Sometimes, I forget about this usual routine when it comes to the in-game play, but I like to swap or change my Pokemon in and out to different ones, just in case I'm competitive battling.

I've also found it easier to battle against other opponents, if my Pokemon have most of the type sets, so I'm well prepared for anything.

I absolutely try to use Pokemon I like, as well as going for a balance in team composition so that I have decent coverage against a lot of tough enemies, buuuuut that usually doesn't bode over too well a lot of the time. I'm taking my latest run in Ultramoon which I recently finished where I had the hardest time fighting Molayne because I didn't bring any decent coverage against steel types outside of my Arbok with its Mud Shot. That, and taking into account that I may have totally forgotten that over half my team were weak to electric, so his Magnezone destroyed me. D:

But anyway, I find strictly for an in-game team you need a balance of having decent coverage, and using the Pokemon you like to use. That's how I like to see it anyway, it gives me the most fun in a game, and whats playing a game without fun?