EV training: When is a base stat unsalvageable?

[HappyPill]

Hello everyone.

With a neutral nature and ignoring IVs for simplicity, when do you consider a base stat too low to EV train?

For example, I'm interested in trying for a speedy Armaldo, whose base speed is only 45. At what point do you think a base is too low to bother EV raising?

 

[Altairis]

It really depends on what role the Pokemon is going to play. For example, Armaldo can be a Swift Swim sweeper and it would be beneficial to max out its Speed, or it could be more of a defensive wall and maxing its Speed wouldn't be a good idea. It isn't so much the stat itself.

 

[Deleted member 143209]

Hey there, given that EV training is primarily a battling statistic, I've gone ahead and moved your thread in here. Hopefully it will garner some more replies here too! Have a nice day.

Moved

 

[Zeffy]

The rule of thumb is to invest in the most prominent stat of the Pokemon, unless circumstances say otherwise (ie mixed sets). It all boils down into what you want your Pokemon to achieve. Generally you'd want your attackers to have max EVs in attack/special attack and speed, whilst defensive Pokemon have max HP and max defense/special defense. Never invest in every stat because you think it's better: it's actually not.

There are special cases, like when you want to achieve a certain KO or outspeed a certain 'mon. This Smogon article helps immensely when you're not very familiar with EVs and EV training. Though the name implies 4th gen, the practice still applies since there hasn't been any changes with how EVs and stats are handled anyway.

 

[Anti]

Well, Chansey has base 5 Defense and still gets a Bold nature and max investment, so I guess we're looking at base 1 as too low to EV train?

Anyway it's more about if any stats are so low that it makes a poke as a whole unusable, along with external factors like typing movepool etc. EV training is all about getting and avoiding certain KOs and outspeeding certain mons, and if that means investing in Mega Mawile's Speed, then that's what I'm going to do.