I can't seem to put together a good team

[#DickBats]

Hi, I started playing competitive battling 2 months ago. The thing is I do well in free battles but when it is a 6v6 I lose badly. Sugestions? What Poke should I add? Can I build a good team with these pokemon? Thanks in advance.

These are all of my fully trained PKMN:

1.Dragonite@Leftovers
252 atk- 252 speed
-Fire punch
-dragon claw
-dragon dance
-extreme speed

2.Arcanine@sitrus berry
252atk- 252speed
-wild charge
-flare blitz
-Morning sun
-Close combat

3.Greninja@life orb
252speed- 252spa
-surf
-Grass Knot
-Dark pulse
-Ice beam

4.Mega Kangaskhan
252speed- 252atk
-Sucker punch
-Return
-fake out
-Earthquake

5.Skarmory@rockyhelmet
252speed- 252hp
-Brave bird
-spikes
-whirlwind
-stealth rock

6.Crobat@choiceband
252atk- 252speed
-Brave bird
-cross poison
-steel wing
-U-Turn

7.Snorlax@chesto
forgot Ev spread
-stockpile
-belly drum
-crunch
-Rest

8.Megazard Y
252speed 252SpA
-Focus Blast
-solar beam
-dragon pulse
-Fire blast

9. Paraflich togekiss

 

[PlatinumDude]

Lum Berry > Leftovers on Dragonite. Curing a crippling status like burn or paralysis is helpful.

Arcanine is outclassed by other Fire Pokemon like Charizard, Heatran and Infernape. You're better off using the latter two, as they lack a Stealth Rock weakness:

Infernape:
-Fire Blast/Flare Blitz
-Close Combat
-Grass Knot
-Hidden Power (Ice)/Thunder Punch/Mach Punch
Nature: Hasty/Naive
EVs: 168 Atk/88 SAtk/252 Spe
Item: Life Orb/Expert Belt

or
-Stealth Rock
-Overheat
-Close Combat
-Endeavor
Nature: Hasty/Naive
EVs: 168 Atk/88 SAtk/252 Spe
Item: Focus Sash
Ability: Blaze

or
-Close Combat
-Taunt
-Will-o-Wisp
-Slack Off
Nature: Impish
EVs: 212 HP/4 Atk/252 Def/40 Spe
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Blaze

Heatran:
-Lava Plume
-Protect
-Taunt/Roar/Stealth Rock
-Will-o-Wisp/Toxic
Nature: Calm
EVs: 248 HP/220 SDef/40 Spe
Item: Leftovers

or
-Substitute
-Toxic
-Lava Plume/Fire Blast/Flamethrower
-Protect/Earth Power
Nature: Timid
EVs: 252 SAtk/12 SDef/244 Spe
Item: Leftovers

or
-Overheat/Fire Blast
-Flash Cannon
-Stone Edge/Earth Power
-Flamethrower/Fire Blast/Hidden Power (Ice)
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SAtk/4 SDef/252 Spe
Item: Choice Scarf

If you're planning to use Charizard on a 6v6 team, it needs Defog/Rapid Spin support. Remove Crobat, since it's a terrible Choice Bander because of its limited offensive move pool and replace it with a Rapid Spinner/Defogger such as Excadrill or Mandibuzz:

Excadrill:
-Earthquake
-Iron Head
-Rapid Spin
-Rock Slide/Stealth Rock
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe
Item: Leftovers/Air Balloon
Ability: Mold Breaker

or
-Earthquake
-Iron Head
-Rock Slide
-Rapid Spin
Nature: Adamant/Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk/4 Def/252 Spe (Choice Scarf) or 120 HP/136 Atk/252 SDef (Assault Vest; Adamant only)
Item: Choice Scarf/Assault Vest
Ability: Mold Breaker

Mandibuzz:
-Foul Play
-Roost
-Taunt/Whirlwind
-Defog
Nature: Bold
EVs: 248 HP/136 Def/108 SDef/16 Spe
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Overcoat

Drop one of Skarmory's entry hazards for Roost; it certainly could use the extra recovery.

Snorlax isn't that good anymore simply because of the power creep. Assault Vest is now the way to go and the lack of STAB really hurts on it:
-Return/Body Slam
-Earthquake
-Crunch/Fire Punch
-Self-Destruct/Pursuit/Wild Charge
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk/252 SDef/4 Spe
Item: Assault Vest
Ability: Thick Fat

Since you already have a Normal Pokemon in Mega Kangaskhan, better Assault Vest users to turn to are Conkeldurr and Escavalier:

Conkeldurr:
-Drain Punch
-Mach Punch
-Knock Off
-Stone Edge/Ice Punch
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 Atk/236 SDef/20 Spe
Item: Assault Vest
Ability: Guts

Escavalier:
-Megahorn
-Iron Head
-Drill Run
-Knock Off/Pursuit
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 248 HP/252 Atk/8 SDef
Item: Assault Vest

Is Charizard Y Modest or Timid? Other than that, moves are fine, but consider dropping Dragon Pulse for Roost for the recovery.

 

[Nah]

A couple of little things I'll add to this.

Hydro Pump>Surf on Greninja. It needs the extra power since base 103 Sp.Attack isn't exactly super powerful. I've also been seeing people running Scald on their Greninjas lately, and I don't get why. You may want to also consider swapping Dark Pulse with Extrasensory so it can deal with Mega Venusaur and the occasional Tentacruel or Fighting type.

Dragon Pulse is an acceptable move for Mega Zard Y because Dragons resist Fire Blast and Solarbeam, and Focus Blast isn't much better either since Dragonite and Rayquaza (and Salamence, if people still use that) are part flying while Goodra and Zygarde are pretty bulky. Not to mention that 70% accuracy. But Roost is also good too.

 

[#DickBats]

Zekrom I was using Greninja with hydro pump but I was missing alot, now that you metioned it surf most of the time is 3HKO and greninja can't take a hit. Now that I understand a bit more, I will change it back to hydro pump. And you said extrasensory but i've had a lot of problems with aegislash,

PlatinumDude Wow, exactly what I needed! I like that Heatran build but where can I get a Heatran? Anyway I have a chimchar :) . I'm going to Try Excadrill and mandibuzz too.

Thanks both of you! And sorry if my english is bad, I speak spanish{XD}

 

[PlatinumDude]

Zekrom I was using Greninja with hydro pump but I was missing alot, now that you metioned it surf most of the time is 3HKO and greninja can't take a hit. Now that I understand a bit more, I will change it back to hydro pump. And you said extrasensory but i've had a lot of problems with aegislash,

PlatinumDude Wow, exactly what I needed! I like that Heatran build but where can I get a Heatran? Anyway I have a chimchar :) . I'm going to Try Excadrill and mandibuzz too.

Thanks both of you! And sorry if my english is bad, I speak spanish{XD}

1. Remove Grass Knot to make room for Extrasensory. While Hydro Pump 2HKOes Aegislash, Dark Pulse does the same thing, but much more reliably.

2. Transfer over a Heatran you caught in Black 2/White 2 via Poke Transporter to X/Y.

 

[JustJeff]

I may be new to the Forums, but i'm an expert on battling :)
You can try a Choice Band Set for Dragonite. It always works for me~ Just make sure you get rid of those pesky rocks before switching him in~

Dragonite@ Choice Band
Ability: Multiscale
Nature: Adamant
Ev's: 252 Attk / 4 SpD / 252 Speed
-Fire punch
-Earthquake
-Outrage / Dragon Claw
-Extreme Speed

For Greninja, I would recommend this set.

Ability: Protean
Nature: Naive
Ev's: 4 Attk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
~Extrasensory
~Ice Beam
~Scald
~U-Turn
I wouldn't recommend Hydropump or Surf instead of Scald due to Greninja's already high dmg output. If its super-effective or even neutral, Scald will do the job just as Hydropump does. Plus a 30% chance to burn is always nice.
U-Turn for initiative, and u don't really want Dark Pulse or Grass-knot on it. Scald is just Superior move than Dark Pulse and Grass-knot us just way to unreliable / situational.
Naive nature so u do the most dmg w/ U-Turn. Also, Greninja shouldn't be taking any hits so the having a nature that decreasing its survive-ability would be productive. The only way Greninja should be taking damage is from Hazards, its Life Orb, or a Status Condition.

 

[PlatinumDude]

For Greninja, I would recommend this set.

Ability: Protean
Nature: Naive
Ev's: 4 Attk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
~Extrasensory
~Ice Beam
~Scald
~U-Turn
I wouldn't recommend Hydropump or Surf instead of Scald due to Greninja's already high dmg output. If its super-effective or even neutral, Scald will do the job just as Hydropump does. Plus a 30% chance to burn is always nice.
U-Turn for initiative, and u don't really want Dark Pulse or Grass-knot on it. Scald is just Superior move than Dark Pulse and Grass-knot us just way to unreliable / situational.
Naive nature so u do the most dmg w/ U-Turn. Also, Greninja shouldn't be taking any hits so the having a nature that decreasing its survive-ability would be productive. The only way Greninja should be taking damage is from Hazards, its Life Orb, or a Status Condition.

Greninja isn't that strong, really, as 103 Special Attack, while good, may not be enough. Hydro Pump is its strongest offensive attack, which makes up for the semi-lack of power that Greninja naturally has. Scald is better left to defensive Pokemon.

There are better ways to spend that last moveslot than U-turn. "Scouting" is already done by team preview and it's better to give Greninja extra coverage with Dark Pulse, Hidden Power or Grass Knot or a form of utility with Spikes.

 

[Zeffy]

"Scouting" is already done by team preview

I think you're being a bit rash with this. While yes, team preview eased up prediction, that doesn't necessarily mean you've learnt what the opponent can throw at you. The possibility that your opponent is running something different is there.

I wouldn't recommend Hydropump or Surf instead of Scald due to Greninja's already high dmg output. If its super-effective or even neutral, Scald will do the job just as Hydropump does. Plus a 30% chance to burn is always nice.

Using Scald makes you miss on a lot of notable KOs. Scald is a terrible offensive move to begin with, unless you're a Keldeo (or a crocune, etc). As an offensive 'mon, your first priority is to KO, not to cripple.

 

[PlatinumDude]

I think you're being a bit rash with this. While yes, team preview eased up prediction, that doesn't necessarily mean you've learnt what the opponent can throw at you. The possibility that your opponent is running something different is there.

True that, actually. But Greninja would rather have an extra coverage option or the utility of Spikes, IMO.

 

[JustJeff]

Using Scald makes you miss on a lot of notable KOs. Scald is a terrible offensive move to begin with, unless you're a Keldeo (or a crocune, etc). As an offensive 'mon, your first priority is to KO, not to cripple.

I would love to see what Hydro Pump KO's that Scald wouldn't. May you plz show me a list? And I never said you rely on the Burn for dmg. I just said it always nice to have a secondary effect that procs occasionally.

 

[PlatinumDude]

I would love to see what Hydro Pump KO's that Scald wouldn't. May you plz show me a list? And I never said you rely on the Burn for dmg. I just said it always nice to have a secondary effect that procs occasionally.

Here's a prominent one:

252 SpA Life Orb Greninja Scald vs. 244 HP / 0 SpD Aegislash-Shield: 103-122 (31.9 - 37.8%) -- 30.2% chance to 3HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

252 SpA Life Orb Greninja Hydro Pump vs. 244 HP / 0 SpD Aegislash-Shield: 140-165 (43.4 - 51.2%) -- 5.9% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

Hydro Pump can 2HKO Aegislash, something Scald fails to do.

252 SpA Life Orb Greninja Scald vs. 248 HP / 108 SpD Mega Scizor: 130-153 (37.9 - 44.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252 SpA Life Orb Greninja Hydro Pump vs. 248 HP / 108 SpD Mega Scizor: 179-212 (52.1 - 61.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Same applies to Mega Scizor.

252 SpA Life Orb Greninja Scald vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Terrakion: 315-374 (97.5 - 115.7%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO

252 SpA Life Orb Greninja Hydro Pump vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Terrakion: 432-510 (133.7 - 157.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

There are times when Scald falls short of KOing Terrakion (the burn chance shouldn't be relied on to take it out fully), but Hydro Pump guarantees the KO.

 

[Zeffy]

I would love to see what Hydro Pump KO's that Scald wouldn't. May you plz show me a list? And I never said you rely on the Burn for dmg. I just said it always nice to have a secondary effect that procs occasionally.

Aside from the list that PlatD already gave, it should be glaringly obvious anyway since Hydro Pump is overall more powerful than Scald in any given situation. If you really insist on using Scald then I'm not going to stop you. Just keep in mind that it'll never be a better choice.

 

[JustJeff]

The Suspect Test Aegislash, the 252 Hp / 108 SpD Scizor, and the non-existent Terrakion! You got me sir! Hydro Pump is way superior than Scald! Theres nothing Scald can do that Hydro Pump can't! My apologies! As for forgiveness, I shall go on Showdown, and switch in my Scizor on a Scald from a Greninja, thus, making me lose ELO! I do not deserve to be on such on a Ladder! I'm such a disgrace to wifi battling!

 

[Zeffy]

The Suspect Test Aegislash, the 252 Hp / 108 SpD Scizor, and the non-existent Terrakion! You got me sir! Hydro Pump is way superior than Scald! Theres nothing Scald can do that Hydro Pump can't! My apologies! As for forgiveness, I shall go on Showdown, and switch in my Scizor on a Scald from a Greninja, thus, making me lose ELO! I do not deserve to be on such on a Ladder! I'm such a disgrace to wifi battling!

Maybe you should, actually, since obviously you're more insistent on being a douchebag instead of actually defending your opinion. Kudos, sir, for proving to me that you are an "expert" battler.

Hydro Pump is undoubtedly better for having the higher base power. If you're being so adamant about using Scald because it has a chance to burn, use something else like a Keldeo (which can afford the decrease in base power because it has the bulk to utilize it). You want the 30% chance of burn? Use a defensive Pokemon. As I've already said before, an offensive Pokemon should always go for more power in order to attain the most KOs.

Anyway, let's agree to disagree. This is getting off-topic, anyway. Let's focus on the thread's purpose, yeah?

 

[srinator]

The choice of hydro pump or scald seems very obv, even though scald has the burn chance and hydro pump has the greater power they are both used for different purposes. Scald is mainly used on defensive walls like quagsire or vaporeon to scout for a burn and proceed to stall, yes it is used on keldeo but keldeo is much more powerful and can use it effectively due to the cm/specs set.

Offensive mons like greninja are always better suited to use hydro pump since it can't afford to take a hit owing to its fragility. Also if you do get a burn using greninja on any special or even some physical attackers they can still ko, also as zeffy said hit and run mons always prefer power over anything else, also greninja doesn't have an excellent spa.

Also dark pulse is important on greninja,without the coverage it absolutely sits duck to bulky psychics and not to mention Aegislash, just because it is being suspected doesn't mean it isn't being used on the ladder, so it's a must to keep it mind until and unless aegi bids farewell. Also I would any day prefer coverage over scout on greninja.

On topic, I remember battling against that snorlax set yesterday on the suspect ladder and it is extremely bad, sure it would have worked in previous generation but with the speed and the power this gen presents, well atleast I find it extremely unviable, specially since snorlax didn't get 1% damage on any of my mons and rather wasted turn on one stock pile and bd. also you should try roost instead of dragon pulse, increases it's stay helps regain hp during obv switches etc.

 

[#DickBats]

On topic, I remember battling against that snorlax set yesterday on the suspect ladder and it is extremely bad, sure it would have worked in previous generation but with the speed and the power this gen presents, well atleast I find it extremely unviable, specially since snorlax didn't get 1% damage on any of my mons and rather wasted turn on one stock pile and bd. also you should try roost instead of dragon pulse, increases it's stay helps regain hp during obv switches etc.

Yeah, I learned that the hard way.

Well as for the greninja debate, I only changed surf for hydro pump, and it works great. My team is getting alot better, I switched Arcanine for the Infernape that Platinum Dude sugested. My dragonite didn't have multiscale *facepalm*, I fixed it. And i'm still giving crobat a chance because, I don't know I like crobat lol.

My battle box right now is: 1.Skarmory 2.Dragonite 3.infernape 4.Greninja 5.Kangaskhan 6.Crobat
Is my team cheap? I don't know, do you guys think is cheap? Oh, with what pokemon should I lead? I'm thinking of leading with greninja, but i'm not sure.