The Monotype Team Building Thread

[Monotypist]

This thread is to discuss ideas, dynamics, and strategies for using monotype teams. Using monotype teams can be extremely strategic if you really research and understand the type you are using. It makes game playthroughs and battling far more challenging and entertaining, and I enjoy the idea of feeling like a gym leader. One of the most challenging aspects of using a monotype team is that your teams weaknesses are very visible and easy to exploit. As a monotype trainer, you need to understand your team's weaknesses and how to overcome them before you can start taking advantage of the perks that monotype teams can offer.

Using monotype teams in playthroughs has been made possible with Pokemon Sun & Moon and their removal of HMs. Before Gen 7 you either used to have an HM slave that wasn't of the typing or could only use monotype teams where one or more Pokemon could use Surf or Fly. Not anymore! I just recently completed my first monotype playthrough for Gen 7 using an all poison team. I'm currently using that team in Battle Spot with double battles, though I've been working on a strategy for single battles too. My next post will go into detail about my poison team.

 

[Monotypist]

This is the Poison type team that I'm using in Battle Spot Double Battles.

1) Alolan Muk

Deviant Art - Alexalan

Type: Poison/Dark
Nature: Hardy
Ability: Poison Touch
Held Item: Air Balloon

Moveset:
Crunch
Poison Gas
Protect
Gunk Shot

2) Drapion

Deviant Art - JacobLionheart

Type: Poison/Dark
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Sniper
Held Item: Icium-Z

Moveset:
Ice Fang
Toxic Spikes
Poison Jab
Crunch

3) Crobat

Deviant Art - Nvktia

Type: Poison/Flying
Nature: Naive
Ability: Inner Focus
Held Item: None

Moveset:
Steel Wing
Cross Poison
Leech Life
Acrobatics

4) Nidoking

Deviant Art - Twime777

Type: Poison/Ground
Nature: Lonely
Ability: Rivalry
Held Item: Groundium Z

Moveset:
Megahorn
Toxic Spikes
Poison Jab
Earthquake

Strategy: I open with Alolan Muk and Drapion. I've noticed that many trainers open with offensively powerful Pokemon, so I open with these two as they are tanky and have the Poison/Dark typing meaning their only weakness is Ground. With Earthquake being a popular move in double battles, I equip Muk with an air balloon so it can avoid those attacks. Typically, my opening attacks are Poison Gas from Muk and Toxic Spikes from Drapion. Poison Gas attacks and poisons both opponents, and a layer of toxic spikes will poison the the next Pokemon that are sent out (as long as they are not Poison, Steel, or Flying). For the next round, I have Muk use Protect while Drapion sends out another round of Toxic Spikes, this causes for the next Pokemon to be badly poisoned. Once these defensive measures have been set in place, I go for the offense while the Pokemon lose HP by poison. Now this is my typical strategy, but it can change with certain factors, for starters if the opponent opens with Pokemon that have major weaknesses against Alolan Muk or Drapion, then I will go ahead and start offensively and take them out. Specifically with Drapion, I had it learn Ice Fang with the Move Relearner so it could be equipped with Icium Z. Pokemon such as Garchomp and Dragonite are extremely popular in Battle Spot, so I've been able to take out many strong Pokemon using Icium Z and starting out offensively. Another instance where my strategy will change is if the opponent has a lot of Poison, Flying, or Steel type Pokemon on his team which would make my Toxic Spikes useless. In this scenario, I would still lay out a Poison Gas if able, and start offensively with Drapion. If the opponents Pokemon typing are also ineffective with Poison Gas, then I will start offensively with Alolan Muk too.

So if my Alolan Muk and Drapion are unable to take everyone out and faint, then my next Pokemon I send out is Crobat. There are no fancy techniques that I use with Crobat's strategy, Crobat is simply a Pokemon with high attack and speed stats, and a wide variety of moves that are super effective against many Pokemon. I use Crobat completely offensively and try to inflict as much damage as possible while it is out on the field. Lastly, I send out Nidoking as my last Pokemon. Nidoking has monster attack and is equipped with the ever popular Earthquake attack. With Crobat typically being the other Pokemon on the field when Nidoking is sent out, Earthquake will do no damage to Crobat as it is also a Flying Pokemon. Earthquake gets boosted by both STAB and Nidoking's high attack stats so it can do amazing damage. Nidoking's Megahorn is also useful as it can take out Psychic, Dark, and Grass types. I'm also thinking of replacing Nidoking's Toxic Spikes with Thunderbolt to be more effective against Water type Pokemon. So essentially, I use Nidoking and Crobat entirely offensively while Drapion's two layers of Toxic Spikes badly poisons the opponents Pokemon.

It's not a foolproof strategy (no strategy is unless you have ridiculous hack legendary Pokemon), but I've been able to defeat quite a few people with this team.

 

[popplio25]

these are my mono-type teams.. so far :)


pokemon blue: *i started it again on 11/1/2018*

speadow - name: row
attacks: peck, take down, razor wind, fly

clefairy - name: orin
attacks: pound, sing, blizzard, flash

paras - name: tochuu
attacks: scratch, leech life, body slam, cut

sandshrew - name: sandy
attacks: slash, swift, dig, strength

eevee/vaporeon - name: mizuro
attacks: tackle, surf, quick attack, watergun

vulpix/ninetales - name: willows
attacks: flamethrower, confuse ray, quick attack, skull bash
__________________________________________________________________

pokemon firered:

rattata (F) - name: tatta
attacks: tackle, cut, quick attack, hyper fang
nature: quirky
ability: run away
item:

pidgey (F) - name: poppo
attacks: tackle, fly, gust, steel wing
nature: mild
ability: keen eye

jigglypuff (F) - name: puffy
attacks: sing, rollout, flash, doubleslap
nature: relaxed
ability: cute charm

cubone (F) - name: kara
attacks: strength, boneclub, headbutt, leer
nature: careful
ability: lightning rod
item: quick claw

horsea (F) - name: tatu
attacks: bubble, smokescreen, watergun, surf
nature: bashful
ability: swift swim
item:

growlithe (F) - name: shula
attacks: bite, dig, ember, attract
nature: careful
ability: intimidate
item:
_______________________________________________________________
pokemon red:

weedle - name: stingy
attacks: poison sting, string shot

ekans - name: eki
attacks: wrap, bite, poison sting, bite

oddish - name: kusa
attacks: solar beam, cut, petal dance, sleep powder

abra - name: houdini
attacks: teleport, psychic, body slam, flash

doduo - name: dodo
attacks *so far*: peck, growl, fly

poliwag - name: romo
attacks *so far*: bubble, hypnosis

 

[HeroLinik]

these are my mono-type teams.. so far :)

Spoiler:

pokemon blue: *i started it again on 11/1/2018*

speadow - name: row
attacks: peck, take down, razor wind, fly

clefairy - name: orin
attacks: pound, sing, blizzard, flash

paras - name: tochuu
attacks: scratch, leech life, body slam, cut

sandshrew - name: sandy
attacks: slash, swift, dig, strength

eevee/vaporeon - name: mizuro
attacks: tackle, surf, quick attack, watergun

vulpix/ninetales - name: willows
attacks: flamethrower, confuse ray, quick attack, skull bash
__________________________________________________________________

pokemon firered:

rattata (F) - name: tatta
attacks: tackle, cut, quick attack, hyper fang
nature: quirky
ability: run away
item:

pidgey (F) - name: poppo
attacks: tackle, fly, gust, steel wing
nature: mild
ability: keen eye

jigglypuff (F) - name: puffy
attacks: sing, rollout, flash, doubleslap
nature: relaxed
ability: cute charm

cubone (F) - name: kara
attacks: strength, boneclub, headbutt, leer
nature: careful
ability: lightning rod
item: quick claw

horsea (F) - name: tatu
attacks: bubble, smokescreen, watergun, surf
nature: bashful
ability: swift swim
item:

growlithe (F) - name: shula
attacks: bite, dig, ember, attract
nature: careful
ability: intimidate
item:
_______________________________________________________________
pokemon red:

weedle - name: stingy
attacks: poison sting, string shot

ekans - name: eki
attacks: wrap, bite, poison sting, bite

oddish - name: kusa
attacks: solar beam, cut, petal dance, sleep powder

abra - name: houdini
attacks: teleport, psychic, body slam, flash

doduo - name: dodo
attacks *so far*: peck, growl, fly

poliwag - name: romo
attacks *so far*: bubble, hypnosis

These aren't monotype teams, to be honest, because they don't all share the same type. On the first one, while Spearow and Clefairy share the Normal-type, Paras violates it because it's Bug/Grass. The second one looks promising to start, but is again violated by the presence of Cubone and Horsea. The third one has an Abra, a Doduo and a Poliwag in what appears to be a Poison team.