How do you build your competitive teams?

[coolking503]

The core of each pokemon battle is each side's team. The player with the better team tends to win the battle. However, the art of building the team which maintains an advantage over most opponents is difficult. Successful battlers must learn the process however, since a team that works once, may not work later once the metagame has evolved. Now, that brings us to the core question: How do you build a team? Building a team requires lots of effort, and needs good synergy, but how do you go around doing that?

For me, I find it changes for different styles of play. In a heavy offence team, I Tend to pick a pokemon which I like, and pick similar pokemon, in order to create a team with only one counter on most balanced/semi-stall team. I then proceed to add a lead and a last pokemon which either supports the team well, adds a needed immunity/resistance, or just brings a needed support (wish, cleric, etc). I then proceed to test the team and see why I lose, then add and subtract parts until my team preforms well. Eventually, I get bored and I start again.

For a balanced team, I pick a pokemon set I find fascinating, and center my team around it. I add pokemon who can stops its counters, pokemon which can give it wish/cleric support if needed, and paralyzing support too. I also make sure the team has good resistances and immunties, as well as a lead with SR and any other helpful entry hazards (which could be on a different team member too). then I test it and see what is wrong and switch pokemon accordingly. Eventually, once it starts rolling, and I cant see how it can get better (though it may not always win), I ditch it for a new idea I think of. I personally find balanced teams best for new sets I create, since I can support them the best way possible.

For a stall team, I tend to pick a strong defensive combination, such as the infamous skarmbliss combo. Then I add counters to pokemon which can beat both of these pokemon. Hopefully I have a few more spots on my team left, which go to creating entry hazards, weather hazards (if needed), and countering the rest of the metagame. An example of this would be skarmory and blissey, tyranitar for SR and sand storm support, and starmie to stop the common threat of infernape (though that was off the top of my head). then I look through a list of attackers commonly found in the OU metagame, and see what I dont counter. Most pokemon have a counter which is perfect for them, but doesnt fare too well against the rest of the metagame, and this is where thet would go. For example, porygon2 for a DDmence/DDgyara weakness, or slowbro for a machamp weakness. Lastly, i test and adjust accordingly.

For other types of teams, such as trick room, rain dance, etc, i usually dont build. When I do, it follows the Heavy offense style, except I need pokemon to set up trick room, rain dance, etc. This means less attackers, and more supporters, but the idea behind choosing attackers is the same. Testing is usually more extensive due to needing a balance between pokemon for set up, and pokempon for sweeping.

Lastly, I mention testing alot, but this is the part I find hardest. It is rather easy to think up a decent team, however the thing that makes a good team great is changing around the pokemon until it works wonders. I find many teams in the RMT section which are thought out to the first level, but not tested, and if they are tested, they are not patched up, rather left in their theoried state for someone else to patch it up for them. Testing involves battling with the team a couple dozen times over shoddy, and noting why you lose each time you do. if its a stall team, you may add a specialized counter I mentioned, however if it is a balanced or heavy offense team, there is a reason the pokemon chosen cannot sweep. Something gets in the way, which your team cannot stop. I then add something to counter it, getting rid of a pokemon which isnt used, or is used to counter something which may come in the way, but has only rarely been needed to that point. I may have to repeat the test with the new team, until I cant change the team an more. At this point, I call the team complete, and ladder with it for a while, or use it tournament matches, or perhaps build it in game for wifi. Eventually, the team stops working, due to the changing metagame. At this point, when I start to lose, I tend to get bored of it and make a new team.

So, i'll ask again, how do you structure your team and optimize it to its fullest potential?

 

[Badal]

I usually start of the same way by picking a style, then I look at various pokémon suited for that style, so I'll look at Gyarados for Hyper Offense, which is mostly what I do.
Then once I've done that, I move on to the next step, picking out the best pokémon pertaining to that style and then looking at what works well with the others.

Then I go and put the team into place and then remove about 2 of my pokémon and replace them with a similar style of play though not exactly same- like SpA for a Hyper offense team

Then I go and look at ways to make the team different from normal- different EV sets.

Then I go and test the team, look at changes I can make, make the changes and there we go!
Sometimes I change items around.

Thats how I build my team.

 

[Cross Poison]

As a starting EV trainer, I dont have the pokemon to back up my plans, yet. But I gerneraly tend to use NFE's UU's, NU's, somtimes BL's, and VERY rarely OU's, never Ubers (Well, maybe Wobbufett from time to time). I use lots of variaty, walls are my favorite, and I use sweepers too. I tend to somehow use Rock, steel, ground and ghost types a lot.
Just for reference, here is my current team project: Steelix, Armaldo, Misdreavus, Latios, Blaziken, and Sharpedo.

I try to use sets that are not ment for the pokemon, creative sets, sets Smogon wouldent think twice about listing, such as a Physical Gardevior (Not much of a physical moveset for it though, zen headbutt is a good STAB move though)

I will then proceed to test them in the battle tower/PBR, and when I'm happy ther're good enough, ther're on the team.

Thats how I ('m going to) make my team xD

 

[mc2094]

I go copy from Smogon, jk. Seriously though I usually play more bulky styles as they are far more consistent than offensive. I usually only go with offensive teams when playing in tourneys. Anyways, I usually take a look at the most commonly used core and make one of my own which beats that core. That way I'll have an auto advantage more often than not. From there, I'll precede to add in members that cover up problem poke. Once I have ~5 mons I make sure I have an answer to every common lead and add my final member afterwards. Then test, test, test.

 

[PlatinumDude]

I'm a hyper-offensive player. I pick the offensive Pokemon depending on the sets that I like (from Smogon and Serebii.net), then see what other Pokemon/movesets go well with it.

 

[Ino-Chan]

I'm mostly a bulky attacker that plays almost always in the UU tier. I normally look for decent bulky defenders second, after choosing a Lead first, since I only differ between three usually. Then look at the Smogon sets fer help. Then I try to find decent Special Defenders and do the same. I try to have an even amount of Attack and Special Attack on each team. I check to see if they are good on Smogon before trying to EV/IV train them.

I rarely have any sort of support that woundn't naturally be on their normal sets, unless if it is stealth Rock. I'm not that good with Spikes or Toxic Spikes yet. I may have a Rapid Spinner, but that hasn't been seen much when I build teams. I do use Toxic and Will-O-Wisp on one or two Pokies on each team.

Balance is somewhat hard for me sometimes, but I try and make a decent team.