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Well, heres another sm2 production starring SM2! who else? Well, hooh requested a ''How to be a good trainer/How to make a good team'' guide, so I'm making it.
First of all, lets learn about the ''roles'' in a pokemon team.
Sweepers:
Sweepers are commonly pokemon with more then average offensive capabilities, and decent speed capabilities to match, but usually lacks in the defensive areas. A sweeper comes in three forms, special and physical and mixed.
A Common physical sweeper is a pokemon such as heracross. With its amazing STAB powered moves, resistances, 125 base attack and 85 base speed, it does its job well, physical sweepers attack from the defensive side. Physical sweepers usually have either a attack boosting move/ ability such as swords dance or guts, or an extraordinary attak stat.
A common special Sweeper is a pokemon such as Gengar. It has an extraordinary movepool, great coverage and is open to be used to many sets. special sweepers attack from the special defensive side. Special sweepers usually have either a special attack boosting move such as nastly plot, or an extraordinary special attack stat.
A common mixed sweeper is a pokemon such as infernape. It has a helpful 108 base speed enabling it too outspeed positive 105 base speed pokemon, has acsess to a vast movepool and has offensive boosting moves to boost its average special attack and attack. Mixed sweepers attack from both physical and special sides, meaning countering it is a hard job to do. Mixed sweepers usually have average offensive skills, but might have either speed or defences that let them take hits/outspeed things whilst boosting their offensive moves or sweep with their exceptional movepool.
Walls:
Walls are commonly pokemon with more then average defensive capabilities, and a decent HP stat. They are like the counter-parts to sweepers. Walls are used to counter sweepers, but certain walls cannot take hits from both special and physical hits. Like sweepers, walls come in 3 kinds. Special, physical and dual walls.
A common physical wall is a pokemon such as skarmory, with its high defence, decent hp and great typing, even the greatest of physical sweepers should fear it. Physical walls take hits from the defensive side usually having self-healing moves such as roost.
A common special wall is a pokemon such as blissey, with its VERY high hp, more then average special defence and great supporting movepool, blissey can set your next team member up, being one of the best for the job. Special walls take hits from the special side, usually having self-healing moves aswell such as softboiled.
A common dual wall is a pokemon such as cresselia with its more then average defenses AND all the hp other walls wish they had, it also has a decent movepool, cresselia is able to match with most sweepers of any kind and take hits easily. Dual walls can take hits from both sides with their decent defences/ hp.
Tanks:
Tanks are like walls/sweepers, just less defensive and faster, but can still do the defensive job whilst supporting and hitting back. There are, like sweepers and walls, three kinds of tanks. Physical, special and mix tanks. I dont really need to explain these, so i'll just give you an example or two. Suicune has sweeping capabilities aswell as decent defensives, its typing allows it to have great resistances and has great type coverage to hit back with.
Hazers & Phazers:
Hazer/Phazers are pokemon that use roar/whirlwind to rid of a pokemon's stat boosts, for example, a skarmory could use whirlwind to a dragon dancing gyarados, the gyarados' status boosts would be nullified as its switched out.
Baton Passers:
Baton passers are useful supporters as they can give a pokemon the speed and power it needs to sweep entire teams. Baton pass woks differently then just normally switching out, baton pass carries on any stat boosts from the previous pokemon onto the next, unfortunetly, it also includes negative stat effects. A nice baton passer would have to be ninjask, with its speed boost ability, and fast speed, it can freely bp all it wants.
Spinner:
Spinners are pokemon who use the move ''rapid spin'', in the d/p generation, rapid spin has gained even more importance as the introduction of stealth rock has agained popularity. Rapid spin is used to blow away spikes, toxic spikes and stealth rock. Good spinners are pokemon such as forretress and starmie who resist the effects of spikes and stealth rock.
Cleric:
A cleric are pokemon that heal other team member's status problems, such as parylysis and burn. A cleric is a useful member to have on your team as it would keep your pokemon fresh and battle ready. Good clerics are pokemon like blissey and celebi.
Spiker:
A spiker is usually a pokemon that uses either spikes, stealth rock, or toxic spikes. These pokemon are useful as they set up conditions in which can determine if a pokemon could be ohko'd or not. Useful spikers are pokemon such as forretress, tentacrueal and skarmory.
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Commonly seen pokemon in OU
These should always be noticed in your threat list and atleast one should always be used if you're battling compettetively.
Blissey
Definitely the most used pokemon in OU. The best special sponge found in these tiers, Blissey can also support a team with Thunder wave, wish, and Light Screen. Should always be the first pokemon you think about when building a team.
Skarmory
Still one of best, if not the best, physical wall in the game. Great type combination gives it resistances to plenty of types, and spikes combined with Whirlwind or roar will annoy the opponent for days! Cant go wrong with Skarmory.
Salamence
Scary is one word to describe Salamence! Not only can it hit you hard with special attacks like Draco Meteor now, but it can hit just as hard with physical attacks. Its unpreditability makes it one of the hardest pokemon to counter in this generation.
Tyranitar
Wow! People sure dont want to face this pokemon. Not only does it have great stats and a great movepool, but it probably has the best ability in the game. Sandstream messes with reveralers and leftovers, and it also gives all rock pokemon, like Tyranitar herself, a large special defense boost! A great pokemon to use, but be careful because its ability can mess with your team as well.
Gyrados
Dont be fulled by its cuteness! Gyrados will send shivers down your spine! Gyrados can and will take a hit or too, and will retaliate back with plenty of force. If Gyrados can get 1 or 2 dragon dances in, you are in for a world of pain.
Heracross
Few pokemon can hit as hard as Heracross. With so many powerful moves like Swords Dance, Close Combat, and Megahorn...and with a great ability like Guts...Heracross can hurt anything not named Gliscor.
Gengar
You have to like Gengar. Great special attack...and a movepool that well make most pokemon jealous. Gengar will make your blood boil.
Cresselia
You rarely see a pokemon as hard to take down as Cresselia. Depending on its nature and moves, it can take special attacks or physical attacks all day. Cresselia can be a reliable defender on your team.
Infernape
This crazy monkey is crazy indeed! It has a movepool that most can only dream about, and is capable of sweeping on either the physical or special side. Frail, but very powerful
Garchomp
Yay for the Landshark! Garchomp is definitely one of the most powerful pokemon in OU, having high stats everywhere. Not only that, but it can boost its attack with swords dance! And good luck trying to hit it in a sandstorm.
Threat list and counters
Theres nothing worse then having half or more of your team get KOed by a single pokemon. Or being walled by a single pokemon for 10 turns. So heres the list of the pokemon that you need to make sure that you can defeat, and, the pokemon that can defeat them:
Azelf (Thunderbolt, Hp-Ice, Flamethrower, Grass Knot)
- Counters: Blissey, Empoleon
Blissey ( Seismic Toss, Softboiled, ThunderWave, Ice Beam)
- Counters: Machamp, Heracross, Electrive
Bronzong ( Hypnosis, Earthquake, Gyro Ball, Stealth Rock)
- Counters: Milotic, Gyrados
Cresselia (Calm Mind, Ice Beam, Psychic, Moonlight)
- Counters: Tyranitar, Metagross, Dusknoir
Garchomp ( Earthquake, Fire Blast, Swords Dance, Dragon Claw)
- Counters: Cresselia, Slowbro
Gengar ( ShadowBall, Thunderbolt, Hypnosis, Focus Blast)
-Counters: Weavile, Jirachi
Gyrados ( Waterfall, Taunt, Earthquake, Dragon Dance)
-Counters: Tangrowth
Heatran ( Earthpower, Hidden Power Ice, Lava Plume, Explosion)
-Counters: Gyrados, Milotic, Blissey
Heracross ( Close Combat, Megahorn, Stone Edge, Night Slash)
-Counters: Weezing, Gliscor, Skarmory
Metagross (Agility, Meteor Mash, Earthquake, Thunderpunch)
-Counters: Gliscor, Swampert, Bronzong
Porygon Z ( Nasty Plot, Tri Attack, Thunderbolt, Ice Beam)
-Counters: Blissey, Heatran, Tyranitar
Rhyperior ( Earthquake, Megahorn, Stone Edge, Avalanche)
-Counters: Swampert, Milotic, Bronzong
Salamence ( Draco Meteor, Hydro Pump, Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower)
-Counters: Blissey, Cresselia, Milotic
Skarmory ( Roost, Brave Bird, Spikes, Whirlwind)
-Counters: Magnezone, Heatran, Raikou
Tyranitar ( Crunch, Earthquake, Stone Edge, Pursuit)
-Counters: Hippowdon, Swampert, Bronzong
Weavile ( Night Slash, Ice Punch, Brick Break, Swords Dance)
-Counters: Rhyperior, Metagross, Infernape
Things to watch out for:
1. Spikes -Stacking move that stays on the field throught the battle. Does damage to an opponent's pokemon whenever they switch in a new Pokemon. 1/8 damage with one layer, 1/6 with two layers, and 1/4 damage with three layers. Flying types and Pokemon with the ability Levitate are immune to Spikes. Can only be removed with Rapid Spin.
2. Stealth Rock - The new rock version of spikes (but stealth rock doesnt stack). Causes 12.5 % damage to neutral pokemon on switch ins, 1/4 damage to those 2x weak to rock, and 1/2 damage to those 4x weak to rock. It will also do 6.25% damage to pokemon that resist rock.
12.5% damage to those that resist rock 4x. Make sure to use a spinner if you use a lot of pokemon weak to this.
3. Toxic Spikes - Another new version of spikes. Toxic spikes can stack, from poisoning the pokemon on switch ins on the first time to badly poisoning the pokemon on switch ins the second time its used. Not seen as much as regular spikes or stealth rock. Can be removed with rapid spin.
4. Baton Pass - Less then 50% of teams use baton passers, but it is something to watch out for. A hazer like Weezing or a pokemon with roar or whirlwind like Suicune and Skarmory can prevent passing.
5. Status Effects - Watch out for status effects. These effects can really hamper your team if you let it. Effects can prevented with a healer like Blissey or Celebi. Certain effects can be countered with the right pokemon, like Heatran for Will O Wips and Electrivire for Thunder Waves. You can also turn effects into advantages with pokemon with Guts like Heracross and Machamp.
Hints and Tips
1. Know where to put your evs. This isnt too hard...just make sure to know what stats you are aiming for before you start. Also make sure not to waste evs. exp: No need to max a Weavile's max speed right? Because the next fastest pokemon is Alakazam at 372. You just saved 36 evs!
2. Know your weaknesses. Make sure you know what types your pokemon are weak to, and make sure you are able to counter those weaknesses. exp: If you use Gyrados and Skarmory on your team, it might be good to use an Electrivire to counter your electric weaknesses. Try not to have a lot of pokemon weak to one type.
3. Use a good mix of pokemon. A team with all walls wont be able to do a lot of damage. A team with all sweepers will be taken down quickly. Make sure to use a mix of both to prevent getting beat badly. Because of all the hard hitting physical attackers now, a physical wall is almost neccessary. Only half to 4 of your pokemon should be sweepers.
4. Credits
-Miyona and her friends (Thank them or she'll bitch at me >_>)
-SM2 that cool dude who voulenteered to write this thing.
First of all, lets learn about the ''roles'' in a pokemon team.
Sweepers:
Sweepers are commonly pokemon with more then average offensive capabilities, and decent speed capabilities to match, but usually lacks in the defensive areas. A sweeper comes in three forms, special and physical and mixed.
A Common physical sweeper is a pokemon such as heracross. With its amazing STAB powered moves, resistances, 125 base attack and 85 base speed, it does its job well, physical sweepers attack from the defensive side. Physical sweepers usually have either a attack boosting move/ ability such as swords dance or guts, or an extraordinary attak stat.
A common special Sweeper is a pokemon such as Gengar. It has an extraordinary movepool, great coverage and is open to be used to many sets. special sweepers attack from the special defensive side. Special sweepers usually have either a special attack boosting move such as nastly plot, or an extraordinary special attack stat.
A common mixed sweeper is a pokemon such as infernape. It has a helpful 108 base speed enabling it too outspeed positive 105 base speed pokemon, has acsess to a vast movepool and has offensive boosting moves to boost its average special attack and attack. Mixed sweepers attack from both physical and special sides, meaning countering it is a hard job to do. Mixed sweepers usually have average offensive skills, but might have either speed or defences that let them take hits/outspeed things whilst boosting their offensive moves or sweep with their exceptional movepool.
Walls:
Walls are commonly pokemon with more then average defensive capabilities, and a decent HP stat. They are like the counter-parts to sweepers. Walls are used to counter sweepers, but certain walls cannot take hits from both special and physical hits. Like sweepers, walls come in 3 kinds. Special, physical and dual walls.
A common physical wall is a pokemon such as skarmory, with its high defence, decent hp and great typing, even the greatest of physical sweepers should fear it. Physical walls take hits from the defensive side usually having self-healing moves such as roost.
A common special wall is a pokemon such as blissey, with its VERY high hp, more then average special defence and great supporting movepool, blissey can set your next team member up, being one of the best for the job. Special walls take hits from the special side, usually having self-healing moves aswell such as softboiled.
A common dual wall is a pokemon such as cresselia with its more then average defenses AND all the hp other walls wish they had, it also has a decent movepool, cresselia is able to match with most sweepers of any kind and take hits easily. Dual walls can take hits from both sides with their decent defences/ hp.
Tanks:
Tanks are like walls/sweepers, just less defensive and faster, but can still do the defensive job whilst supporting and hitting back. There are, like sweepers and walls, three kinds of tanks. Physical, special and mix tanks. I dont really need to explain these, so i'll just give you an example or two. Suicune has sweeping capabilities aswell as decent defensives, its typing allows it to have great resistances and has great type coverage to hit back with.
Hazers & Phazers:
Hazer/Phazers are pokemon that use roar/whirlwind to rid of a pokemon's stat boosts, for example, a skarmory could use whirlwind to a dragon dancing gyarados, the gyarados' status boosts would be nullified as its switched out.
Baton Passers:
Baton passers are useful supporters as they can give a pokemon the speed and power it needs to sweep entire teams. Baton pass woks differently then just normally switching out, baton pass carries on any stat boosts from the previous pokemon onto the next, unfortunetly, it also includes negative stat effects. A nice baton passer would have to be ninjask, with its speed boost ability, and fast speed, it can freely bp all it wants.
Spinner:
Spinners are pokemon who use the move ''rapid spin'', in the d/p generation, rapid spin has gained even more importance as the introduction of stealth rock has agained popularity. Rapid spin is used to blow away spikes, toxic spikes and stealth rock. Good spinners are pokemon such as forretress and starmie who resist the effects of spikes and stealth rock.
Cleric:
A cleric are pokemon that heal other team member's status problems, such as parylysis and burn. A cleric is a useful member to have on your team as it would keep your pokemon fresh and battle ready. Good clerics are pokemon like blissey and celebi.
Spiker:
A spiker is usually a pokemon that uses either spikes, stealth rock, or toxic spikes. These pokemon are useful as they set up conditions in which can determine if a pokemon could be ohko'd or not. Useful spikers are pokemon such as forretress, tentacrueal and skarmory.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commonly seen pokemon in OU
These should always be noticed in your threat list and atleast one should always be used if you're battling compettetively.
Blissey
Definitely the most used pokemon in OU. The best special sponge found in these tiers, Blissey can also support a team with Thunder wave, wish, and Light Screen. Should always be the first pokemon you think about when building a team.
Skarmory
Still one of best, if not the best, physical wall in the game. Great type combination gives it resistances to plenty of types, and spikes combined with Whirlwind or roar will annoy the opponent for days! Cant go wrong with Skarmory.
Salamence
Scary is one word to describe Salamence! Not only can it hit you hard with special attacks like Draco Meteor now, but it can hit just as hard with physical attacks. Its unpreditability makes it one of the hardest pokemon to counter in this generation.
Tyranitar
Wow! People sure dont want to face this pokemon. Not only does it have great stats and a great movepool, but it probably has the best ability in the game. Sandstream messes with reveralers and leftovers, and it also gives all rock pokemon, like Tyranitar herself, a large special defense boost! A great pokemon to use, but be careful because its ability can mess with your team as well.
Gyrados
Dont be fulled by its cuteness! Gyrados will send shivers down your spine! Gyrados can and will take a hit or too, and will retaliate back with plenty of force. If Gyrados can get 1 or 2 dragon dances in, you are in for a world of pain.
Heracross
Few pokemon can hit as hard as Heracross. With so many powerful moves like Swords Dance, Close Combat, and Megahorn...and with a great ability like Guts...Heracross can hurt anything not named Gliscor.
Gengar
You have to like Gengar. Great special attack...and a movepool that well make most pokemon jealous. Gengar will make your blood boil.
Cresselia
You rarely see a pokemon as hard to take down as Cresselia. Depending on its nature and moves, it can take special attacks or physical attacks all day. Cresselia can be a reliable defender on your team.
Infernape
This crazy monkey is crazy indeed! It has a movepool that most can only dream about, and is capable of sweeping on either the physical or special side. Frail, but very powerful
Garchomp
Yay for the Landshark! Garchomp is definitely one of the most powerful pokemon in OU, having high stats everywhere. Not only that, but it can boost its attack with swords dance! And good luck trying to hit it in a sandstorm.
Threat list and counters
Theres nothing worse then having half or more of your team get KOed by a single pokemon. Or being walled by a single pokemon for 10 turns. So heres the list of the pokemon that you need to make sure that you can defeat, and, the pokemon that can defeat them:
Azelf (Thunderbolt, Hp-Ice, Flamethrower, Grass Knot)
- Counters: Blissey, Empoleon
Blissey ( Seismic Toss, Softboiled, ThunderWave, Ice Beam)
- Counters: Machamp, Heracross, Electrive
Bronzong ( Hypnosis, Earthquake, Gyro Ball, Stealth Rock)
- Counters: Milotic, Gyrados
Cresselia (Calm Mind, Ice Beam, Psychic, Moonlight)
- Counters: Tyranitar, Metagross, Dusknoir
Garchomp ( Earthquake, Fire Blast, Swords Dance, Dragon Claw)
- Counters: Cresselia, Slowbro
Gengar ( ShadowBall, Thunderbolt, Hypnosis, Focus Blast)
-Counters: Weavile, Jirachi
Gyrados ( Waterfall, Taunt, Earthquake, Dragon Dance)
-Counters: Tangrowth
Heatran ( Earthpower, Hidden Power Ice, Lava Plume, Explosion)
-Counters: Gyrados, Milotic, Blissey
Heracross ( Close Combat, Megahorn, Stone Edge, Night Slash)
-Counters: Weezing, Gliscor, Skarmory
Metagross (Agility, Meteor Mash, Earthquake, Thunderpunch)
-Counters: Gliscor, Swampert, Bronzong
Porygon Z ( Nasty Plot, Tri Attack, Thunderbolt, Ice Beam)
-Counters: Blissey, Heatran, Tyranitar
Rhyperior ( Earthquake, Megahorn, Stone Edge, Avalanche)
-Counters: Swampert, Milotic, Bronzong
Salamence ( Draco Meteor, Hydro Pump, Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower)
-Counters: Blissey, Cresselia, Milotic
Skarmory ( Roost, Brave Bird, Spikes, Whirlwind)
-Counters: Magnezone, Heatran, Raikou
Tyranitar ( Crunch, Earthquake, Stone Edge, Pursuit)
-Counters: Hippowdon, Swampert, Bronzong
Weavile ( Night Slash, Ice Punch, Brick Break, Swords Dance)
-Counters: Rhyperior, Metagross, Infernape
Things to watch out for:
1. Spikes -Stacking move that stays on the field throught the battle. Does damage to an opponent's pokemon whenever they switch in a new Pokemon. 1/8 damage with one layer, 1/6 with two layers, and 1/4 damage with three layers. Flying types and Pokemon with the ability Levitate are immune to Spikes. Can only be removed with Rapid Spin.
2. Stealth Rock - The new rock version of spikes (but stealth rock doesnt stack). Causes 12.5 % damage to neutral pokemon on switch ins, 1/4 damage to those 2x weak to rock, and 1/2 damage to those 4x weak to rock. It will also do 6.25% damage to pokemon that resist rock.
12.5% damage to those that resist rock 4x. Make sure to use a spinner if you use a lot of pokemon weak to this.
3. Toxic Spikes - Another new version of spikes. Toxic spikes can stack, from poisoning the pokemon on switch ins on the first time to badly poisoning the pokemon on switch ins the second time its used. Not seen as much as regular spikes or stealth rock. Can be removed with rapid spin.
4. Baton Pass - Less then 50% of teams use baton passers, but it is something to watch out for. A hazer like Weezing or a pokemon with roar or whirlwind like Suicune and Skarmory can prevent passing.
5. Status Effects - Watch out for status effects. These effects can really hamper your team if you let it. Effects can prevented with a healer like Blissey or Celebi. Certain effects can be countered with the right pokemon, like Heatran for Will O Wips and Electrivire for Thunder Waves. You can also turn effects into advantages with pokemon with Guts like Heracross and Machamp.
Hints and Tips
1. Know where to put your evs. This isnt too hard...just make sure to know what stats you are aiming for before you start. Also make sure not to waste evs. exp: No need to max a Weavile's max speed right? Because the next fastest pokemon is Alakazam at 372. You just saved 36 evs!
2. Know your weaknesses. Make sure you know what types your pokemon are weak to, and make sure you are able to counter those weaknesses. exp: If you use Gyrados and Skarmory on your team, it might be good to use an Electrivire to counter your electric weaknesses. Try not to have a lot of pokemon weak to one type.
3. Use a good mix of pokemon. A team with all walls wont be able to do a lot of damage. A team with all sweepers will be taken down quickly. Make sure to use a mix of both to prevent getting beat badly. Because of all the hard hitting physical attackers now, a physical wall is almost neccessary. Only half to 4 of your pokemon should be sweepers.
4. Credits
-Miyona and her friends (Thank them or she'll bitch at me >_>)
-SM2 that cool dude who voulenteered to write this thing.
