Introduction
With Pokemon X and Y being on store shelves , and pokemonshowdown.com becoming more popular as the days go by: More people are becoming interested in playing the game casually competitive. There are many guides out there that try to teach new comers the science behind the game, but this one is going to be simplier. This guide is going to focus on how to simply build a team, rather then how to understand the entire mechanics. My hope is that through trail and error, any new player can learn from the example provided in this guide. Again, this is targeted towards players who have no idea on the language of the game but wants to still participate.
Another thing to keep in mind, this is how to get into casual competitive. This means that you are basically following rules and strategies laid down by Smogon. Smogon is a online website that is dedicated to competitive Pokemon, and it is one of the best resources you can find. However, they are still consider a meta because they are not the official rules. If you are interested in playing in Pokemon VGC tournaments, then I recommend you check a different article. Regardless of which tournament you want to play in though, Smogon is a great resource to help improve your skills.
Resources
- http://www.smogon.com/ (Explains everything there is to know about Pokemon battling mechanics)
- http://www.marriland.com/tools/team-builder ( Allows you to build your own team and check it’s type match ups)
- http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/ ( A website the allows players to play the battling system online for free)
Step 1: Making your Team
Making your Pokemon team is easily the most difficult part of the process. It is even more difficult if you have no knowledge of the competitive scene. It is overwhelming, but websites such as Smogon provide plenty of resources to help guide you through. Remember, you will eventually understand the competitive scene, but it simply takes time.
To start off, you need to learn how Pokemon are classified. Pokemon fall under certain tiers based on their effectiveness in teams. The tiers listed below are in order from best to worse with a exception for LC, Limbo, and NFE.
- Uber (Typically banned unless you are playing a Uber meta game. These are pokemon that are stupidly powerful)
- OU (The bread and butter of a team, this is where most of the best Pokemon lay. Do remember though, this is all opinion)
- BL
- UU
- BL2
- RU
- NU
- LC (Only used in meta games, don’t worry about this one.)
- Limbo
- NFE (Same as LC, but does have a few exceptions)
(You can go onto Smogon or Pokemonshowdown to see where every pokemon fall under.)
To begin, avoid looking at the tiers that you won’t be using. Uber, LC, and NFE are only used in certain meta games. Limbo might be a bit confusing, but the only reason it exist is because Pokemon X and Y released very recently. The Pokemon are currently under study so their placement is being determine. Besides that, go ahead and find where your favorite Pokemon fall under. I recommend going to www.pokemonshowdown.com in order to build your first team. Below is a example to help guide you through that process.
- Gastrodon
- Goodra
- Forretress
- Alakazam
- Lucario
- TalonFlame
For right now we are only concern of the typing placement that is on our team. This does not guarantee good results. The chart and words below are referring to how this team has very solid typing and nothing more. To get the same chart for your team, got to the marriland link listed in the resources above.
Based on this chart, we have a pretty solid team. Our weaknesses (red) are very low, and our resistances (green) are very high. The weakness never goes higher then 2, and our resistances are only 1 once. This means that our team has a very low chance of being destroyed by a single type:. In addition, we also have a answer to every type. Because of this, the right player can predict their opponents every move and have a answer for it with this team. This is great, but remember this chart isn’t everything. A Tyranitar might be weak to grass, but it also has a lot of fire moves. This chart is simply saying that if I think that Tyranitar is going to use a fire move, I can switch to a Pokemon that can handle it better then a grass type.
Next, we will look at how these certain Pokemon perform individually and as a team. This team will work off predicting your opponents every move and countering efficiently. It may sound challenging, but you will find it easier the more you play. The reason why I picked this mechanic is due to the importance predicting has in every competitive situation.
Gastrodon
Gastrodon is great for this team because of it’s ability Storm Drain. Storm drain not only gives Gastrodon a water immunity, but it also boost it’s special attack whenever it is hit by a water move. In terms of stats, Gastrodon is decent all around. This means that it won’t die in a OHKO unless hit by a grass move, and it can hit pretty hard with any special based move. However, with the right prediction, you will begin to see how we can make sure that Gastrodon is never hit with a grass move.
Moves: Scald, Earthpower, Ice beam, Sludge bomb
Goodra
Goodra is one of the best Pokemon to come from X and Y. It has really high base stats, and brings a change compared to the other dragon types. Goodra is a bulky defender who can hit reasonably hard, and we are going to use all of that to our advantage. Goodra’s ability Sap Sipper gives the dragon a grass immunity and a boost in attack whenever it is hit by a grass move. This works great with Gastrodon because you save it from fainting, boost Goodra’s attack, and force your opponent to deal with a new threat. With moves like Dragon Tail, Goodra can also force your opponent to switch when it isn’t opportune to do so.
Moves: Rest, Sleep talk, Dragon Tail, Powerwhip
Forrestress
You are going to be switching Pokemon constantly, meaning your opponent will probably be doing the same thing. If he is, why not give him something else to worry about. Forrestress allows you to put up entry hazards: Moves such as stealth rock or toxic spikes. In addition, Forrestress can learn rapid spin which removes any entry hazards on your side. Entry hazards are huge, and you want to protect your Pokemon like Goodra or Gastrodon. Forrestress allows this, and is very effective doing so. If your opponent does not have a answer for Goodra, you can easily win the game on his dragon tail alone thanks to Forrestress’s entry hazards.
Moves: Rapid Spin, Stealth Rocks, Gyroball, Toxic Spikes
Alakazam
One thing that makes Forrestress so great is it’s stats. It’s a very bulky Pokemon that is hard to get rid of if you don’t have a answer to it. There is a good chance that you will need to answer that problem, and Alakazam is one of the best solutions. His ability Magic Guard gives him the power to only take damage from contact moves. This means that entry hazards won’t damage him at all. Combine that with ridiculously high speed and special attack, and you have a Pokemon that can take on most of these defensive entry hazard Pokemon like Forrestress. This is important for this team due to the importance of switching.
Moves: Dazzling Gleam, Psyshock, Hidden Power (Fire), Charge Beam
Lucario (Mega)
Lucario isn’t essential for this team, but his role is very important. The team needs a really strong physical attacker with a varied move pool, and Lucario basically delivers. He has great stats, and his mega evolution makes them better. His ability Justified gives him a boost in attack whenever he is hit with a dark move, which can really turn his Mega Evolution into a monster. He blends well with the switch in mechanic, but really, Mega Lucario is simply here to hit hard.
Moves:Cross Chop, Blaze Kick, Thunder Punch, Poison Jab
Talonflame
Talonflame serves a similar purpose to Lucario. First off, Talonflame can get your opponent to use a water type move, which will boost Gastrodon if you predict successfully. Other then that, this is another great sweeper. The ability Gale Wing gives Talonflame’s flying move priority, meaning you will basically hit first every time as long as you use a move like brave bird. Although Talon may resemble a falcon, I find him to be more of a vulture. After the rest of my team has wreaked havoc with entry hazards, Talon flame flies by to eat up the rest of the competition with it’s powerful brave bird.
Moves: Brave Bird, Flare Blitz, Sword Dance, Steel Wing
I didn’t mention any items to equip your Pokemon with, or how to distribute EV’s and IV’s. I am going to leave that up to pokemonshowdown as it allows players to easily browse all the items available, and gives decent recommendations on EV distribution. If you follow the site, you shouldn’t do so bad.
Step 2: Test your Team
This team has a 50-60% success rate which is much better then I expected actually. The switch in combos worked great and often time left my opponent in a uncomfortable spot. The main problem with this team is that most of my bulky Pokemon didn’t really hold up to the powerful threats in the new format brought by X and Y. In addition, although Talonflame did have it’s moments, it was one of the weaker Pokemon on the team because it didn’t contribute to the entire strategy. Overall, this is a great team but can be changed if need be.
Step 3: Make Adjustments
Klefki is a Pokemon that manage to really screw me up. I had no idea what it was capable of, and because of that it completely ruin my strategy. I needed to take it out faster with a Pokemon that could handle it’s move pool and typing. A lot of pokemon can take it on, but with how it’s played, I need a really good attacker that can hit hard with a ground or fire move. Talonflame does have great fire support, but it focus was mostly on the brave bird. A Pokemon like Landorus or Gliscor might be a better fit for the team, but I have to test it out first.
Adjustments can be tricky because you need to find a way to improve your team in the environment of the game. Technically there is nothing wrong with the team I have, but I can win more if I plan against what’s being played the most. This is something that truly takes time to master, but you will obtain more knowledge as you play. Everything comes with experience.
Conclusion
When it comes to being competitive in anything, it truly takes time and dedication. You are never going to learn all of the in’s and out’s of a system over night. Even with following this guide or any other guide, you are going to lose a lot. Just keep in mind that the more you play and talk with others in the community; the better you will become. This guide shows what to look for when you make a team, and how to predict your opponents move successfully. All of these skills will be improved over time, but hopefully I was able to give some people their first steps into the casually competitive Pokemon game.
