VGC!! Yay!!

[Kayle]

I tried my hand at the VGC this weekend, for the first time ever, and it was hysterical. I loved it, even though I had basically a 5-mon team and had no clue what I was doing.

Now, I'm here to actually make my own team and be prepared to actually wreck with it. Help me please?



Abomasnow @ Choice Scarf?
Timid Nature
252 Speed 252 SAtk 4 Attack
# Snow Warning
- Ice Shard
- Giga Drain
- Blizzard
- Sheer Cold?

Sets up hail, does some damage if it can, then gets the heck outta there... so it can come back in and set up hail again if necessary. If all blizzard-resisters are gone it can just scarf blizzard stuff to death as desired. A certain site that shall not be named recommended Sheer Cold on the last slot but I don't really follow the logic; any better suggestions that aren't a second Grass move? Or should I just run a bulky set with Protect?


Rotom-F @ Ice Gem
Modest Nature
252 Speed 252 SAtk 4 HP
# Levitate
- Blizzard
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Protect

Really, really powerful blizzard. Seems fine. Thunderbolt provides nice coverage against Water-types who resist Ice, and some other stuff. Volt Switch and Protect help me control the battlefield and keep momentum as necessary.


Terrakion @ Life Orb
Jolly Nature
252 Speed 252 Attack 4 HP
# Justified
- Rock Slide
- Close Combat
- Quick Guard
- Protect

Rock Slide handles a lot of stuff that makes Rotom and Abomasnow nervous, like Volcarona, and Chandelure. Close Combat also handles Tyranitar and some other related things. It's just a good Pokemon in general. Also, with a team full of stuff that's weak to priority, Quick Guard seems really really good.


Weavile @ Focus Sash
Jolly Nature
224 Speed 252 Attack 32 HP
# Pickpocket (Apparently I was wrong on the focus-sash-pickpocket thing. Sorry Shadowguard.)
- Fake Out
- Ice Punch
- Night Slash
- Beat Up

I dunno how good of a strategy this actually is, but, Beat Up + Terrakion = super lols. Otherwise, this is a pretty standard Weavile set for Faking Out the opponent, then smacking them with a massive STAB move. Night Slash in particular is appreciated to deal with ghosts that Terrakion can't (such as Jellicent), and it puts a fair dent in an opposing Cresselia as well if necessary. Beat Up is also a pretty decent move but I have no way of checking how powerful it is. It may well be stronger than Night Slash under some circumstances. But I'd rather not rely on it.


Jellicent @ Leftovers
Bold Nature
252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 Def
# Cursed Body
- Water Spout/Hydro Pump
- Shadow Ball
- Blizzard
- Protect

Without much of a weakness to Water I really prefer Cursed Body (so many super lols!). I dunno about the choice between Water Spout and Hydro Pump, both are powerful moves with different pros and cons. Otherwise, Jellicent's job is to be able to deal with things the rest of my team cannot, bearing an immunity to Fighting (which every other member of my team is weak to), and resistances to Steel and Fire. Physically defensive Nidoqueen was also an option here, but I'm not sure how much I like her in doubles.



I'm not really sure what to use for the last slot.

Suggestions and stuff welcome! ^ ^

 

[Chanman]

I tried my hand at the VGC this weekend, for the first time ever, and it was hysterical. I loved it, even though I had basically a 5-mon team and had no clue what I was doing.

Now, I'm here to actually make my own team and be prepared to actually wreck with it. Help me please?



Abomasnow @ Choice Scarf?
Timid Nature
252 Speed 252 SAtk 4 Attack
# Snow Warning
- Ice Shard
- Giga Drain
- Blizzard
- Sheer Cold?

Sets up hail, does some damage if it can, then gets the heck outta there... so it can come back in and set up hail again if necessary. If all blizzard-resisters are gone it can just scarf blizzard stuff to death as desired. A certain site that shall not be named recommended Sheer Cold on the last slot but I don't really follow the logic; any better suggestions that aren't a second Grass move? Or should I just run a bulky set with Protect?
Bulky set could work, as right now most of your pokemon would lose to trick room. Many of your pokemon are fast, which is ok but leave you vulnerable. If you still want to use Choice scarf, Hidden power fire is fine, though your speed iv will be 30. Bulky Abomasnow usually uses focus sash, or ice gem. A typical spread would be 252hp/252/spa/4 def. 0 speed iv can be used for weather control.

Rotom-F @ Ice Gem
Modest Nature
252 Speed 252 SAtk 4 HP
# Levitate
- Blizzard
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Protect

Really, really powerful blizzard. Seems fine. Thunderbolt provides nice coverage against Water-types who resist Ice, and some other stuff. Volt Switch and Protect help me control the battlefield and keep momentum as necessary.

This is ok, although you leave your team vulnerable to rock and steel attacks. Rotom W might be good here.
Terrakion @ Life Orb
Jolly Nature
252 Speed 252 Attack 4 HP
# Justified
- Rock Slide
- Close Combat
- Quick Guard
- Protect
This is a pretty good and unique set imo.
Rock Slide handles a lot of stuff that makes Rotom and Abomasnow nervous, like Volcarona, and Chandelure. Close Combat also handles Tyranitar and some other related things. It's just a good Pokemon in general. Also, with a team full of stuff that's weak to priority, Quick Guard seems really really good.


Weavile @ Focus Sash
Jolly Nature
224 Speed 252 Attack 32 HP
# Pickpocket (Apparently I was wrong on the focus-sash-pickpocket thing. Sorry Shadowguard.)
- Fake Out
- Ice Punch
- Night Slash
- Beat Up

I dunno how good of a strategy this actually is, but, Beat Up + Terrakion = super lols. Otherwise, this is a pretty standard Weavile set for Faking Out the opponent, then smacking them with a massive STAB move. Night Slash in particular is appreciated to deal with ghosts that Terrakion can't (such as Jellicent), and it puts a fair dent in an opposing Cresselia as well if necessary. Beat Up is also a pretty decent move but I have no way of checking how powerful it is. It may well be stronger than Night Slash under some circumstances. But I'd rather not rely on it.

Strategy is sound, but you already have a couple of fast pokemon, and now you have 4 steel/rock/fighting weak pokemon. Try Whimsicott if you still want to try the gimmick or maybe replace it with infernape or some other fake out user (Hitmontop maybe?) You already have one other pokemon that can outspeed lati@s and the genies.
Jellicent @ Leftovers
Bold Nature
252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 Def
# Cursed Body
- Water Spout/Hydro Pump
- Shadow Ball
- Blizzard
- Protect

Without much of a weakness to Water I really prefer Cursed Body (so many super lols!). I dunno about the choice between Water Spout and Hydro Pump, both are powerful moves with different pros and cons. Otherwise, Jellicent's job is to be able to deal with things the rest of my team cannot, bearing an immunity to Fighting (which every other member of my team is weak to), and resistances to Steel and Fire. Physically defensive Nidoqueen was also an option here, but I'm not sure how much I like her in doubles.

Both Water Spout/Hydro Pump are powerful, but in this case scald might be more useful. It has the ability to neuter most physical attackers and you are too slow to get a water spout off (unless in trick room maybe) Hydro pump is good, though 80% accuracy is risky. Otherwise it looks ok.

I'm not really sure what to use for the last slot.
A metal type to sponge draco meteors or a specially defensive cresselia might be good here.
Suggestions and stuff welcome! ^ ^

Right now, you need to fix your vulnerabilities to fighting/rock, and steel pokemon. Such changes could include Rotom W w/ water gem, Infernape or Hitmontop (intimidate), and including maybe a scizor or metagross. Right now Metagross could sweep your team easily, and probably scizor too.

Theres my short analysis, hope I was of help!

 

[Kayle]

Yes, that is all very helpful! The whole bring-six pick-four mentality really makes teambuilding very different from singles, so I am still getting used to how that works.

So, you're thinking, in summary:


- Abomasnow: Possibly change to bulky set w/ Sash or Ice Gem.
- Rotom-F: Possibly change to Rotom-W (for better resistances?)
- Terrakion: Keep (I really like this set too. ^ ^)
- Weavile: Use something with better weaknesses that don't compound with the rest of the team e.g. Whimsicott
- Jellicent: Scald as water STAB.

And something with a steel typing (or cress, because cress is just good) in the last slot?

I really like having Rotom-F as a blizzard spammer. Blizzard is just so stupidly powerful. My friend initially suggested a Choice set, would that be better? (Change Protect to Trick.)

I'm thinking maybe I can swap Weavile for Infernape:

Infernape @ Focus Sash
116 Attack / 140 SAtk / 252 Speed
Naive Nature
# Blaze
- Fake Out
- Heat Wave
- Close Combat
- Encore / Protect


And in the last slot I think I might just use Cresselia... I'm not seeing many steel types that really appeal to me (either compounding a weakness to fire, to ground, or to both).

 

[Pikamaster]

Just a quick note. Focus Sash is useless on Ape, as hail will kill you or simply break it the first turn you're out.