pokedude729
Cat King
Hi, I've been wanting to get into competitive for a while now, but I don't even know where to start. Could you help me?
-
LIVE A gaming event as part of The Bell Tree World Championship 2024 is currently being livestreamed on TBT's Twitch channel here -- spectators who chat on Discord can earn points too!
-
TBT World Championship is here! Put your gaming skills to the test in many different games either playable on Nintendo Switch or directly in your browser. For more information, get started in the new Welcome to The Bell Tree World Championship 2024 thread, which will explain how to opt-in and join a team.
Pokémon competitive
- Thread starter pokedude729
- Start date
Earth Wolf-Howl
The Dreamer
Sure thing! Is there a particular thing that you need help with?
pokedude729
Cat King
First Off, How would you go about forming a good competitive team?
Earth Wolf-Howl
The Dreamer
Well- in short, a competitive team is mostly based around a number of roles. I'm not entirely certain what all of them are, but off the top of my head, you have walls, sweepers, stalls, stallbreakers, tanks and annoyers. I'm pretty sure there's more- but what they elude me.
Aside from that, you also have two fundamental aspects that appear in it- the inherent base stats of a Pokemon, known as IVs (ranging from 0-31) and EVs gained by defeating a Pokemon- four of which making one additional status point on top of the stats you already have. For a team, you want a Pokemon with the IVs in the ideal stats. For instance, Infernape. It's supposed to be a fast sweeper, so you want it to at least have perfect Speed and one perfect offensive stat- but, as it's Infernape, you can go with either or both. Let's say you want a physical Infernape- so you'd want a perfect Attack stat. That's pretty much all you really need, but you're well advised to try and get all stats except for Special Attack. So- basically, an Infernape with 5 perfect IVs. It's easier than it sounds- once you get a perfect Ditto and a Destiny Knot online, you'll be breeding the Pokemon you want in just an hour or so.
In short- your goal is to create a balanced team of Pokemon, each with ideal stats.
Aside from that, you also have two fundamental aspects that appear in it- the inherent base stats of a Pokemon, known as IVs (ranging from 0-31) and EVs gained by defeating a Pokemon- four of which making one additional status point on top of the stats you already have. For a team, you want a Pokemon with the IVs in the ideal stats. For instance, Infernape. It's supposed to be a fast sweeper, so you want it to at least have perfect Speed and one perfect offensive stat- but, as it's Infernape, you can go with either or both. Let's say you want a physical Infernape- so you'd want a perfect Attack stat. That's pretty much all you really need, but you're well advised to try and get all stats except for Special Attack. So- basically, an Infernape with 5 perfect IVs. It's easier than it sounds- once you get a perfect Ditto and a Destiny Knot online, you'll be breeding the Pokemon you want in just an hour or so.
In short- your goal is to create a balanced team of Pokemon, each with ideal stats.
DarkDesertFox
Your Typical Trickster
The competitive world of Pokemon is a rough road. Especially if you plan on breeding competitive Pokemon. I've only made it so far down before I decided to just take a giant break from it. You want a Pokemon team that can help cover your other Pokemon's weaknesses. I don't know if you plan on being offensive, defensive, a trap setter, or staller. I think stalling teams are annoying as **** so my team is mainly offensive. A lot of people expect you to use at least some OU Pokemon in your team so they are prepared for those Pokemon. You should mix some underused Pokemon in your team to have the element of surprise. I can share my current team if you'd like. It's not fully complete, but I did spend a lot of time breeding these Pokemon.
I play almost exclusively doubles, so my viewpoint is on that.
I just say use what you want to use, and then try to build a moveset from there. If Wormadam is your favorite Pok?mon, then find a good way to use it and surprise people since I've personally never seen a competitive Wormadam, but that also means I don't know what moves it could possibly have. I had a Phione on a competitive tram once, and it worked out extremely well. People don't expect it and go for the bigger threat (which I think was usually paired up with mega Ampharos...) and then surprise them with your second support.
Now of course this doesn't always work, don't think bringing a team of Wormadam, Mothim, Ledian, Beautifly, Dustox, and... I can't tink of another sucky bug type... Anyways, whatever you choose, have them compliment each other well. I have a really decent mono-wayer team, but I have counters to their weaknesses.
You do want to give every party member a certain role though, like other have said. I really like stalling teams (sorry XP) and have dedicated stallers, with a mix of supporters and sweepers.
btw I'm writing this at 11 PM so I'm tired and could give better advice when I'm more awake
. But when you next come online, say 1 or 2 Pok?mon that you'd want to use competitively. There's team building guides on YouTube, but they can only give 1 or 2 examples of team building based on their preferences, not yours.
I just say use what you want to use, and then try to build a moveset from there. If Wormadam is your favorite Pok?mon, then find a good way to use it and surprise people since I've personally never seen a competitive Wormadam, but that also means I don't know what moves it could possibly have. I had a Phione on a competitive tram once, and it worked out extremely well. People don't expect it and go for the bigger threat (which I think was usually paired up with mega Ampharos...) and then surprise them with your second support.
Now of course this doesn't always work, don't think bringing a team of Wormadam, Mothim, Ledian, Beautifly, Dustox, and... I can't tink of another sucky bug type... Anyways, whatever you choose, have them compliment each other well. I have a really decent mono-wayer team, but I have counters to their weaknesses.
You do want to give every party member a certain role though, like other have said. I really like stalling teams (sorry XP) and have dedicated stallers, with a mix of supporters and sweepers.
btw I'm writing this at 11 PM so I'm tired and could give better advice when I'm more awake
. But when you next come online, say 1 or 2 Pok?mon that you'd want to use competitively. There's team building guides on YouTube, but they can only give 1 or 2 examples of team building based on their preferences, not yours.
I'm also new to the competitive scene, and trying to get into it. I've found that watching battles on Youtube helps me to see strategies (whether it's VGC style of Doubles, or 6v6), and a couple people even make team building videos (Shadypenguinn does this) which goes over the thought process of a particular team.
If you plan on playing by the Tier system, people play by Smogon's rules, so you'd definitely want to check them out to see what Tier your pokemon falls under (it looks confusing and complicated at first, but it gets easier to understand).
Again, there are also a few Youtube videos which go over that as well.
Like Earth Wolf said, competitive is highly based off of IV points (Individual Value) and EV points (Effort Value).
The higher the IV is in one of the six stats (with a max of 31), the better/higher the stat will get. When breeding, it's rare to get a 6-IV pokemon (which means perfect IVs, 31, in each stat), but a lot of people aim for as many perfect IVs as they can get, or a spread which will give them the Hidden Power they want (as the Type of Hidden Power is based off of the IV spread of a pokemon).
EVs are what you'd use Super Training for, and increase the number of a stat. The max EVs a pokemon can have in a single stat is 252, and the max EVs total (spread out amongst the six stats) a pokemon can have is 510.
Nature is also important in competitive, depending on the role the pokemon is supposed to fulfill. Bulbapedia has a list of natures, which can be helpful until you have them all memorized (or not...I know what a few do off the top of my head, but I haven't memorized every single one).
Pokemon are also bred for Egg Moves, which comes from breeding pokemon with a particular move with the desired pokemon, so the one which hatches from the egg will have that move.
Serebii's pokedex lists all egg moves a pokemon can learn (as well as TMs and HMs), and is a great resource.
A pokemon's Ability is also important to consider. Some pokemon have 3 abilities (two normal, one hidden). Depending on what you want its role to be and what you want out of your team will depend on what ability you choose to breed for.
Finally in the breeding category, are the tools you'll need to get the proper nature and IVs. You'll want the pokemon whose nature you want to hold an Everstone, and the other pokemon to hold a Destiny Knot (as this guarantees passing on 3 perfect IVs to the child).
To check your IVs, there is a guy found in the Pokemon Center in the Battle Resort (or, the Pokemon Center in Kiloude City if you're using X/Y). In ORAS, he's standing in front of the map of the region; in X/Y, he's tucked away in the left corner right before you would continue to change clothes.
Depending on what he says will tell you which stats have perfect IVs. Again, Bulbapedia has a list of what he will say and the range of IVs that correlates to.
From what I understand, there are roles in competitive battling, which can be broken down into:
Physical Sweeper (typically max Atk and Speed stats, usually Adamant or Jolly nature)
Special Sweeper (typically max Sp.Atk and Speed stats, usually Timid or Modest nature)
Mixed Sweeper (often a nature sacrificing one of the defense stats, with EVs usually in both Atk and Sp.Atk)
Physical Wall (typically max Def stat...perhaps HP, as well)
Special Wall (typically max Sp.Def...perhaps HP max, as well)
There are other roles (such as stalling and setup), but most of the 'mons will usually be bred to fall into one of the above categories. Important moves to consider are Rapid Spin and Defog (for 6v6), as those moves get rid of entry hazards like Stealth Rocks and Sticky Web.
Hold items are also important, and most of the ones people use are won from the Battle Maison. Things like Choice Specs, Choice Scarf, Choice Band, and Life Orb are often used. The Choice items will lock you into a single move, which means you might have to switch to another pokemon if you run into a poor matchup.
An item like Assault Vest will help bulk up a Special Wall, or just make a pokemon harder to take down.
All of this, I learned by either looking it up on Smogon, or watching competitive battlers on Youtube (and some casual battlers), as well as the Pokemon GBA competition currently in progress on Youtube, as well.
If I got something wrong, someone else can feel free to correct me (as I'm still learning, myself). ^^
If you plan on playing by the Tier system, people play by Smogon's rules, so you'd definitely want to check them out to see what Tier your pokemon falls under (it looks confusing and complicated at first, but it gets easier to understand).
Again, there are also a few Youtube videos which go over that as well.
Like Earth Wolf said, competitive is highly based off of IV points (Individual Value) and EV points (Effort Value).
The higher the IV is in one of the six stats (with a max of 31), the better/higher the stat will get. When breeding, it's rare to get a 6-IV pokemon (which means perfect IVs, 31, in each stat), but a lot of people aim for as many perfect IVs as they can get, or a spread which will give them the Hidden Power they want (as the Type of Hidden Power is based off of the IV spread of a pokemon).
EVs are what you'd use Super Training for, and increase the number of a stat. The max EVs a pokemon can have in a single stat is 252, and the max EVs total (spread out amongst the six stats) a pokemon can have is 510.
Nature is also important in competitive, depending on the role the pokemon is supposed to fulfill. Bulbapedia has a list of natures, which can be helpful until you have them all memorized (or not...I know what a few do off the top of my head, but I haven't memorized every single one).
Pokemon are also bred for Egg Moves, which comes from breeding pokemon with a particular move with the desired pokemon, so the one which hatches from the egg will have that move.
Serebii's pokedex lists all egg moves a pokemon can learn (as well as TMs and HMs), and is a great resource.
A pokemon's Ability is also important to consider. Some pokemon have 3 abilities (two normal, one hidden). Depending on what you want its role to be and what you want out of your team will depend on what ability you choose to breed for.
Finally in the breeding category, are the tools you'll need to get the proper nature and IVs. You'll want the pokemon whose nature you want to hold an Everstone, and the other pokemon to hold a Destiny Knot (as this guarantees passing on 3 perfect IVs to the child).
To check your IVs, there is a guy found in the Pokemon Center in the Battle Resort (or, the Pokemon Center in Kiloude City if you're using X/Y). In ORAS, he's standing in front of the map of the region; in X/Y, he's tucked away in the left corner right before you would continue to change clothes.
Depending on what he says will tell you which stats have perfect IVs. Again, Bulbapedia has a list of what he will say and the range of IVs that correlates to.
From what I understand, there are roles in competitive battling, which can be broken down into:
Physical Sweeper (typically max Atk and Speed stats, usually Adamant or Jolly nature)
Special Sweeper (typically max Sp.Atk and Speed stats, usually Timid or Modest nature)
Mixed Sweeper (often a nature sacrificing one of the defense stats, with EVs usually in both Atk and Sp.Atk)
Physical Wall (typically max Def stat...perhaps HP, as well)
Special Wall (typically max Sp.Def...perhaps HP max, as well)
There are other roles (such as stalling and setup), but most of the 'mons will usually be bred to fall into one of the above categories. Important moves to consider are Rapid Spin and Defog (for 6v6), as those moves get rid of entry hazards like Stealth Rocks and Sticky Web.
Hold items are also important, and most of the ones people use are won from the Battle Maison. Things like Choice Specs, Choice Scarf, Choice Band, and Life Orb are often used. The Choice items will lock you into a single move, which means you might have to switch to another pokemon if you run into a poor matchup.
An item like Assault Vest will help bulk up a Special Wall, or just make a pokemon harder to take down.
All of this, I learned by either looking it up on Smogon, or watching competitive battlers on Youtube (and some casual battlers), as well as the Pokemon GBA competition currently in progress on Youtube, as well.
If I got something wrong, someone else can feel free to correct me (as I'm still learning, myself). ^^
Last edited:
Viva Xocolatl
Senior Member
Ok you have to do it step by step. Don't get confused with complicated stuff. Start with the basic and then learn on your own.
My advice would be to fist pick a team of pokemon you like.
Then go to smogon, is a website that have information about competitive pokemon combinations. Or maybe look for battles in youtube.
Search each pokemon individually and see what natures, abilities, moves, items and everything are good for each pokemon of your ideal team.
It is only to give you an idea. You don't have, and I strongly recomend that you don't copy exactly what you see.
Then plan yout team, at this point you may want to trade some members of your team for others. You may have an idea about hazard entries, and trickroom teams or so depending on what catched your attention. If don't just keep reading or watching until something does. Maybe you want to form a team around one pokemon in particular.
After you have your team planed you need to breed or find the pokemons with the specifications you want. Try to learn about IVS and EVS, natures, abilities and eggmoves. Breeding a pokemon exactly the way you want it is extremely fun.
Then try battling with your team. Practice, try and error. Learn from the way others fight. You have to experience yourself what you like and what works for you.
BTW when you hear talking about over used (OU), Under used (UU) and such, those are tiers of pokemon that can be found in smogon.
My advice would be to fist pick a team of pokemon you like.
Then go to smogon, is a website that have information about competitive pokemon combinations. Or maybe look for battles in youtube.
Search each pokemon individually and see what natures, abilities, moves, items and everything are good for each pokemon of your ideal team.
It is only to give you an idea. You don't have, and I strongly recomend that you don't copy exactly what you see.
Then plan yout team, at this point you may want to trade some members of your team for others. You may have an idea about hazard entries, and trickroom teams or so depending on what catched your attention. If don't just keep reading or watching until something does. Maybe you want to form a team around one pokemon in particular.
After you have your team planed you need to breed or find the pokemons with the specifications you want. Try to learn about IVS and EVS, natures, abilities and eggmoves. Breeding a pokemon exactly the way you want it is extremely fun.
Then try battling with your team. Practice, try and error. Learn from the way others fight. You have to experience yourself what you like and what works for you.
BTW when you hear talking about over used (OU), Under used (UU) and such, those are tiers of pokemon that can be found in smogon.
Last edited:
Similar threads
Trading
need oranges!