Pokémon Sword & Shield Team Discussion Thread

[shoz999]

Johto starters were good in terms of moveset variety.

Coming from someone who loves the Johto Starters to the point that I tried to make them competitively viable in the OU meta, that's just not true. Meganium desperately needs a huge buff in its moveset to the point that it's no secret that it is competitively seen as the worst starter ever. Typhlosion suffers especially from a moveset problem with much of its best moves being straight-up fire moves and it doesn't help that its speed is good but not good enough that it's outclassed by too many faster Pokemon. To this day, it is often seen as the worst fire-type starter Pokemon of all time in the competitive scene. Then there is Feraligatr who is arguably the best Johto starter thanks to a decent variety of Sheer Force moves to help him but even then, that's not enough. To this day, the Johto Starters are seen as not only the worst competitive starters ever but also a prime example of Pokemon that are in a desperate need for a buff after so many years of neglect and a prime example of how Johto is often ignored compared to other regions.

 

[Blaze Master X]

I posted my planned team in other thread few days ago, so I'll post it here (with just few moves changed).

Spoiler

Inteleon - Water
-Hydro Pump
-Ice Beam
-Dark Pulse
-Air Slash

Corviknight - Flying / Steel
-Brave Bird
-Steel Wing
-Body Press
-Bulk Up

Coalossal - Rock / Fire
-Heat Crash
-Stone Edge
-Body Press
-Earthquake

Toxtricity (Amped) - Poison / Electric
-Overdrive
-Sludge Wave
-Boomburst
-Shift Gear

Grimmsnarl - Dark / Fairy
-Spirit Break
-Hammer Arm
-Darkest Lariat
-Power Whip

Dragapult - Dragon / Ghost
-Dragon Darts
-Phantom Force
-U-turn
-Dragon Dance

 

[Nave]

Spoiler: Primary Team/Tailwind

Rillaboom (Grassy Terrain)

Assault Vest

- Drum Beating

- Drain Punch

- Fake Out

- U-Turn


Corviknight (Mirror Armour)

Figy Berry—Gigantamax

- Brave Bird

- Iron Head

- Tailwind

- Roost


Grimmsnarl (Prankster)

Left Overs

- Darkest Lariat

- Spirit Break

- Taunt/Bulk Up

- Substitute


Toxtricity (Punk Rock)

Throat Spray

- Overdrive

- Sludge Bomb

- Hyper Voice

- Protect


Dragapult (Clear Body)

Life Orb

- Dragon Darts

- Phantom Force

- Psychic Fangs

- Protect


Sandaconda (Sand Spit)

Aguav Berry

- High Horsepower

- Rock Slide

- Coil

- Protect

Spoiler: Secondary Team/Trick Room

Hatterene (Magic Bounce)

Mental Herb

- Psychic

- Dazzling Gleam

- Life Dew

- Trick Room


Grapploct (Technician)

Black Belt

- Revenge/Circle Throw

- Liquidation

- Detect

- Octolock


Appletun (Ripen)

Wiki Berry

- Apple Acid

- Leech Seed

- Protect

- Recycle


Runerigus (Wandering Spirit)

Iapapa Berry

- Body Press

- Earthquake/Stealth Rock

- Trick Room

- Curse/Iron Defense


Centiscorch (Flash Fire)

Expert Belt

- Fire Lash

- Lunge

- Power Whip

- Protect


Copperajah (Sheer Force)

Life Orb—Gigantamax

- Iron Head

- Rock Slide

- Play Rough

- Protect

 

[PrinceOfFacade]

So this is my team thus far. I love how easily I can swap 'mons in and out this time around.

MAIN TEAM
- Reassurance (Drizzile) - Lv. 32
- Temperance (Orbeetle) - Lv. 31
- Devotion (Corvisquire) - Lv. 31
- Fortitude (Duskull) - Lv. 31
- Promise (Gourgeist) - Lv. 31
- Harmony (Froslass) - Lv. 31

SIDELINES
- Humility (Sizzlipede) - Lv. 32
- Reverence (Barraskewda) - Lv. 28
- Verity (Vulpix) - Lv. 24
- Preservation (Phantump) - Lv. 20
- Valiance (Toxel) - Lv. 23
- Faith (Roselia) - Lv. 28

 

[Marzbar]

Team at the moment (only 3 gyms beaten because I’m completing the Pokédex in the Wild area)

Appletini - level 36 (Appletun)
Loki - level 35 (Morgrem)
Trevelyan - level 35 (Inteleon)
Pixiepipes - level 36 (G-Weezing)
Shade - level 37 (Obstagoon)
Starship - level 36 (Orbeetle)
Death Petal - level 36 (Roserade)
Pyrosite - level 36 (Centiskorch)

 

[Ignition]

Team:
Raboot (@ Charcoal) Lvl 24: Flame Charge, Swift, Double Kick, Quick Attack
Corvisquire (@ Sharp Beak) Lvl 23: Pluck, Hone Claws, Power Trip, Leer
Wooloo (@ Silk Scarf) Lvl 21: Headbutt, Double Kick, Payback, Copycat
Toxel Lvl 17: Nuzzle, Growl, Flail, Acid
Dreepy (@ Leftovers): Lvl 20: Astonish, Quick Attack, Bite, Infestation

 

[Tiger21820]

As of the time of this post, these are my main parties!

This post will be updated as my party pokémon grow! Pokémon in italics have not reached this evolutionary stage yet, but is planned!

All my pokémon are male!

Spoiler: Sword

My primary version, played on my main Switch!
My team for this version focuses on pokémon from previous generations!
Ralts > Kirlia (Will not evolve into Gardevoir or Gallade) (Lv. 24) (First 3DS game Kirlia was a main party pokémon was in AlphaSapphire, and is my favorite pokémon of all time! I am so happy that Kirlia was included in Sword & Shield! Kirlia was also a party pokémon in UltraMoon!)
Cherubi > Cherrim (Lv. 25)
Meowth (Special Gigantamax Meowth) (Lv. 24)
Barboach > Whiscash (Lv. 24) (First 3DS game Whiscash was a main party pokémon was in Sun!)
Pikachu (Special Gigantamax Pikachu, as a homage to playing Let's Go Pikachu on my main Switch!) (Lv. 25) (First 3DS game Pikachu was a main party pokémon was in Y! Pikachu was also a party pokémon in Sun, UltraMoon and Let's Go Pikachu!)
Scorbunny > Raboot > ????? (Lv. 26)

Spoiler: Shield

My secondary version, played on my other Switch! I am playing both games together!
My team for this version focuses on pokémon from this generation!
Eevee (Special Gigantamax Eevee, as a homage to playing Let's Go Eevee on my other Switch!) (Lv. 25) (Eevee was also used in Let's Go Eevee!)
Chewtle > Drednaw (Lv. 23)
Rolycoly > Carkol > ????? (Lv. 24)
Meowth (Special Gigantamax Meowth) (Lv. 24)
Gossifleur > Eldegoss? (Undecided on whether to leave it as Gossifleur forever or not... I really like Gossifleur over Eldegoss way more!) (Lv. 25)
Sobble > Drizzile > ????? (Lv. 25)

 

[Reinhardt]

Sadly I can't buy either game until I'm paid on the 22nd, so at this point I'm still team-building. Having looked through the encounter rates for each Pokemon I want, as well as which Pokemon each Gym Leader has, I've re-jigged my planned teams a bit so now I'm going for:

SHIELD:
Cinderace
Boltund
Barraskewda
Galarian Rapidash
Obstagoon
Tsareena

SWORD:
Rillaboom
Corviknight
Arctovish
Ninetales
Sirfetch'd
Sandaconda

 

[shoz999]

My final team. Not planned, for reals.

Rillaboom
Boltund
Coalossal
Perrserker
Orbeetle
Dragopult

Originally had Runirigus here but then I remembered Fire Rotom can't be hit by ground-type moves but I also was worried about having another ground-type weakness. After trying it out, the pros did seem to outweight the cons for now. I think we all remembered how people thought Electivire was amazing until he became predictable.

 

[Brendan017]

I am at gym #4 right now but Im having troubles building my team.
I love Toxictity but I love Boltund too so Im using both but now most of my team is weak to ground and there are no new water types that I like.

 

[MattL1222]

Im thinking of building a theme team but im unsure what to go for, thinking either a music themed team with Grookey or a sports themed team using Scorbunny, if anyone has suggestions, i would appreciate it.

 

[Ignition]

Im thinking of building a theme team but im unsure what to go for, thinking either a music themed team with Grookey or a sports themed team using Scorbunny, if anyone has suggestions, i would appreciate it.

Are you using solely new Pokemon (have you looked at leaks)?

 

[MattL1222]

yeah, plan to use solely new pokemon, just stuck on a team

 

[Ignition]

I'd say go for a music theme since it looks like you'd find more variety there among the new Pokemon

 

[MattL1222]

what mon would you say fit a music theme and would make for good type variety

 

[Ignition]

what mon would you say fit a music theme and would make for good type variety

Rillaboom
Toxictricty
Obstagoon
For the other half, maybe some Pokemon that resemble genres/artists?

 

[Fairy Queen]

Here is the team I used to beat the game:

Spoiler

Falinks "Wiggler": This little thing destroyed everything in its path. I used this combo to basically steamroll everything: No Retreat on turn 1, then Dynamax turn 2, and use Max Knuckle to keep increasing my attack. After No Retreat, Falinks outspeed mostly everything, and had the bulk to withstand a lot of hits.
Stunfisk: My baby. He hit HARD with Earthquake, also had Snap Trap to chip damage things I couldn't outright beat, and he had Sucker Punch for priority.
Eldegoss: My boy! He had really good bulk on both sides (especially special) and also had Charm so I could weakened any physical attacker. It had Regenerator, so I would swap it in and either use Rapid Spin, Charm, or Aromatherapy, then switch out to someone else while regaining some health.
Greedent: I had no intention of using a Greedent in my run through, but the thing was a TANK! It had a nature that boosted defense, on top of ridiculous bulk. I also gave it Payback, which on a slow bulky mon was great! I also gave it Stockpile, just to make sure it never died. It came through for me!
Cursola: She hit like a truck that was on fire. Very little pokemon could actually survive a hit from this, and she had the special bulk to survive a lot of special hits. Her physical bulk was horrible, but I compensated using Will-O-Wisp and Strength Sap. With Will-O-Wisp and Hex, nothing could survive a double powered Hex from a Cursola. Weak Armor actually wasn't bad, it sometimes really came in handy to outspeed an opponent.
Toxtricity: My wallbreaker. Similar to Cursola, nothing could survive an Overdrive, powered up Venoshock, or Boomburst from this thing!

Overall not the team I planned, but I love my babies!

 

[MattL1222]

Rillaboom
Toxictricty
Obstagoon
For the other half, maybe some Pokemon that resemble genres/artists?

That works, any suggetions for the other half? I apologize if I seem needy, I just want to make sure to get a good team i want, ya know? also would Coalossal be good, to represent....hard rock?

 

[Ignition]

That works, any suggetions for the other half? I apologize if I seem needy, I just want to make sure to get a good team i want, ya know? also would Coalossal be good, to represent....hard rock?

Rillaboom
Toxictricty
Obstagoon
Coalossal
Cooperjah (heavy metal)
Orbeetle (gives me vaporware vibes)

Hope this is good. And it's no problem. I like helping

 

[MattL1222]

Its perfect if i do a second playthrough, im gonna go with a sports themed team using Scorbunny and any pokemon in the new generation, not just new ones, like maybe Oranguru?