Possible First Subway Team?

[www500]

You probably don't need to read the text except for the last paragraph. I just felt that more explanation was better than not enough.


Kabutops @ Razor Claw

Careful Nature
EVs: Heavily loaded in Attack and Speed
-Dig instead
-Stone Edge/Rock Slide
-Waterfall
-X-scissor

Type Advantages (This is going with only attacks or the first options listed.): Fire, Grass, Ice, Ground, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Rock, Ghost, Dark--If I exchange Night Slash with Dig, then I'll gain Electric, Steel, and Poison, but lose Ghost.

Type Advantages: Water, Fight, Bug, Ground, Rock, Dragon
Purpose: Basically to poison everyone with Toxic and force them to keep switching and doing damage with Dragon Tail. For that, speed is a necessity, but it also must endure enough hits to poison the entire team (or, at least, as much of the team as possible). Giga Drain is meant to provide some sort of recovery, although this isn’t of the utmost importance. Leaf Blade would allow damage to be done without causing switching (especially if the Dragon Tail’s PP runs out). Finally, Aerial Ace is simply here to provide a little more coverage.

Although it’s not the most diverse, it does serve a purpose. What do you think?

Forretress @ Leftovers
Sturdy
Impish Nature
EVs: Unknown? Should be heavily focused in Special Defense and HP
- Toxic
- Venoshock
- Spikes
- Protect

Type Advantages: Grass
Purpose: This Pokemon is to serve as a tank while gradually taking down the opponents HP. The first step is to poison with Toxic, which is guaranteed due to Sturdy. After this is completed, two options are available. If you have a strong weakness to the opposing Pokemon, then alternate Endure and Protect until the Pokemon faints. If you have a strong resistance to the opposing Pokemon, use Venoshock for 130 Base Power (although Forretress has only 60 base Special Attack… I don’t know how well this would work). Hopefully, the opposing Pokemon is already poisoned from Serperior.

I feel that this is guaranteed to get at least one or, quite possibly, even two kills. Ideas?

Chandelure/ Darmanitan

Chandelure @ Shell Bell
Flame Body
Modest Nature
EVs: Unknown? Should be heavily focused in Speed and HP/Special Attack
- Flamethrower
- Shadow Ball
- Psychic
- Energy Ball/ Calm Mind

Type Advantages (Parentheses indicate type advantages when Energy Ball is used): (Water,) Grass, Ice, Fight, Poison, (Ground,) Psychic, Bug, (Rock,) Ghost, Steel
Purpose: This isn’t necessarily supposed to be a sweeper, but it is meant to deal a powerful punch to a, hopefully, somewhat already crippled team. This should be able to finish the job, or, if used near the beginning, it should make a huge dent in the team. With possibly 11 type advantages, this could be a powerful force on the field.



So…. How could I make this better? This is the first team I’ve built, so I’m kind of new to it, so I’m open to criticism.

Thanks!

 

[General Nonsense]

Could you post natures?

On Darmanitan, EVs should be put into speed and attack. Don't put any in the defenses

 

[www500]

I haven't created this yet, but I was thinking about it. So, at the moment, I don't know the natures. Would you like me to put what I think would be the ideal natures? Otherwise, to me, I probably won't search until I find the right nature. I'll probably just go with the first I get. I know natures are important, but I don't know if I have that much patience, honestly.

 

[General Nonsense]

Natures are extremely important. If this is for battle subway, not having the best nature is a serious problem. Believe me, I fully understand not having the patience to get the best nature, but it is necessary in order to get far in the battle subway.

 

[www500]

Okay, I will try to do that. I'll edit the suggestions you've made .

Changes have been made. Thank you!

 

[General Nonsense]

I'm always happy to help

Oh, I forgot to mention, your foretress's moveset seems a little awkward to me, but I'm not sure what moveset to give it since I don't know squat about how to use foretress. All I know is that your current moveset seems a little off

 

[www500]

It probably is!

The point was to badly poison with Toxic, and then let it die from poison and Forretress just protect itself by alternating Protect and Endure (It wouldn't be able to faint.). However, there are probably better ways of going about this. It might have been better to have this as the first Pokemon, and set of a lot of entry hazards behind a Substitute or something. Then use Serperior's Dragon Tail thing. If I used Toxic Spikes with Forretress (if he can learn it), I could get rid of Toxic on Serperior and get another move. Maybe I should keep it in case of Rapid Spin. I don't know. Haha...

 

[AmbipomMaster]

When you look at the advantages for Chandelure when he knows Energy Ball, doesn't that make you want to give it to him from the very beginning. Teaching Energy Ball to a Fire type pokemon is like nullifying the type disadvantage altogether (considering that his Special Attack is capable of taking them down) Yeah, Calm Mind is a good move too, but you would want full coverage for Chandelure.
You rely on Serperior and Forretress to poison everyone, which will not happen in most cases, so I would recomend Toxic Spikes on Forettress over Toxic so you can continue to poison at least the next two pokemon after your poisoners.

 

[www500]

When you look at the advantages for Chandelure when he knows Energy Ball, doesn't that make you want to give it to him from the very beginning. Teaching Energy Ball to a Fire type pokemon is like nullifying the type disadvantage altogether (considering that his Special Attack is capable of taking them down) Yeah, Calm Mind is a good move too, but you would want full coverage for Chandelure.

Yeah, I didn't think about it like that. That makes a lot more sense.

You rely on Serperior and Forretress to poison everyone, which will not happen in most cases, so I would recomend Toxic Spikes on Forettress over Toxic so you can continue to poison at least the next two pokemon after your poisoners.

I agree on the Toxic Spikes thing, but should I go full entry hazard on Forretress? Or stick with what I already have on the other three moves?

 

[General Nonsense]

If you're using Serperior for toxic, there's a chance that you won't need foretress to use toxic also. I'm no expert on toxic stall teams though.

I've never used entry hazzards and have been told by a competative player that using entry hazzards in a 3 on 3 battle isn't very good because hazzards are meant to deal damage over the course of a longer battle, and simply isn't as effective in a shorter one

 

[www500]

So based on that, what about just replacing Toxic with Toxic Spikes like AmbipomMaster suggested? That would allow me to continuously stall after the initial setup. It serve as the same purpose, but I would have a free move.

 

[Beastiken9]

It probably is!

The point was to badly poison with Toxic, and then let it die from poison and Forretress just protect itself by alternating Protect and Endure (It wouldn't be able to faint.). However, there are probably better ways of going about this. It might have been better to have this as the first Pokemon, and set of a lot of entry hazards behind a Substitute or something. Then use Serperior's Dragon Tail thing. If I used Toxic Spikes with Forretress (if he can learn it), I could get rid of Toxic on Serperior and get another move. Maybe I should keep it in case of Rapid Spin. I don't know. Haha...

Endure will fail if used after protect, so this set will not work. not to mention you are screwed if only your serperior and foretress are left against a steel type.
I would recommend x scissor over venoshock, along with spikes over endure. (sturdy is essentially a free endure.)
actually, a set with stealth rocks, spikes, and toxic spikes along with serperior's dragon tail would really rack up entry hazard danger.

 

[General Nonsense]

So based on that, what about just replacing Toxic with Toxic Spikes like AmbipomMaster suggested? That would allow me to continuously stall after the initial setup. It serve as the same purpose, but I would have a free move.

If you do that, you may still need toxic because flying types and pokemon with levitate are not affected by toxic spikes (so are poison and steel types, but toxic doesn't affect those either)

 

[AmbipomMaster]

I would say to keep your moveset on Serperior (it was well thought up) but give Forretress Toxic Spikes over Toxic so you have the next two pokemon guaranteed to be poisoned. And if you plan to send Forretress out after Serperior, and Serperior has a decent speed, chances are the pokemon Forretress will face will already be poisoned, so you can continue using Protect (too bad Forretress can't learn Detect as well....)

 

[www500]

Endure will fail if used after protect, so this set will not work. not to mention you are screwed if only your serperior and foretress are left against a steel type.
I would recommend x scissor over venoshock, along with spikes over endure. (sturdy is essentially a free endure.)
actually, a set with stealth rocks, spikes, and toxic spikes along with serperior's dragon tail would really rack up entry hazard danger.

Oh! I didn't know that.... I guess I would be up a creek without a paddle . How would I get a Forretress with Toxic Spikes and Stealth Rocks? It seems like I'd be unable to do that through breeding, and I don't think either one is still a TM in this generation. Also, although I love the idea, but how long would this last against only three Pokemon?

If you do that, you may still need toxic because flying types and pokemon with levitate are not affected by toxic spikes (so are poison and steel types, but toxic doesn't affect those either)

True. So maybe just keep toxic on Serperior and do some damage, or I could just give it a better move in it's place.

What if I used the Chadelure/ Darmanitan first, then Forretress, then Serperior? I'd have the steel Pokemon problem, but I'd--I don't know. I feel like this plan is very flawed now that I've been enlightened about the problems.

 

[General Nonsense]

To be honest, toxic stall isn't the greatest tactic to build a team around. Maybe replace foretress with another sweeper?

 

[www500]

Alright, I'll work on that.

 

[General Nonsense]

When you finish reworking your team, be sure to post it

 

[www500]

Alright, so the new addition, replacing Serperior would be a Kabutops.

Kabutops @ Razor Claw

Careful Nature
EVs: Heavily loaded in Attack and Speed
-Dig instead
-Stone Edge/Rock Slide
-Waterfall
-X-scissor

Type Advantages (This is going with only attacks or the first options listed.): Fire, Grass, Ice, Ground, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Rock, Ghost, Dark--If I exchange Night Slash with Dig, then I'll gain Electric, Steel, and Poison, but lose Ghost.


Also, I'm removing Darmanitan and going with Chandelure. I'm also changing the attacks of Forretress.

 

[Purple_Tangrowth]

Kabutops @ Muscle Band
Adamant / Battle Armour
252HP 100Spe 156Att
-Aqua Jet
-Swords Dance
-Rock Slide
-Return

im not sure about the EV's but probably something like that
a bit of speed to make it a bit faster but to give aqua jet some priority benifit
SD makes other moves awesome