Pokémon VGC Team Building Help: Starter Team Advice

Summary

This post on the Pokémon Champions | VGC Battles & Tournaments server features a community member seeking advice on their starter competitive team. The discussion covers core strategies including Mega Gardevoir, Mega Staraptor, Whimsicott support, and Incineroar synergy. Members are invited to provide feedback on team composition and potential additions like Volcarona to help refine this VGC lineup for better performance.

happyriver-22 OP

Hey, this is my team for the game, i have just recently gotten into the game and i want to improve this team, any type of help in will be appreciated, i will explain the pokemons below here

happyriver-22 OP

Pokémon VGC Team Building Help: Starter Team Advice - Image 1
Pokémon VGC Team Building Help: Starter Team Advice - Image 2
Pokémon VGC Team Building Help: Starter Team Advice - Image 3
Pokémon VGC Team Building Help: Starter Team Advice - Image 4
Pokémon VGC Team Building Help: Starter Team Advice - Image 5
Pokémon VGC Team Building Help: Starter Team Advice - Image 6

happyriver-22 OP

i have a Volcarona in the shop, i can get that if it will help with the team.

happyriver-22 OP

Mega gardevoir: if enemy team has more physical defence

mega starapter: if they have more special defence

whimsicot: mainly for trickroom, shadow ball and sunny day (support)

incineroar is my opening one along with whimsicot. (it's been a great help)

kingambit: to use with trickroom for heavy damage

ceruledge: that's an extra, feel free to suggest something on it

ivoryunicorn-80
ivoryunicorn-80

I think u have the items of ceru and whim bad

happyriver-22 OP

(also, I'm planning on using garchomp once i get that, but i think I'm gonna get that any time soon)

ivoryunicorn-80

Try using sash on whim and leftovers bulk up on ceru

@ivoryunicorn-80 I think u have the items of ceru and whim bad
happyriver-22 OP

should i switch ceru?

niftypixel-94

Is this for 1v1 or 2v2?

happyriver-22 OP

2v2 for the most

ivoryunicorn-80

And use chople berry pls not kings rock

@ivoryunicorn-80 And use chople berry pls not kings rock
happyriver-22 OP

for kingambit or overall?

@niftypixel-94 Is this for 1v1 or 2v2?
ivoryunicorn-80

This server is for vgc Bruhh

happyriver-22 OP

(i put the kings rock for kingambit, get it?)

@happyriver-22 for kingambit or overall?
ivoryunicorn-80

Both

@ivoryunicorn-80 This server is for vgc Bruhh
niftypixel-94

there are no protects on the team, no fake out, I wanted to double check

@ivoryunicorn-80 Both
happyriver-22 OP

hmmmm, okay

@happyriver-22 (i put the kings rock for kingambit, get it?)
ivoryunicorn-80

Yeah cool but if u want to win that’s strange

@niftypixel-94 there are no protects on the team, no fake out, I wanted to double check
happyriver-22 OP

inceneroar got fake out

@niftypixel-94 there are no protects on the team, no fake out, I wanted to double check
ivoryunicorn-80

Yeah right fake out is very important and protect too

niftypixel-94

ahh, I missed it, got distracted by superpower

@ivoryunicorn-80 Yeah cool but if u want to win that’s strange
happyriver-22 OP

yeah well, that's why I'm asking help here

happyriver-22 OP

can i use protect on other pokemons? like the user protects teammate?

niftypixel-94

I highly recommend standard builds to start off, and using more protects. Pikalytics is a great site for getting popular sets

@happyriver-22 can i use protect on other pokemons? like the user protects teammate?
niftypixel-94

There are specific moves that can do something similar, but not just "protect"
There's wide guard which prevents spread moves (moves that hit either everyone or both enemies)
There's quick guard which prevents priority moves (fake out, aqua jet, etc)

happyriver-22 OP

what's a 'standard build'?

niftypixel-94

Popular moves, items, and stats that most people use

happyriver-22 OP

so what do i change here?

happyriver-22 OP

the held items, got it

happyriver-22 OP

and protect

niftypixel-94

So I went on pikalytics, and on the left I typed in the name of a pokemon. On the right you can see a list of most popular moves:
Hyper Voice, Protect, Psychic, Psyshock, Trick Room.
Below on the left is items, so most people are using Gardevoirite (mega garde)
The most popular ability is trace
The most common nature is Modest, and then if click EV Spreads next to nature it recommends:
2 HP/0 Atk/0 Def/32 Spa/0 Spd/32 Spe

Pokémon VGC Team Building Help: Starter Team Advice

niftypixel-94

These are good starting points, if most people using that pokemon are using these moves there's probably a good reason

happyriver-22 OP

holysh thanks mate, that's very helpful

niftypixel-94

If you want to use trickroom you'd change some stuff, like you wouldn't necessarily want speed investment because you are trying to be slow, but its a starting point

@niftypixel-94 If you want to use trickroom you'd change some stuff, like you wouldn't necessarily want speed inve…
happyriver-22 OP

yeah i got that

happyriver-22 OP

also, should i get volcarona?

niftypixel-94

volcarona is very bad right this second because people are trying to beat charizard Y, and charizard is 4x weak to rock, just like volcarona, so everyone is ready to beat volc

niftypixel-94

not a bad pokemon in a vacuum, but the meta is very hostile to it

happyriver-22 OP

I'm in the early ranks, should i worry about the meta?

niftypixel-94

A lot of people "netdeck" their teams, basically finding a team posted by someone and replicating it. They may not pilot it correctly, but if they do that, they will have an answer to volc

happyriver-22 OP

oh damn

happyriver-22 OP

should i prioritize health or defence?

niftypixel-94

99% of cases health, the rule wolfey gave a while back is that your HP invest should always be higher than your SPD or DEF investment as a beginner tip. I don't think I've seen a popular EV spread that has HP lower than Def/Spd. Like if you're putting EVs on Incin, you might do 32 HP/ 0 Atk / some Def / 0 Spe/ som Spd/ 0 Spe

niftypixel-94

Most popular Incine stats is careful nature, 32/0/14/0/20/0

happyriver-22 OP

so 32 on hp, atk, and then one-one to defences

@niftypixel-94 Most popular Incine stats is careful nature, 32/0/14/0/20/0
happyriver-22 OP

oh damn

niftypixel-94

For gambit, I liked using 32/32/2/0/0/0, but I know a lot of people are going with very different EVs now

@niftypixel-94 For gambit, I liked using 32/32/2/0/0/0, but I know a lot of people are going with very different E…
happyriver-22 OP

elaborate please?

happyriver-22 OP

oh wait, i see it
hp, atk and defence

happyriver-22 OP

low speed foe trickroom?

niftypixel-94

yeah, I would usually use adamant so it still has some speed for tailwind

happyriver-22 OP

alright, thanks for your help mate

niftypixel-94

no problem, ping me if you have more questions, good luck on the grind, if your winning right away you at least have a handle on the game tho

The latest from Pokémon Champions | VGC Battles & Tournaments