Teambuilding in 2v2 Doubles - A Brief Guide

Art by Albatross.

Introduction

Hey, Mubs here. If you don't know already, I'm the tier leader for a metagame called 2v2 Doubles, a Doubles metagame in which you bring 4 Pokémon to battle and pick 2 to battle with. I've been approached by many who like the premise of the metagame but either don't have teams to use or don't know where to start when building them. This article serves as a guide for users to learn the general intricacies that come with building in this metagame.

Resources

To preface my in-depth analysis on 2v2 teambuilding, there are many community-provided resources that can help you with your teambuilding. Most of the resources are based on Generation 8, the current generation at the moment, but others are focused on older generations of 2v2 Doubles that still see tournament play to this day.

• Viability Rankings
• Toggle sets Compendium
• Analyses Page
• Old Gens Thread

The Process

To start my in-depth analysis on the ins and outs of 2v2 Doubles teambuilding, I would like to say that it doesn't differ that much from general Doubles teambuilding. The primary differences come with the mechanics that are the essence of the metagame: a limit of four Pokémon per team and the two Pokémon that you pick at Team Preview being the only ones available for battle. These things make teambuilding more offensively driven, as Pokémon that have the Speed, power, and coverage to take on a wide array of Pokémon are more valuable. Teambuilding in 2v2 Doubles is also more core-oriented, mainly cores of two with members that complement each other very well. Here is an example, for instance:

Core Example

 

• Regieleki @ Life Orb
• Ability: Transistor
• EVs: 32 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD / 216 Spe
• Modest Nature
• - Electroweb
• - Thunderbolt
• - Thunder
• - Protect

• Kyurem-Black @ Haban Berry
• Ability: Teravolt
• EVs: 220 HP / 248 Def / 8 SpA / 32 Spe
• Lax Nature
• - Ice Beam
• - Fusion Bolt
• - Earth Power
• - Protect

Regieleki and Kyurem-B pair exceptionally well with each other due to their general power, combined coverage, and ability to cover each other's weaknesses. Regieleki functions as an exceedingly fast glass cannon that packs a punch with Life Orb Transistor-boosted STAB moves alongside providing speed control in Electroweb. Kyurem-B is a bulkier threat, utilizing both its notable bulk and great coverage to handle threats that Regieleki cannot cover, such as Naganadel, Zygarde, and Landorus-T. It also appreciates Regieleki's ability to outspeed and OHKO Pokémon such as Cinderace, Togekiss, Urshifu-R, and Pheromosa.

Rounding out a team

Very rarely will you ever have a pair of Pokémon that can cover everything. In this day and age, it's almost impossible. That's where teammates come in. Whether it be by adding Pokémon that patch the holes of the core and also provide versatility or simply adding another core that can handle the previous core's weaknesses, there are a variety of ways to round out a given team. The main goal is to cover as much of the metagame as possible, alongside what your specific opponents might bring, whether they be on the ladder or in tournaments. Allow me to go a little more in detail with the two that I just mentioned.

Covering your team's weaknesses with glues and synergy

The first and most popular way of rounding out a team focuses more on covering up the weaknesses in a team with Pokémon that also have additional synergy with your core. Looking back at the core we just went through, here is an example of two partners:

• Genesect @ Assault Vest
• Ability: Download
• Shiny: Yes
• EVs: 216 HP / 216 SpA / 8 SpD / 68 Spe
• Modest Nature
• - Iron Head
• - Ice Beam
• - Bug Buzz
• - Flame Charge

Assault Vest Genesect is a great addition to this team. As a bulky Steel-type, Genesect covers one of the previous cores's primary weaknesses in Rock-types such as Nihilego and Tyranitar. The Assault Vest allows it to avoid OHKOs from Pokémon that run spread Fire-type coverage such as Naganadel and Tornadus. With its varied moveset, Genesect helps out immensely with increasing the core's versatility and decreasing its weaknesses, and it appreciates the core's ability to take on Fire-types.

• Indeedee-F (F) @ Tanga Berry
• Ability: Psychic Surge
• EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 SpD
• Sassy Nature
• IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
• - Expanding Force
• - Follow Me
• - Imprison
• - Helping Hand

Indeedee is the glue of the team, providing great redirection support with Follow Me. Kyurem-B and Genesect have weaknesses to notable attacking types in the metagame, and Regieleki is quite frail, so having a Pokémon that can both redirect those moves and utilize Helping Hand to turn 2HKOs into OHKOs helps the overall versatility of the team. Indeedee also appreciates the other Pokémon with their ability to handle many of the Steel- and Dark-types in the metagame.

Here's the full team:

Adding another core

This method of formulating teams is quite common in ladder environments but not as common in tournaments. You usually see it as a combination of archetypes. While these types of teams don't cover everything in the metagame, they are quite easy to use and have generally decent matchups. For example, a rain-based core and a Grassy Terrain core complement each other quite well, as rain—which is typically the combination of Kingdra and Politoed—struggles particularly with Water-resistant and specially defensive Pokémon, such as Gastrodon and Blissey, which the Grassy Terrain core of Rillaboom and Hawlucha does well against.

General Pointers and Tips

There are many general fundamental building tips that can be applied to any 2v2 metagame. Outside of the difference in mechanics that come with each generation, there is a general sense of a metagame, common Pokémon, and strategies that can be taken into account when teambuilding. While utilizing the resources such as the ones listed above can be useful, sometimes just looking at usage stats and gameplay can be more valuable for helping one understand a metagame and thus have a better grasp at building in it. Such things can be found by looking at the replays of recent team tournaments, alongside utilizing scouting tools to see what's being used. Here is the overview of one of 2v2's recent seasonals after the ban of Urshifu-S:

+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Pokémon            | Use  | Usage % |  Win %  |
+ ---- + ------------------ + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1    | Genesect           |   27 |  24.55% |  44.44% |
| 1    | Kyurem-Black       |   27 |  24.55% |  40.74% |
| 3    | Pheromosa          |   23 |  20.91% |  47.83% |
| 4    | Zygarde            |   21 |  19.09% |  52.38% |
| 5    | Regieleki          |   20 |  18.18% |  30.00% |
| 6    | Urshifu-*          |   18 |  16.36% |  50.00% |
| 7    | Naganadel          |   15 |  13.64% |  40.00% |
| 8    | Landorus-Therian   |   14 |  12.73% |  50.00% |
| 8    | Zapdos-Galar       |   14 |  12.73% |  42.86% |
| 10   | Tornadus           |   13 |  11.82% |  53.85% |
| 11   | Rillaboom          |   11 |  10.00% |  63.64% |
| 11   | Incineroar         |   11 |  10.00% |  27.27% |
| 13   | Zeraora            |   10 |   9.09% |  80.00% |
| 13   | Heatran            |   10 |   9.09% |  70.00% |
| 13   | Tapu Fini          |   10 |   9.09% |  60.00% |
| 13   | Togekiss           |   10 |   9.09% |  30.00% |
| 17   | Indeedee-F         |    9 |   8.18% |  66.67% |
| 18   | Kingdra            |    7 |   6.36% |  57.14% |
| 18   | Politoed           |    7 |   6.36% |  57.14% |
| 18   | Nihilego           |    7 |   6.36% |  28.57% |
| 18   | Whimsicott         |    7 |   6.36% |  14.29% |
| 22   | Latios             |    6 |   5.45% |  83.33% |
| 22   | Tyranitar          |    6 |   5.45% |  66.67% |
| 22   | Victini            |    6 |   5.45% |  50.00% |
| 25   | Cinderace          |    5 |   4.55% |  80.00% |
| 25   | Weezing-Galar      |    5 |   4.55% |  60.00% |
| 25   | Necrozma           |    5 |   4.55% |  40.00% |
| 25   | Tapu Lele          |    5 |   4.55% |  20.00% |
| 29   | Torkoal            |    4 |   3.64% |  75.00% |
| 29   | Lilligant          |    4 |   3.64% |  75.00% |
        

+ ---- + ------------------------------- + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| Rank | Combos of 2                     | Use  | Usage % |  Win %  |
+ ---- + ------------------------------- + ---- + ------- + ------- +
| 1    | Pheromosa / Genesect            |   11 |  10.00% |  36.36% |
| 2    | Naganadel / Pheromosa           |    9 |   8.18% |  44.44% |
| 2    | Naganadel / Zygarde             |    9 |   8.18% |  44.44% |
| 4    | Kyurem-Black / Regieleki        |    8 |   7.27% |  25.00% |
| 5    | Genesect / Kyurem-Black         |    7 |   6.36% |  57.14% |
| 5    | Zygarde / Pheromosa             |    7 |   6.36% |  57.14% |
| 5    | Kingdra / Politoed              |    7 |   6.36% |  57.14% |
| 8    | Genesect / Regieleki            |    6 |   5.45% |  33.33% |
| 8    | Pheromosa / Regieleki           |    6 |   5.45% |  33.33% |
| 8    | Landorus-Therian / Urshifu-*    |    6 |   5.45% |  33.33% |
| 8    | Naganadel / Genesect            |    6 |   5.45% |  16.67% |
| 12   | Zeraora / Kyurem-Black          |    5 |   4.55% |  80.00% |
| 12   | Pheromosa / Weezing-Galar       |    5 |   4.55% |  60.00% |
| 12   | Zygarde / Weezing-Galar         |    5 |   4.55% |  60.00% |
| 12   | Naganadel / Weezing-Galar       |    5 |   4.55% |  60.00% |
| 12   | Zygarde / Kyurem-Black          |    5 |   4.55% |  40.00% |
| 12   | Landorus-Therian / Tornadus     |    5 |   4.55% |  40.00% |
| 12   | Zygarde / Genesect              |    5 |   4.55% |  40.00% |
| 19   | Lilligant / Torkoal             |    4 |   3.64% |  75.00% |
| 19   | Urshifu-* / Rillaboom           |    4 |   3.64% |  75.00% |
        

In brief, these stats showcase the prevalence of Pokémon such as Genesect, Kyurem-B, Pheromosa, and Zygarde, Pokémon that certainly need to be taken into account. Usage stats also showcase the synergy that many Pokémon have with each other and give inspiration for cores and supporting options. They also allow you to study what threats your team will likely need to cover in a tournament or ladder game. While generally, teams that are more standard are often better to use on ladder environments due to the desire to cover as much as you feasibly can, they don't have to be. You can get away with a lot of off-meta stuff. Creativity is always a great thing to have, especially in tournaments. If you're focused on beating a specific opponent, you can get away with a lot more in order to counter-team them. Don't get too carried away, though; you do want to make sure that your team doesn't lose to very common threats.

Speaking of running your teams by things, TEST YOUR TEAMS! Be it on the ladder or with friends, testing teams helps a lot in finding weaknesses that you can improve on. Tuning the general workings of your team not only gives insight on the metagame but allows you to become better at teambuilding as well.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading! If you want to discuss 2v2 Doubles with its community, there's 2v2 room, the thread, and the Discord. Have a nice day!