Approved by Rage
INTRODUCTION TO TEAMBUILDING FOR GENERATION 5 OU
Special Thanks to xJoelituh, Shoka, We Three Kings , Rage, Typhlito, and FriendOfMrGolem120 for helping create this guide.
and Finchinator and peng for the feedback helping make this guide better
***revised to account for feedback***
This guide is meant for new players to BW to help teach them the generation and how to build:Special Thanks to xJoelituh, Shoka, We Three Kings , Rage, Typhlito, and FriendOfMrGolem120 for helping create this guide.
and Finchinator and peng for the feedback helping make this guide better
***revised to account for feedback***
***Before you start to create your own teams it is important to have a basic understanding of the meta game. I strongly suggest you look at the sample teams and play a few games to get a basic understanding and feel for the generation before starting to build teams of your own. It is imperative to have basic knowledge of the various Pokemon of the tier and their roles and capabilities.***
Team building in BW OU is quite fun. The generation offers plenty of choices to utilize in a team. But how do you construct a proper team? Well, building the right team is the obvious first crucial step to winning games. Too many times will players be utilizing a team that is just wrong. Pokemon in their team that are just not viable or misused, no noticeable strategy, or they will have glaring weaknesses that null the chance of winning. This guide serves to breakdown of the step by step process of building a proper team, so newer players looking to learn BW OU will understand how to think when crafting a team.
A wide variety of threats exist in the generation and while we would like to cover them all we can’t expect to accomplish this. There are just too many. Players are consistently looking to utilize new threats to break pre existing formulas. For that reason it's imperative that the team meets basic criteria to cover the majority of threats to mitigate damage from new or unplanned threats. Examples of this are:
- At least two water resistances for Hydro Pump and Scald spams,
- A steel type (that has some bulk), if not two, to tank Draco Meteors and Outrages’s,
- A Flying type or the ability Levitate to give immunity to strong STAB Earthquakes,
- A Volcarona check (Covered more at the end of the guide).
- Fighting type resistance to prevent fighting type powerhouses such as Keldeo or Terrakion from tearing your team apart.
- Always have a Pokemon that can set Stealth Rock (you don't want to miss out on the passive damage).
- Psychic type counter to prevent powerful Psychics like Reuniclus or Alakazam from sweeping.
- A rapid Spin user OR make sure the team is not overly weak to entry hazards. This helps prevent teams from being stalled out.
Always keep in mind, when building, the defensive and offensive synergy of the team and how will it react when opposed with certain styles or Pokemon. Do you have a plan to counter Pokemon that the team is weak against? How do you react when your opponent brings an unusual yet potent threat? How do you plan to conquer an opposing style of play? All teams need synergy; every Pokemon added to the team should compliment the team, each one supplementing the previous Pokemon. Every Pokemon should have a role in the team; each addition should serve a purpose. It is vital when building to constantly assess what the team has AND what the team lacks. Keep in mind that Smogon contains a library of knowledge and resources. There is Smogon's analysis's of the tier's Pokemon, to the viability rankings that rank the overall usefulness of individual Pokemon to help you build and learn. The goal is to bring a team that has able to deal with most of the tiers threats.
The defensive synergy is highlighted, but what about offensive synergy. When you assess what you have it is also important to bear in mind that the next addition to the team needs to not only compliment the overall cohesion of the team but also the offensive capabilities of team. If the core that you would like to build around is unable to break a wall then the future additions to the team should cover that inability.
For users with ADD who are unwilling to read this: here is the summary "Building Cycle" ***Disclaimer: this is just for the start and foundation for a team*** .- Find your core first, what style you want to pursue. Balance, Offense, or Stall. Rain, Sand, or No weather.
- Build your core, the Pokemon(s) and their sets that you want to use to implement this style/strategy.
- Assess the shortcomings and weakness of the Core Pokemon(s) chosen.
- Add the next teammate who supplement the assessed shortcomings and weaknesses.
- Assess the shortcomings and weakness so far. The importance of consistently assessing the team can't be stressed enough.
- Add the next teammate who supplement the assessed shortcomings and weaknesses.
- Repeat until your team is completed.
- Perform a final assessment. It is always beneficial to have a second set of eyes evaluate your team once it is complete. Many players become blind to the shortcoming of their team. If there are none noticeable: get a match and test the team. If there are weaknesses (from either further review or testing): add a Pokemon that will address these weaknesses.
- Test, Address, then Assess.
- Brag. Once the team is complete, it is important to flaunt your team in front of everyone showing them your ladder peak and all the sweet victories it has earned (trophies as well?). So Brag, Brag, and Brag. Victory RMT's help here as well, because no one posts there for help, but to show off their kick ass creation.
Pokemon that are OU ranked but new players should generally avoid and why:*Pokemon listed here are done so not because they are not viable, but because they are hard to use and/or are generally outclassed by similar Pokemon.*
Infernape: Yes he looks very promising, but his abysmal defenses makes him very out-classed by other fighting type Pokemon. More often than not sand storm damage + Stealth Rock are enough to deal with Infernape.
Donphan: He has had usage on sun teams but his speed and special defense makes him a sub par choice to other ground types and Rapid Spin users.
Conkeldurr: Newer players see that attack stat and think to use him, but many games I see him outclassed and easily removed. It is best to utilize tried and true fighting types such as Breeloom or Keldeo over him.
Cloyster: With how common bulky water types are and all teams lay down Stealth Rock, Cloyster is relegated to very hard to use Pokemon that beginners should avoid.
Lucario: His poor defenses and lack of speed doesn't make up for his movepool. Ground types are often more than able to deal with him with little to no trouble. On top of this, he also lacks the power to deal with other bulky Pokemon and make a significant impact on the game.
Gengar: Lacks the overall bulk to maintain a consistently reliable role in the team. After the sleep ban, the loss of hypnosis further diminished his usefulness. Some sets might work for him but in general he will be outplayed and outclassed with little ease.
Infernape: Yes he looks very promising, but his abysmal defenses makes him very out-classed by other fighting type Pokemon. More often than not sand storm damage + Stealth Rock are enough to deal with Infernape.Donphan: He has had usage on sun teams but his speed and special defense makes him a sub par choice to other ground types and Rapid Spin users.Conkeldurr: Newer players see that attack stat and think to use him, but many games I see him outclassed and easily removed. It is best to utilize tried and true fighting types such as Breeloom or Keldeo over him.Cloyster: With how common bulky water types are and all teams lay down Stealth Rock, Cloyster is relegated to very hard to use Pokemon that beginners should avoid.Lucario: His poor defenses and lack of speed doesn't make up for his movepool. Ground types are often more than able to deal with him with little to no trouble. On top of this, he also lacks the power to deal with other bulky Pokemon and make a significant impact on the game.Gengar: Lacks the overall bulk to maintain a consistently reliable role in the team. After the sleep ban, the loss of hypnosis further diminished his usefulness. Some sets might work for him but in general he will be outplayed and outclassed with little ease.
About lower tier Pokemon:I am not going to say avoiding UU ranked Pokemon, because to be frank some of them are quite viable in the OU meta game, such as (not limited to these three) Tornadus, Meinshao, and Kyurem. Amoongus is a RU ranked Pokemon, despite the fact he seen consistent OU usage for a number of years. Even after the sleep ban he has consistently been a viable option. Also some are just subpar when used in the OU, like Arcanine, Empoleon, and Bisharp. UU Pokemon require more strategy and thought to utilize (bear in mind that some are not viable). There are plenty of viable options in lower tiers, but that doesn't mean all are viable.
A few terms to cover:Tank: SpDef oriented or Def oriented Pokemon that is used to “tank” hits, stalling out the opponent.
Walls: these Pokemon are similar to the tank category, but differ in how long they stay in. For example Chansey is wall, but Rotom-W is a tank.
Sweeper: A Pokemon that generally sets up and begins to break the opponent’s team ie “sweep”.
Cleaner/Revenge Killer: Speed and attack oriented Pokemon that can come in without set up and revenge KO opponents or finish out the game with strong attacks. They typically have a choice scarf for their item.
Setter: Generally a dual category Pokemon like a tank (but not relegated to this category), that sets up entry hazards. There is also weather setters which are Pokemon that have one of the four abilities: Sandstream, Drizzle, Drought, or Snow Warning.
STAB: Same Type Attack Bonus, moves that are of the same type of the Pokemon using them receive an additional damage bonus.
Pivot: Refers to Pokemon about to use moves such as U-turn, Volt Switch, or Baton Pass. These moves allow players to change out Pokemon with having to predict if their opponent is swapping out as well.
Walls: these Pokemon are similar to the tank category, but differ in how long they stay in. For example Chansey is wall, but Rotom-W is a tank.
Sweeper: A Pokemon that generally sets up and begins to break the opponent’s team ie “sweep”.
Cleaner/Revenge Killer: Speed and attack oriented Pokemon that can come in without set up and revenge KO opponents or finish out the game with strong attacks. They typically have a choice scarf for their item.
Setter: Generally a dual category Pokemon like a tank (but not relegated to this category), that sets up entry hazards. There is also weather setters which are Pokemon that have one of the four abilities: Sandstream, Drizzle, Drought, or Snow Warning.
STAB: Same Type Attack Bonus, moves that are of the same type of the Pokemon using them receive an additional damage bonus.
Pivot: Refers to Pokemon about to use moves such as U-turn, Volt Switch, or Baton Pass. These moves allow players to change out Pokemon with having to predict if their opponent is swapping out as well.
***For a better understanding of the roles and Pokemon that can be used in each role, check out the compendium for BW***
For our first example, let's say I wanted to use a Terrakion. Why? Well, its high attack and speed coupled with Close Combat or Stone Edge spam can deal massive amounts of damage. It is one of the OU's top punchers, capable of tearing through opposing teams. There are a few options for Terrakion. Originally, I was thinking the Choice Band, which is a terrifying set to oppose. However, in the current metagame, protect abusers are everywhere, inhibiting the usefulness and power that a Choice Band brings by allowing opponents to move scout and PP stall Terrakion (its two best moves, Close Combat and Stone Egde, only have 8 PP each). Truth be told, the Choice Band is a great item, but there are other ways to maximize the power for our Terrakion. While protect effectively negates that effectiveness of the Choice Band (or any choice item for that matter) through move scouting then switching to the appropriate counter, there are options that turns protect against opponents.
Terrakion @ Rock Gem
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- Substitute
This Substitute Swords dance set allows us to abuse protect abusers, turning what would have been a wasted turn with the Choice Band into a free Substitute. This set allows for us to catch an opponent move scouting or Toxic Orb activating and use that free turn against them. This set utilizes the free turn our opponent is giving to its fullest advantage. Rock Gem threatens to OHKO Scarf Landorus-Therian and 2HKO the more bulky variants; other common Terrakion walls such as Gliscor will be hard pressed to survive against this Terrakion as well. With this set over the Choice Band set, instead of letting our opponent protect scout us then counter, we always be building momentum of our own and smashing. Now, what we need to do is build a team that will support and create opportunities to bring Terrakion in to smash things. We need a few things for this team. First, Latios needs to be checked, as he can outspeed Terrakion and KO if Terrakion is not behind a Substitute. The best choice for dealing with Latios is Tyranitar, as it can tank hits and trap it with Pursuit. Tyranitar's addition adds another fighting weakness and gives us a second bullet Punch weakness as well, so it would be best to pair Tyranitar with something that can tank a physical fighting hit from say Breloom or Keldeo's signature Secret Sword. Amoonguss is a pretty solid option, considering our first two choices were also weak to water type moves.
Tyranitar @ Chople Berry Ability: Sand Stream EVs: 248 HP / 16 Def / 236 SpD / 8 Spe Careful Nature - Stealth Rock - Crunch - Earthquake - Pursuit | Amoonguss @ Black Sludge Ability: Regenerator EVs: 248 HP / 224 Def / 24 SpA / 12 Spe Bold Nature IVs: 2 Atk / 30 Def - Stun Spore - Sludge Bomb - Hidden Power [Ice] - Giga Drain |
Tyranitar's spread is to maximize its ability to tank hits, set up Stealth Rocks, and trap. The spread is a standard OU utility Tyranitar. Chople Berry will allow a reasonably healthy Tyranitar to tank a Focus Blast from Alakazam and follow up with a Crunch or Pursuit. We have enough EV's in defense to tanks an Earthquake from Garchomp after Stealth Rock. The SpDef bulk is to tank and trap Psychic types. Amoonguss is physically defensive instead of specially defensive to prevent a Facade Breloom and other offensive variants from breaking apart our team; having that extra bulk also helps prevent us from being Pursuited as well (which could negate the Health recovery from Regenerator), and allows Amoonguss to tank other Physical Hits such as a non Sand Force Excadrill Earthquake. We still have some work to do here though. Our first three choices for this team so far are all weak to entry hazards, so removing them is now a necessity. We also need more added bulk to tank water type hits, helping out Amoonguss. For spinners in the sand, there is really only one choice. Starmie is far better in the rain than in the sand; Tentacruel is really unviable unless there is a rainstorm. Fortress is ok, but not a perfect choice as it doesn't build momentum for the team. It's moreso bait for your opponent to set up on. I won't even consider Donphan because it's garbage. Excadrill is the best option. Ever since its return to the OU, it has established himself as the premier Sandstorm spinner of the tier. With Excadrill's addition, we now have four Pokemon that are weak to water, therefore having a special tank that resists water is now a necessity. Fortunately plenty of options to tank water type hits exist. Latios and Latias can play the part. There are also Gastrodon, Jellicent, and Celebi, but these three really don't build momentum for the team. Gastrodon and Jellicent are walls, inept at building offensive momentum, and Celebi just invites your opponent to set up Entry Hazards on your team. Rotom-Wash, on the other hand, is the best option. It has the typing to tank hits. Most importantly though, it has Volt Switch. In this momentum heavy meta, the ability to pivot is very essential. Not to mention, Terrakion can come in and set up on mons that generally come in to tank the Volt Switch pivot, like Ferrothorn. Its levitate helps the team avoid and Earthquake spam from Pokemon like Garchomp and Landorus-Therian (bar Excadrill with Mold Breaker).
Excadrill @ Leftovers Ability: Sand Force EVs: 252 Atk / 40 Def / 4 SpD / 212 Spe Adamant Nature - Earthquake - Rapid Spin - Iron Head - Protect | Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers Ability: Levitate EVs: 248 HP / 20 Def / 240 SpD Calm Nature IVs: 0 Atk / 14 Spe - Volt Switch - Hydro Pump - Will-O-Wisp - Pain Split |
For our Excadrill set, we have are going to maximize our damage output to punish switch-ins with Sand force + Adamant. Protect lets us move and set scout a Landorus-Therian while passively increasing health through Leftovers recovery. Rotom-Wash is the standard special defense variant. Very simple; maximize bulk, tank a hit, then pivot or Will O Miss Wisp. So far, we have solid defensive synergy but the team as it stands is slow, and very susceptible to Earthquake spam from a Mold Breaker Excadrill. We need an option that can come in on Excadrill, force the swap and then turn that play into an advantage. Playing on the idea of using pivots, It would be nice add another pivot as well, helping build momentum. There are not a lot of Excadrill swaps that can pivot so our option for the last is limited to one choice: Landorus-Therian.
Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 72 HP / 140 Atk / 60 Def / 236 Spe
Naive Nature
IVs: 30 Spe
- Earthquake
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Knock Off
- U-turn
Really, the role he has here is a simple one. The set has a few changes to the status quo. Knock off is for the removal of a Rocky Helmet on Skarmory who could otherwise spin block our Excadrill. Its speed is just enough to outspeed a Scarf Exadrill. The added bulk lets us then tank more hits like a HP Ice from an opposing Landorus-Therian. It has enough power to hit threats such as Jirachi or Tyranitar. U-turn allows it to constantly pivot, building offensive momentum and maximizing opportunities to get Terrakion in.
For the second team example we are going to pursue a balanced style, mixing potent offensive threats with a solid defensive core. It will become a very passive strategy. Now we need to determine our specific plan to win games and the individual Pokemon(s) that will carry out this strategy. (note: for this analysis I have taken a staple team made by Leftiez and Shoka and looked at its building process as if I were its creator to best break down and explain the process). For this team I am interested in using a Magic Guard oriented team. Why? Well the immunity to entry hazards allow for consistent switching in without the worry of a passive break down from residual damage from weather and/or entry hazards. There are essentially two magic guard "abusers" for BW OU: Alakazam and Reuniclus. But what sets? Getting the set correct is key to every team. Reuniclus has two sets that are viable, his 2 attacks / Calm Mind / Recover and his Trick Room / 3 attacks set. Trick room is less consistent than the Calm Mind set, and Calm Mind will suit the style we are pursuing very well due to survivability it offers. Alakazam is very offensively oriented and maintains the primary role of cleaner and revenge killer. There is really only one viable set to Alakazam in this generation, the Focus Sash all-out attack set.
Reuniclus @ Leftovers Ability: Magic Guard EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe Bold Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Calm Mind - Focus Blast - Psyshock - Recover | Alakazam @ Focus Sash Ability: Magic Guard EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe Timid Nature - Psychic - Focus Blast - Hidden Power [Fire] - Signal Beam |
Both sets are very easy. With Reuniclus, we are going to receive boosts from Calm mind when we set up to dish out strong STAB Psyshock attacks, so maxing the defense and health EV’s will ensure that we can continually boost with Calm Mind. Focus Blast gives Reuniclus a more excellent secondary attack that hits a wide variety of opponents, namely dark types who are immune to Psychic attacks (originally signal beam was given in the example but it fails to accomplish much as a secondary more). He has the bulk and recovery to consistently be brought into play, and recover off any damage taken. Leftovers is chosen over the Life Orb to further longevity of Reuniclus. As for Alakazam his role is very simple; we want to utilize him in the later stages of the game to finish teams off ie. clean. He can also be brought into revenge kill opponents, shifting momentum although we should be careful to not prematurely waste his Focus Sash. So now we need to assess our strategy and team. What walls Reuniclus and Alakzam? Tyrannitar certainly does with his STAB Crunch, and Signal Beam is less effective without any boost from Calm Mind due to his SpDef boost from the Sandstorm, if Tyranitar has the Chople Berry, which most do, then Focus Blast won’t be of much help either. Reuniclus and Alakazam will also struggle against Pokemon such as SpDef Jirachi who can tank their hits with no problem hits and Iron Head KO them. There is also the problem of very physically oriented Pokemon such as Scizor and Landorus using U-turn to wear down our Magic Guard users. So how do we go about beating Jirachi and Tyranitar who both have very different types and address U-turn abusers? Well, there are some options here, we could try to find hard hitting Pokemon that can break them or we can use a more passive strategy of entry hazards. Entry hazards is the safer choice as it will combine good defensive synergy while maximizing Alakazams and Reuniclus’s offensive potential, so we will pursue this. We have two solid options here: Skarmory who is very good at laying down layers of spikes and tanking hits, and Ferrothorn who is in essence BW’s OU wall. Here Ferrothorn is the better choice, not because of his defensive prowess which Skarmory also possesses, but because of his ability Iron Barbs which helps wear down opposing U-turners. On top of this he boasts some of the best SpDef and Def stats in the meta. The rocky helmet on Skarmory is an option but it deprives your wall of passive health regeneration from the leftovers.
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 132 Def / 124 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Leech Seed
- Spikes
- Gyro Ball
- Protect
With spikes in play what we need now is to finish the defensive core. Assessing what we have so far, Ferrothorn is weak to both fighting and fire, both of which are prevalent on many teams and we don’t want to use Reuniclus unnecessarily to tank fighting type hits. Alakzam can not tank any hits with out burning his Focus Sash. I need another wall that can tank fighting and fire hits. Here I could use serval options for our next choice, Latias is decent with resistances to both. Roost also allows her to heal off damage quite easily as well, but would only make us even weaker to opposing Tyranitars. Pokemon such as Gastrodon and Rotom-W have the bulk to tank hits like Keldeo’s Secret Sword and resist fire hits very well. Gastrodon though can be set up on, and Rotom-W really doesn't recover from damage very well. Jellicent, the final choice is the best with a water fighting immunity and a fire resistance, he compliments Ferrothorn very well. What sets Jellicent above the aforementioned choice's the ability to spin block from the Ghost typing. Now we not only have a second wall for the team, but we prevent opponents from removing the entry hazards laid down to remain in the field. These qualities make Jellicent the better fit than previously mentioned choices.
Jellicent @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 32 Def / 136 SpD / 92 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp
- Taunt
The set used here is a blend on bulk with the right amount of speed. Taunt allows for Jellicent to not be used by opposing to teams to set up entry hazards of their own or get statused or have an opposing Reuniclus grab some Calm Mind boosts on you. Scald, the STAB move of choice, has that 30% chance to burn increasing the passive wear down on opposing teams. Will O wisp is favored over toxic when the lower chance of a scald burn won't suffice and to give a gradual damage on Pokemon that are water immune such as Gastrodon; it also helps reduce damage from strong physical attackers who would otherwise look to prey on Jellicent's significantly weaker defense stat. All in all, the set fits well, closing previous gaps in our teams capabilities. Now that we have a 2 Pokemon defensive core, let's assess the team so far. There are a few things that we could use, something that has speed of its own and can tank supplemental fighting hits particularly from Breloom (he can prey on both Jellicent and Ferrothorn), we need a designated stealth rock setter and a cleaner to this team. As mentioned earlier we would like a ground immunity as well as ground STAB. We are going to address these needs with two options available: Gliscor or Landorus-Therian. Gliscor is a very good OU tank with an immunity to status moves due to his ability: Poison Heal. But the problem here is he doesn’t quite fit the synergy of the team. What we lack is an offensive prowess that can out-speed opponents, tank hits, and dish out power Earthquake attacks. Landorus does a better job. With Intimidate he is able to easily come into opposing physical attacks, countering threats such as Terrakion and Breloom, while hitting hard with Earthquake. U-turn can pivot on walls, counters, and tanks, putting the team in a more favorable position. The Choice Scarf also gives the secondary role for revenge KO’ing so Alakazam doesn’t waste his Focus Sash prematurely. An added bonus to his addition is that two of Reuniclus and Alakzams counters (Tyranitar and Jirachi) are both weak to his STAB Earthquake!
Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- U-turn
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Hidden Power [Ice]
The set is very standard and easy to use. Maximize speed and attack. Hidden Power Ice is for opposing Landorus-Therians, Garchomps, Giscors, and Salamences. U-turn is used to pivot on the opposition giving you momentum. He gives our team a much need boost to its overall speed while utilizing U-turn to build momentum. So with 5 out of the 6 Pokemon selected what is left to fill here? Controlling the weather would be nice (they don’t want rain teams abusing Hurricane), and having a Stealth rock setter is also crucial to our strategy. We also look a little bit weak to Volcarona at the moment as well. Unfortunately there are not many options that can do all three. Well to be frank there is only one option available, but fortunately he is amongst the best in the tier: Tyranitar.
Tyranitar @ Chople Berry
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 248 HP / 64 Atk / 196 SpD
Careful Nature
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Rock Slide
- Stealth Rock
His ability Sandstream gives us control of the weather, while giving him a boost to his SpDef. Maximizing his SpDeF is important to ensure that he can tank a Bug Buzz from Volcarona or Draco Meteor + Surf from Latios then KO them. Pursuit lets the team trap opposing Psychic type Pokemon such as Latio(a)s and Rock Slide is a STAB for Volcarona. Stealth rock is an essential here as we don’t want to miss out on the passive damage it gives, especially since this team is trying to abuse the passive damage of entry hazards. Sandstorm is key to not only adding to the passive damage but also preventing rain teams from abusing powerful moves such as Hurricane. Tyranitar is the ultimate utility Pokemon in the game, and his role here is no exception.
The team looks good. In truth it is very very good and was at one point in time a staple of the meta game. Built by Shoka and Leftiez, it was textbook example of the powerful combination of Reuniclus and entry hazards (NOTE: it is a little bit outdated in when compared to the current meta game; I debated whether to include it or not, but figured it wouldn't hurt). All threats that are not hard countered by an individual Pokemon can be soft countered through strategy, such as preventing Volcarona sweeps by entry hazard stacking + spin blocking, or wearing down an opposing Politoad with hazards to win the weather war.
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About Volcarona:
Yet another recap of what we went over:
