Critique my 1st team- based around Scyther

[Scruffy]

Alright, I'm starting my first ever competitive Pokemon lineup from scratch and would love any advice you have to offer.
[I'm doing my homework, trying to learn who to breed, what moves/natures to breed, and IV training all for the first time.]
[Right now I'm just spamming Scyther eggs looking for Adamant or Jolly Technicians.]

{G} I want a Scyther based team that strikes hard and fast. {R}

Take a look at the potential bench I put together using Marrilands awesome calculator? I tried to cover as many weaknesses as I could.
Thanks!

Spoiler

 

[Chillarmy]

RE: 1st Team Critique

Hey Scruffy, welcome to the forums!!

If you're set on building a team around Scyther you absolutely need a spinner. Scyther has huge weakness to Stealth Rock, losing 50% of its HP every time it switches in. I'd recommend switching out Cobalion or Charizard for a spinner such as Forretress. Forretress provides your team with entry hazards and the move Rapid Spin, while Charizard and Cobalion aren't terribly good in this metagame.

Just something to get you started. Try reading up on some of Smogon's analysis' or ask one of us for help!

 

[Professor Palutena]

RE: 1st Team Critique

Hey, welcome to PokeBeach. I can tell Scyther is your favorite Pokemon, and it's really fun to build a team around a favorite Pokemon. Competitive Pokemon has a lot of tiers, with the biggest one being OU (which is what your team is currently built for). However, to encourage more success for Scyther, I'm going to propose a different solution. If you want to stick with an OU team, feel free to disregard everything I have to say.

Scyther isn't really built to play with the big league players that are Latios and Gliscor. It has a mediocre defensive typing that leaves it with several crippling weakenesses in OU aka Standard. It doesn't hit quite as hard as it needs to, and a limited movepool doesn't help out either.

However, that's OU. If you take a look in another competitive tier, specifically RU (which stands for Rarelyused), you'll fins Scyther is perfectly at home there. In terms of power level, it fits in well and it has a nice typing for performance there as well. Because of how much you want to use Scyther, I strongly encourage you to check out the RU tier.

In said RU tier, Scyther performs best with a Swords Dance set, consisting of Swords Dance, Bug Bite, Aerial Ace and Brick Break. Aerial Ace and Bug Bite are both boosted by Technician and STAB, making them quite the powerful attacks, especially after a Swords Dance. It eats one of RU's premier physical walls, Uxie, for breakfast!

As said above by Chillarmy, Scyther needs Rapid Spin support for success. RU has 3 very good ones: Cryogonal, Hitmonchan and Sandslash. Sandslash fits well in terms of defensive synergy, with Scyther resisting Sandslash's Grass-type weakness and Sandslash resisting Scyther's Rock and Electric-type weaknesses. Moltres and Charizard are two big counters to Scyther, but Slowking fits well as a teammate since it beats both of them. So right now, we have half of your team: Scyther, Sandslash and Slowking.

I'll leave it at there, because half the fun of teambuilding is to build it yourself. If you're interested in what other Pokemon are in the RU tier, check out this link. If you'd like more help building a RU team, don't hesitate to contact me through PM, Profile Message or the chat room if you see me on. Once again, welcome to PokeBeach and good luck with your team.

 

[Scruffy]

RE: 1st Team Critique

I'll leave it at there, because half the fun of teambuilding is to build it yourself. If you're interested in what other Pokemon are in the RU tier, check out this link. If you'd like more help building a RU team, don't hesitate to contact me through PM, Profile Message or the chat room if you see me on. Once again, welcome to PokeBeach and good luck with your team.

Thanks so much! Great advice. And I wasn't sure what the tiers were referring to exactly. I'd love to stick to underused, more classic pokemon, so RU sounds perfect.

 

[Scruffy]

So I followed the advice of everyone who helped and am doing much better than before, but still struggling.

Spoiler

Scyther (M) @ Lum Berry
Trait: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Aerial Ace
- Bug Bite
- Brick Break
- Swords Dance

Sandslash (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Stealth Rock
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic
- Protect

Slowking (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 248 HP / 144 Def / 116 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Slack Off
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Fire Blast

Tangrowth (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 112 HP / 252 SAtk / 144 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Leaf Storm
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Sleep Powder

Uxie @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 96 HP / 188 SAtk / 224 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- Thunderbolt

Poliwrath (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Relaxed Nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Circle Throw
- Scald

I've been fighting on POnline most the day with a 40% win rate. I am severly weak to Ghost; Misdrivous and and Galvantula wreck my world.

I think my biggest problem is I can't figure out how to utilize an effective sweep. I usually lose my offensive players and end up playing defense with my Slowking/Tangula regenerator core.

 

[The Yoshi]

Can I direct you the Battler Improvement Thread? If you save one of your battle logs from Pokemon Online, the good battlers here can critique the way you played your match and figure out what you did right and wrong. All you have to do is PM [mod]Equinox[/mod] with your match and hope he accepts it for the round.

If I could give you a rate I would say that you are losing to Galvantula because 2/3 of your team is weak to Bug, and Scyther is weak to Electric. If you would like an effective check to Galvantula I would try Lanturn, due to Volt Absorb rendering its Electric type attacks useless, and its high Special Defense stat being able to take many hits from it. It will also help against Misdreavus since they commonly carry Will-O-Wisp, which will cripple Scyther, but Lanturn can learn Heal Bell, curing burn and any other status conditions on the team.