Tweaking My Team

[daigotsurezan]

I'm looking to make some changes to my team, but I can't decide who to drop and who to add. I have just beaten Aya, and my mons are all around level 44 currently. My save game began in E16, so I have caught (or can easily catch) any mon available before Aya in E16.

The following Pokemon are 'locked' to my team, I'm going to keep them unless I get some very good counter-arguments. I am open to ideas about movesets or Ability changes

Cacturne [Water Absorb] (Needle Arm/Feint Attack/Spiky Shield/Sucker Punch)

Meowstic-M [Prankster] (Psychic/Safeguard/Reflect/Light Screen)

Infernape [iron Fist] (Mach Punch/Close Combat/Fire Pledge/Shadow Claws) Fire Pledge is getting relearned to Fire Punch as soon as I get the tutor unlocked, and Shadow Claws is probably becoming Thunder Punch)

Diggersby [Huge Power] (Strength/Rock Smash/Dig/Bounce) Strength and Rock Smash are temporary, i'll be grabbing a bidoof as HM slave and retraining soon)

These two Pokemon I'm on the fence about. Both are Flying-types and I prefer not to have type overlap on my team, so I'd like to swap one of them out.

Emolga [Motor Drive] (Electro Ball/Nuzzle/Acrobatics/Roost)

Swanna [Hydration] (Bubble Beam/Air Slash/Tailwind/Roost)

I'm leaning towards ditching Swanna, since Emolga's Electro Ball/Nuzzle combination is quite strong and Acrobatics hits like a truck (both his Attack and Special Attack IVs are nearly 30).

I am considering the following Pokemon as replacements, but I will consider your suggestions as well:

Mawile (adds 2 types I don't currently have, but I'd struggle to retrain him to a more useful moveset)

Scolipede (adds 2 types I don't have, Speed Boost makes him a huge threat)

Crobat (I know I said I didn't want 2 flying types, but I love Crobat and his speed makes him a big threat)

Magneton/Magnezone (if I replace Emolga, this keeps an Electric type and adds a Steel component to face off against Poison and Fair types).

I appreciate any and all ideas, suggestions, questions, and criticisms!

[FairFamily]

magnezone looks like a good idea, bulky steel/electric type, special attacker. I can't say more since I have never used a magnezone to be honest so I can't give further insight. However it gives your team a big fighting type weakness 3 are super effective. The other three I would say meh, since they all are physical attackers and you have 3 of them already slot in and a support. In that case you might best keep swanna since it can keep the fighting types in check and gives you also a water pkmn and it is a special attacker as well.

Edited April 8, 2016 by FairFamily

[Ironbound]

Yes, Magnezone is easily the best electric type available in the game at the moment, and at least ten times more useful that Emolga tbh. You'll not find it easy to level up Magneton into Magnezone yet, though, but Magneton itself is quite good.

Crobat and Scolipede are both viable Poison types; you'd have to breed Brave Bird onto Crobat, however. They both also give you a nice x4 Fighting resist.

A good water type would also not be bad. You can consider Seismitoad or something which is bulky

[Pandalex12]

Magnezone isn't the best electric type, I have no idea what Viri is on about ... :Kappa:

But seriously, get Magnezone and if you're cautious about taking a random ground-type move, it has the very good sturdy ability which you can proc multiple times if you heal back to full health.

Overall, I would say that it's prettty good! :feelsgd:

Sadly, Emolga's low base attacks of 75/75 doesn't let it function as a dedicated attacker (well you are using what seems to be an attack/support set but its subpar bulk won't let it last very long so you may not be able to take advantage of roost)

Can't really say much about flying types since I'm using an Archeops (if only I were bothered to hunt for a starly...) :feelsgn:

Edited April 9, 2016 by Pandalex12

[Ironbound]

Blasphemy! Magnezone is the one true GOD!

[TimTim]

If Scolipede is added to roster, half your team will be susceptible to flying threats, so i am liking Crobat over Scolipede as your poison type on your team, Swanna's 87/87/98 base offensive stats are mediocre at this point of game as well as Emolga, since most leaders have good IVs on their defensive stats, Magnezone is definitely needed for special wall breaking(as most of your team are physical attacker), as for Mawile, it may seem like it has subpar base physical attack stat of 85 , but Sheer Force ability guarantees its Play Rough and Iron Head hitting harder than usual, i am liking it over Cacturne as they both get dark moves with Mawile getting Crunch boosted with Sheer Force despite not being its STAB, plus it has potential to get its mega(sooner or later), moreso, it is neutral to fighting type with its fairy typing countering fighting types as many members of your team are also susceptible to fighting moves, and it has access to Stockpile to boost its poor special defense.

[RainbowHugs]

KEEP EMOLGA! Swanna Sucks!

[Fumble]

I think you mean E15, as E16 hasn't come out yet ;]

Anyway, Emolga would probably be better than Swanna, since Swanna isn't too great offensively. In my opinion, though, Crobat outclasses it, as Emolga won't be too great in the future as the Gym Leaders are actually EV Trained and stuff.

You seem to use a lot of physical attackers, so I'd use Magnezone as a special attacker. It's very bulky and strong~

[Ironbound]

See? It's a universal truth.

PRAISE THE MAGNET LORD!

[Shad_]

Am i the only one who actually likes Swanna? By the way if you're going to keep it try to find a way to set up Rain Dance, with it you have a Hurricane that'll never miss

[Hymdall]

Swanna is actually quite deadly if you set it up right. As St3ffo said, in the Rain, you have 100% accurate STAB Hurricane, access to Hydration, STAB + Rain Boosted water moves...Sure, it's not fantastic, but don't underestimate the nonsense Swanna can pull off. Not only that, but it learns Roost naturally! That's a pretty big checkmark in my book. Crobat to me outside of Mono Poison/Breeding is incredibly medicore. Your best Flying STAB is Air Slash, and that's not using your best stat, Cross Poison is relearn only, and Brave Bird is an egg move. On the other hand, it has quite a bit of utility in terms of Poison Fang for the chance of Badly Poisoned,. the fastest non-priority Confuse Ray in the game, and access to Rain Dance via TM(Praise be to Crobat the Charlotte neuterer in Mono Poison).

As for other things, definitely replace Emolga with Magneton/zone when you get the chance. Magnezone is approaching...soonish, but Magneton is solid in the meantime. Analytic hurts! As you also mentioned, Mawile can be a pain in the ass to retrain, but if you have a Sheer Force Mawile, absolutely go for it. Since the switchover to ORAS learnsets, you're actually REALLY close to Play Rough/Iron Head naturally. If you're willing to go to Level 45 for Iron Head, you can relearn Play Rough, or just tank it out till level 49. And if you're Level 37+, you have Sucker Punch, which is HUGE. It's a bit sad that you can't get Swords Dance onto it yet, but boy howdy, when you can, I will personally be trying to use Mawile. Anyways, cheers!

EDIT: Changed the stuff on Mawile since I remembered we're on ORAS movesets now. Thank you based Amethyst for blessing Mawile and other Pokemon with better level ups.

Edited April 10, 2016 by Ssbmfreak36

[daigotsurezan]

Thanks everyone for the advice and ideas. I haven't made any decisions yet, but it seems likely that I will be swapping Emolga out for Magneton (soon to be Magnezone, hopefully).

As a side note, ssmbmfreak36, Crobat learns Acrobatics naturally, which I've always found to be worth forgoing a held item. I'm using one in my ORAS team right now (please note that I'm not good, at all), and with Poison Fang/Acrobatics/Bite/Defog (egg move), it's very useful for taking out glass cannons or clearing entry hazards before the enemy can cat.