Want to climb the ranked ladder? Here's how to build a competitive team!

THE BASICS OF TEAM BUILDING
A good team needs:
- Type coverage (don't have 3 Fire types!)
- A balance of offense and defense
- Speed control (at least one fast Pokemon)
- A tank to absorb hits

TEAM ROLES

SWEEPER (Attacker)
High Attack or Sp.Attack + high Speed
Job: Deal massive damage quickly
Examples: Fast Pokemon with strong STAB moves

TANK (Wall)
High HP + high Defense or Sp.Defense
Job: Absorb damage and outlast opponents
Examples: Bulky Pokemon with recovery moves

SUPPORT
Pokemon with status moves, buffs, or debuffs
Job: Set up conditions for your sweepers
Examples: Pokemon with stat-boosting moves

LEAD
Your first Pokemon in the team slot
Job: Set the pace of the battle
Best leads: Fast Pokemon with good coverage

TEAM COMPOSITION TIPS
1. Cover all 18 types with your 6 Pokemon
2. Don't stack weaknesses (if 3 of your team are weak to Water, one Surf wipes you)
3. Have at least 2 Pokemon that can hit Dragon types (Ice or Fairy moves)
4. Include one Pokemon that resists Fighting (very common attack type)
5. Speed tiers matter — know who outspeeds what

IV AND NATURE OPTIMIZATION
- Sweepers want 31 Speed IVs and +Speed or +Attack nature
- Tanks want 31 HP/Defense IVs and +Defense nature
- Always check IVs before investing in a Pokemon
- Trade for better IVs if yours are low

COMMON MISTAKES
- All offensive, no defense (gets swept by faster teams)
- All same type (one counter wipes your entire team)
- Ignoring speed (always going second = losing)
- Not having a Ground immunity (Earthquake is everywhere)
- Using low-IV Pokemon in ranked (stats matter at high tiers)