Grass/Water/Fire Cores... Are they really necessary for balance?

[Lucario_Skywalker]

I've made a core of Torterra+Blastoise+Torkoal (which I called the Turtle Squad :P)
I've also used a core of Tangrowth+Blastoise+Arcanine which had decent success.

 

[Pwnage]

I use an offensive trio of Sceptile, Blaziken, and Feraligatr to great success.

 

[pastel]

they aren't necesary, but they are such good helps, since it covers alot of types just by themselves, that gives about....70% type coverage.

 

[Random Pizzaman]

G/F/W cores are basically non-existent this round of UU for some reason (probably because of the increase in Dark, Steel types and Cresselia, which they cant break too well)

 

[Azure Demon]

Ummm i don't know you guys I've been kicking some ass with my rash weather ball hp ice victreebell in ou him mixed with my naughty hp grass arcanine and my bold pataya berry gastrodon have been wrecking some stuff well rather used to before my game had gotten stolen

I'd have my togekiss set up sunny day maybe fire blast to use it's ability for increased burn hax then go out to victreebell maybe get a sword dance up then just go to town steels get ohkoed by life orbed+sun boosted weather ball
after that happens people normally send in like a heatran or mence if it's mence or gyarados I'll take it out with hp ice, gyarados normally dies from +1 stabbed+ life orb+ victrebell leaf blade and heatran I'll let gastrodon deal with or let arcanine get it's flash fire then ohko with the EQ but normally I flare blitz expecting the switch unless I see lefties or something

 

[lati0s]

or let arcanine get it's flash fire then ohko with the EQ but normally I flare blitz expecting the switch unless I see lefties or something

That would probably work better if arcanine learned earthquake

 

[Azure Demon]

That would probably work better if arcanine learned earthquake

I ment gastrodon earthquake I got ahead of myself again my bad. Lol and yeah pack earthquake on a special attacking gastrodon

my arcanine's set is flare blize/ will-o-wisp/ hp grass/ dragon pulse. Well my old arcanine because my game got stolen. My bad for the mix up

but there was some move I used to use to ohko heatrans with my other adamant arcanine I think it was reversal or some fighting move

 

[flashbolt]

Flying,Poison and Rock are not resisted by this combo and hit one of them SE.
I think Fire/Grass is an adequate combo; Rock, poison, flying still get through it, it does miss coverage on fire types but it only uses 2 slots.
Bulky Arcanine/ RP Torterra (who happens also to add a rock resist), STAB Ground moves eliminate the combo's problems with fire types.

All this said i agree with Random Pizzaman. I wouldnt be surprised to see more ghost/dark combos. The legendary no weaknesses only in two pokes (not 1, spiritomb); rotom and drapion/houndoom/umbreon (houndoom does add weakness though). Two pokes that both hurt cresselia and other psychics but offensively lose coverage on fighting, normal which one hits neutrally dark, steel which resist both.

 

[Force Majeure]

I ran a grass-water-fire combo in my most successful team (upcoming RMT! woohoo!) without really knowing it. I used CB Azumarill, LO Mix Blaziken, and SD Venusaur. It's not really defensively oriented, but it works.

I agree with Flashbolt that Ghost/Dark combos make sense in this metagame; I've seen quite a few Misdreavus/Absol combos on the offensive side. As for the defensive rotom and drapion/houndoom/umbreon pair, I haven't seen this, but it seems like a logical pairing.

 

[Alan]

I like the GWF core because it covers alot of types. I usually use CB Azumaril for water types, Ludicolo/Sceptile for grass, and Blaziken/Arcanine for Fire.

I usually have Nidoking in my core instead of a fire though.
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[Engineer Pikachu]

Personally, I find that they really only need to be on the same team when running a Bulky Offense team, where you can play around with resistances, such as Milotic/Venusaur/Arcanine, which combined with a Steel-type, a Ghost-type, and a Levitator/Flying-type, it makes for quite a defensive team.

On more offensive teams, however, I find that only 2 are really necessary, like Grass-Fire, which resists commonly used pokemon [cough Venusaur cough] and a Flash Fire Arcanine nicely counters other Arcanine. I usually use a supporter like Altaria or Uxie over the Water-type, or a Lanturn for the Electric immunity.

 

[Smurf.]

Who says this core is redundant? I still use a core of Venu/Milotic (sorry, bulky fire-types are simply asking for trouble) to great success on my stall team. If you build around this core, you are definitely going to have a solid defensive backbone to your team. Registeel and Bulky mismagius are perfect teamates.

 

[flashbolt]

I usually use CB Azumaril for water types, Ludicolo/Sceptile for grass, and Blaziken/Arcanine for Fire.

Doesnt ludicolo count as a water type anyway? with him you have the grass/water and only need a fire.

On more offensive teams, however, I find that only 2 are really necessary, like Grass-Fire, which resists commonly used pokemon [cough Venusaur cough] and a Flash Fire Arcanine nicely counters other Arcanine.

I find this too but the rock weakness can be deadly if you are playing Bulky Offense and not heavy offense.

I agree with Flashbolt that Ghost/Dark combos make sense in this metagame; I've seen quite a few Misdreavus/Absol combos on the offensive side. As for the defensive rotom and drapion/houndoom/umbreon pair, I haven't seen this, but it seems like a logical pairing.

I agree with you =P. Actually since posting it i've tested it abit and it works quite well.

 

[Alan]

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Yeah I know ludicolo counts as a water type, but its got a sombrero, and i usually dont run him on the same team as Azumarill, its an either or kinda thing.

Yeah, I have noticed that rock weakness, mostly in the form of Headsmash Aggron, who quite frankly, is a pain in the butt.
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[Lucalibur]

IMO the real big reason G-W-F is used so much is that fact that almost no UU/NU poke can defeat then by power and coverage alone (we got unusual but effective pokemons that can destroy then by power alone, but that is another story) and often need support from 1-2 pokes to stop, predict the switch and use the right move can also help, but given most of the pokemons used in the core normally got a recovery move, if you cant ohko then or at least outspeed for the 2hko, you are better off trying to kill then with a toxic orb quick feet SD ursaring (ohko about anything after SD) another thing is that SD sceptile cover those types to a extend, given the guy is using something like milotic/houndoom/venosaur all that you have to do is weaken veno a little to ohko all of then with the right moves, of course i was just giving a example, defensive or offensive the triple type core is effective has long you know when to switch in and out (and make damn sure the pokemons got a recovery move, UU is famous for spikes and roar)

 

[SJCrew]

My main UU team doesn't have a single Grass, Water, or Fire type and I've been hovering the leaderboard for quite a while. General coverage isn't quite as important when all-purpose UU threats have such great synergy that they can both switch in and conquer other switch-ins with impunity. Of course, this leads to more close games rather than outright sweeps, but it works well enough that I haven't needed to make any drastic changes to the core of the team since I created it.

To answer the question, no, Grass/Water/Fire cores aren't necessary for balance, but they are very much viable in any metagame, even moreso in the lower tiers.

 

[flashbolt]

I think the reason why we talk about G/F/W cores in UU is that in OU they are totally outclassed by a better core; steel/dragon, one with levitate. As such tons of Grass, Water and especially fires (due to SR weakness) have been moved down and so G/F/W in UU has alot of options.
In OU grass has celebi, breloom and roserade of which celebi is the only truly bulky one. Fire has heatran and infernape; infernape especially isnt very bulky (heatran can be). Water has plenty of options.
In UU grass has leafeon, ludicolo, sceptile (not bulky enough?), venusaur, tangrowth, torterra and other NUs. Fire has Arcanine, Blaziken (probably not bulky enough), Houndoom, moltres and other NUs such as Entei. Water has even more options than in OU.
So i am saying that it is strong in UU because it has versatility, that in turn is because it is not great in OU, so the G/F/W pokes are being moved down.

Looking at the Jan server stats; the top 15 pokes has only one grass, one fire and one water poke. There are however (amongst others);
2 psychics
3 ghosts
2 grounds
2 normals

Ive said before that dark/ghost combinations are the way to go, and i still believe it; dark has a good match up against psychics and ghosts and a levitating ghost does well against grounds and normals. Unfortunatly the quality of darks/ghosts in UU are questionable.