Banner by Bka Onon
The purpose of this resource will be to provide teams that are easy to use and represent the type fairly well for newer players to learn the metagame with. These teams can also be used as a base in order to try out new options in teambuilding. As such, sample teams will be held up to a high standard.
If you're thinking of contributing, great! Please take a moment to read the following.
We will exercise very high standards over which teams are approved. We will not feature teams using sub-optimal archetypes, such as Hyper Offensive Poison or Stall Fairy. While niche tech sets and non-conventional builds (like those seen in RMTs) are not forbidden, submitted teams must be broadly effective and viable in the meta.
The teams showcased in this thread should be representative of the various, viable, relevant play-styles and archetypes present in the Monotype metagame.
Here are the guidelines for submissions:
- Make sure submissions are in the [Gen 9 Monotype] format.
- Provide an importable for your team. Don't use nicknames for your Pokemon.
- Accompanying sprites and art are appreciated, but not mandatory. All of the sprites can be found here.
- Replays are highly encouraged and are a great way to demonstrate that the team is effective in the metagame. Make sure your teams are tested.
- This is not the RMT forum; this thread is not the place to seek feedback on undeveloped teams and concepts.
- Don't Post Memes. They will be deleted.
- Finally, if you edit your submission based on feedback (or any reason), please make a note of it at the bottom of the post so it can be reevaluated. You can also message me on Smogon or Pokemon Showdown!.
[Dark] Bulky Offense
Sableye @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Prankster
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Taunt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Knock Off
- Recover
Ting-Lu @ Leftovers
Ability: Vessel of Ruin
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Spikes
- Whirlwind
- Earthquake
- Heavy Slam / Ruination
Kingambit @ Leftovers
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Brick Break
- Sucker Punch
- Stealth Rock
- Iron Head
Hydreigon @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Nasty Plot
- Dark Pulse
- Earth Power / Flamethrower
Meowscarada @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Protean
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Play Rough
- Flower Trick
- Knock Off
Chien-Pao @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Sword of Ruin
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature / Jolly Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Sacred Sword / Psychic Fangs / Swords Dance
- Ice Shard
- Crunch / Sacred SwordProvides a switch-in to Fighting-moves and debilitates threats such as Quaquaval and Body Press Corviknight with Will-o-Wisp. Taunt shuts down entry hazard setters such as Toxapex and Clodsire and setup sweepers such as Iron Defense Corviknight and Curse Dondozo. Knock Off lets Sableye inconvinience the opposing team more and makes Ting-Lu's and Kingambit's entry hazards more impactful. An Impish nature is chosen as most Pokemon with Fighting-type coverage are Physical attackers, while Heavy-Duty Boots makes up for the lack of entry hazard removal in Dark teams.
Is the specially defensive wall, able to trade with threats such as Flutter Mane, Hatterene, and Iron Moth. Spikes takes advantage of forced switches, as it chips down the opposing team to the point that Meowscarada or Chien Pao can clean late-game. Whirlwind also does a similar job in that regard, shuffling the opposing team once enough entry hazards have been set. Heavy Slam lets it check the aforementioned Fairy-types, while Ruination in conjunction with Earthquake is disastrous for types such as Ground, Poison, and Fire which have few decent switchins to it.
Is the other half of the entry hazard stacking core, and is the primary check to Fairy-types such as Hatterene due to its access to Iron Head and Fairy neutrality. Brick Break helps out the team against types such as Fairy and Dark. Sucker Punch picks off Ceruledge, Cinderace, and Floatzel in a pinch.
Is the team's only Special attacker, and is the team's main way to deal with Steel-types such as Corviknight and Scizor offensively. Aside from that, it also deals with Skeledirge which can potentially wreak havoc against this team, is a Ground-type immunity, and is a stallbreaker that deals with types such as Poison well enough. Earth Power lets you OHKO Toxapex at +2, while Flamethrower provides the team with a better matchup against Steel and Bug teams.
Is holding a Choice Scarf to outspeed and remove threats such as Choice Specs Flutter Mane and opposing Choice Scarf users such as Great Tusk, Iron Valiant, and Quaquaval. U-turn allows Meowscarada to pivot out of switchins such as Clodsire and Toxapex which can wall it. Play Rough deals with Dark, Fighting, and Dragon teams, notably being able to clean these teams once these are sufficiently worn down. Flower Trick owns Ground and Water teams once checks such as Iron Treads, Clodsire, and Toxapex have been worn down or eliminated.
Checks threats such as Breloom, Great Tusk, and Flamigo with its strong priority in Ice Shard. This Icy cat also doubles as a possible wincon should you choose to run Swords Dance, allowing it to sweep types such as Poison, Flying, and Dragon late-game. Alternatively, Sacred Sword deals with Kingambit and Iron Treads as they switch-in while Psychic Fangs threatens out Toxapex after entry hazard chip.
I'm not going to lie, I saw this in a game against 
Rillaboom regained Grassy Glide this gen, and it's a decent form of priority to pick off weakened threats. One key thing is that Rillaboom can run Grassy Glide over Superpower because this team already deals with Steel-types fairly well through Torterra and Ogerpon-Hearthflame. Choice Banded Wood Hammers and Knock Offs sting, though, and U-turn is always nice to keep the team fluid and agile. This is a set reminiscing of its Gen 8 glory days, but it still does well.
