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This page explains everything you need to know about Monotype teams in Pokemon Sword & Shield. Read on to learn what a monotype team is, what strategies to use with one, and what countermeasures to use against one.
List of Contents
Monotype teams are what the competitive battle community refers to a team composed of Pokemon that share a single type. This is reminiscent of the teams Gym Leaders in-game use, as well the Elite Four of past generations.
Dual-type Pokemon are still allowed in Monotype Teams, so long as it shares the same type with the rest of the team.
Pokemon | Type 1 | Type 2 |
---|---|---|
Abilities | ||
Justified | Raises Attack when hit by a Dark-type move. |
Terrakion is a dual-type Rock/Fighting Pokemon. As such, you can use it on both a Mono-Rock or Mono-Fighting team.
Although there are is no best type to use when creating a Monotype Team, some types boast more offenve or defensive capabilities than others.
When building an offensive monotype team, you want to choose the type that can hit the most types for super effective damage.
Defending Pokemon | |||
---|---|---|---|
Move Type | Super Effective | Not Very Effective | No Effect |
Fighting | |||
Ground | |||
Rock | - | ||
Ice | - |
Fighting and Ground hit the most types for super effective damage, followed by Rock and Ice.
Additionally, Rock and Ice hit types that are among the most used in the competitive battling scene, such as Flying, Fire, Flying, and Dragon.
All four types make great options if you're looking for an offensive-oriented Monotype team.
Similarly, you'll want to choose a type that has the least amount of type weaknesses or the most type resistances if you're looking to build a more defensive-oriented monotype team.
Defending Pokemon | |||
---|---|---|---|
Move Type | Super Effective | Not Very Effective | No Effect |
Steel | - | ||
Water | - | ||
Electric |
Steel boasts the most resistances of any typing, with a total of eleven resistances. Water and Electric are also great defensive types - Water is only weak to Electric and Grass, while Electric is only weak to Ground.
Similar to other competitive teams, Monotype Types require Pokemon to fill in specific roles such as Physical Sweepers and Walls.
Because of the type restriction of Monotypes, it's important to have to have good offensive coverage and dual-type defense.
Because of the type restriction of Monotypes, it's important to have to have good offensive coverage through an individual Pokemon's moves.
Pokemon | Description |
---|---|
Azumarill | Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Dual Water/Fairy STAB has great offensive coverage ・A fearsome sweeper thanks to Belly Drum and Aqua Jet |
Starmie | Ranking: ★★★★★ ・A part from its main STAB moves, it has the coveted BoltBeam coverage through Thunderbolt and Ice Beam ・ |
Heat Rotom | Ranking: ★★★★★ ・ It's dual Fire/Electric STAB moves give it great offensive coverage, covering each type's main resistances ・A great offensive pivot thanks to Volt Switch |
Defensive types excel not by quantity of resistances but by quality. While Steel has the most resistances, it's weak to three very common offensive types - Fire, Fighting, and Ground.
As a result, Pokemon with a secondary type that lessens or nullifies their type weaknesses excel the most defensively.
Water-type Pokemon are well-known in the competitive battling scene as among the best defensively - hence the commonly used term: bulky water.
Pokemon | Description |
---|---|
Gastrodon | Ranking: ★★★★★ ・4x Weak to Grass ・Immune to Electric ・4x Resistant to Poison, Rock, Steel, and Fire |
Toxapex | Ranking: ★★★★★ ・2x Weak to Ground, Electric, and Psychic ・2x Resistant to Fighting, Poison, Bug, Steel, Fire, Water, Ice, and Fairy |
Jellicent | Ranking: ★★★☆☆ ・ 2x Weak to Ghost, Grass, Electric, and Dark ・ Immune to Normal and Fighting ・ 2x Resistant to Poison, Bug, Steel, Fire, Water, and Ice |
Most Monotype Teams incorporate weather mechanics in team building to boost their offensive presence or defensive utility. Many Mono-Water and Mono-Fire types employ Rain and Sun teams respectively, while Rock-type Pokemon benefit greatly from the Special Defense increase in Sandstorm.
To learn more about Weather Team Building, take a look at our guide below:
The main challenge for Monotype Teams is overcoming a type's main resistances. An offensive Mono-Dragon Team, for example, boasts great neutral coverage but is instantly stopped by a Steel and Fairy-type Pokemon.
Pokemon | Description |
---|---|
Haxorus | Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Has Earthquake and Iron Tail to cover Dragon's main type resistances ・High attack and access to Dragon Dance make it a formidable late-game sweeper |
Duraludon | Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Steel/Dragon typing make Fairy-type moves hit neutral instead of super effective ・High special attack and great movepool make it an excellent choice for a bulky special attacker |
Turtonator | Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Fire/Dragon typing make Fairy-type moves hit neutral instead of super effective ・It's dual STAB moves give it great offensive coverage, allowing it to hit Steel-type Pokemon with super effective damage |
Facing a Monotype team with great defensive synergy and offensive presence is intimidating, but you can overcome it by knowing a type's resistances, weakenesses, and immunities.
A Mono-Fighting type may have the move coverage and dual-typing to cover its shortcomings, but you can still overcome it if you know each Pokemon's individual weaknesses.
To learn more about type effectiveness and weaknesses, take a look at our article below.
Type Effectiveness and Damage Output
All Competitive Battling Guides |
|
Battle Formats | |
---|---|
Basics of Competitive Singles Team Building | Basics of Competitive Doubles Team Building | Types of Teams |
Offensive Teams | Defensive Teams |
Weather Teams | Trick Room Teams |
Monotype Teams | Doubles Teams |
How to Build a Monotype Team
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