Choosing Your Companions: The Definitive Guide to Pokémon Black 2 Team Building
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So, you’re venturing into the Unova region in Pokémon Black 2! Excellent choice. This sequel offers a richer experience than its predecessor, with a larger Pokédex, more diverse locations, and a satisfying post-game. But the question remains: Which Pokémon should you choose for your team?
The “best” team is subjective and depends on your play style. However, a well-rounded team should cover a variety of types, possess strong offensive and defensive capabilities, and complement each other’s weaknesses. Here’s a guide to help you assemble a winning squad in Pokémon Black 2, focusing on readily available and effective Pokémon:
Building Your Core Team: A Strategic Approach
Starter Selection: Oshawott, Tepig, or Snivy?
While personal preference is key, Oshawott tends to be the most accessible choice for new players. Samurott’s balanced stats and Water typing provide a solid foundation. Water is a defensively strong type, and its weaknesses (Grass and Electric) are manageable with other team members. Consider a Pokémon like Emolga or Ferrothorn to counter these threats.
Tepig, evolving into Emboar, offers powerful Fire/Fighting coverage. However, its speed is lacking, and its weaknesses to Water, Ground, Flying, and Psychic can be problematic. If you choose Tepig, consider team members who can absorb these hits, such as Jellicent or Gigalith.
Snivy, eventually becoming Serperior, presents a unique challenge. Its pure Grass typing is defensively underwhelming, and its reliance on the Contrary ability (gained much later) to boost stats with Leaf Storm requires specific strategies. Snivy is best suited for experienced players who want a different type of challenge.
Essential Team Members
Beyond your starter, consider these Pokémon for your team, all relatively accessible early on:
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Arcanine (Fire): With high Attack and Speed, Arcanine is a potent offensive force. Its access to moves like Flare Blitz and Extreme Speed makes it a formidable opponent. Evolving Growlithe with a Fire Stone nets you this classic powerhouse.
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Flygon (Ground/Dragon): Catching a Trapinch in the Desert Resort is worth the effort. Flygon offers excellent Ground and Dragon type coverage, high Speed, and good Special Attack. It is a versatile and reliable team member.
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Magnezone (Electric/Steel): Accessible through evolving Magneton with exposure to Mt. Coronet’s special magnetic field, Magnezone boasts incredible Special Attack and good Special Defense. Its Steel typing provides valuable resistances, and its Electric moves are devastating.
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Lucario (Fighting/Steel): Lucario is obtained as a Riolu egg from Riley on Iron Island. Lucario offers exceptional dual typing, a versatile movepool, and strong offensive stats, but it is also a glass cannon.
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Krookodile (Ground/Dark): Catching a Sandile in the Desert Resort, this Ground/Dark type provides great type coverage, high attack, and decent speed. This is a powerhouse that also offers utility against Ghost and Psychic types.
Filling the Gaps: Considering Team Synergy
Your final team slot should be chosen based on your team’s weaknesses and the types you are lacking. Here are a few examples of Pokemon that provide utility and coverage:
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Jellicent (Water/Ghost): This Pokémon is an amazing wall that can take hits and inflict burn with scald. You can catch a Frillish via the whirlpools in Undella Bay.
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Leavanny (Bug/Grass): While its typing leaves it with many weaknesses, Leavanny offers a unique combination of Bug and Grass, providing coverage against Water, Ground, and Rock types. It can be found in Pinwheel Forest.
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Haxorus (Dragon): Haxorus is another powerful dragon type that can be obtained by catching an Axew in Mistralton Cave. This pokemon has incredible attack and a wide movepool.
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Cobalion (Steel/Fighting): Cobalion is the first legendary pokemon that you can find at Mistralton Cave. It is a fast fighting type that is good for covering weaknesses.
Team Composition: Prioritize Balance
No matter the individual Pokémon you choose, ensure your team has a balanced type distribution to handle a variety of threats. Aim for a team that can effectively deal with common types like Water, Fire, Grass, Electric, Ground, and Fighting.
The Importance of Movepools
Don’t just focus on type matchups. Carefully consider the movepools of your Pokémon. Ensure they have access to powerful STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) moves and coverage moves to hit opponents for super effective damage.
Utilizing Held Items and Abilities
Held items and abilities can significantly impact a Pokémon’s performance. Experiment with different items to find what works best for your team. Ability synergy can also be a powerful tool.
Additional Resources
For more in-depth information about game-based learning and the educational value of Pokémon, visit the Games Learning Society website at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the best starter Pokémon in Black 2 overall?
Oshawott is generally considered the easiest to use, due to its balanced stats and the relatively defensive strength of the Water type. However, the best starter ultimately depends on your play style.
2. Is it better to pick Black 2 or White 2?
Both games are largely the same, but they have some exclusive Pokémon. Zekrom is exclusive to Black 2, while Reshiram is exclusive to White 2. The choice depends on which legendary Pokémon you prefer.
3. Is Pokémon Black 2 harder than Black?
Pokémon Black 2 has a harder difficulty due to the increased diversity in Pokémon options which can lead to challenging team composition.
4. Can you catch Zekrom in Black 2?
Yes, you can catch Zekrom in Pokémon Black 2 after defeating the Elite Four and Champion.
5. What is a good early-game Pokémon to catch in Black 2?
Growlithe (evolving into Arcanine) is an excellent early-game choice. Its Fire typing is valuable, and it possesses strong offensive stats. You can find it on Route 4.
6. Is Onix a good Pokémon to use in Black 2?
Onix is not the best choice due to its double weakness. However, if you want to use an Onix it is not unviable if used strategically.
7. Should I evolve my Pokémon as soon as possible?
Generally, it’s best to evolve your Pokémon as soon as possible to gain access to better stats and moves. However, some Pokémon learn specific moves earlier in their pre-evolved forms, so check their movepool before evolving.
8. Where can I find the Day Care in Black 2?
The Day Care is located on Route 3. You can breed Pokémon there after defeating the Elite Four and Champion.
9. What are the HM moves required to beat Black 2?
The most important HM moves are Surf and Strength. Cut is also useful for accessing optional areas.
10. Can you catch both Reshiram and Zekrom in the same game?
No, you can only catch Reshiram or Zekrom and Kyurem in one game or the other. You can catch Kyurem in both though.
11. Is Zekrom shiny locked in Black 2?
Yes, Zekrom is shiny locked in Black 2, meaning you cannot encounter it as a Shiny Pokémon.
12. What is the best move to use for catching Legendaries?
Moves that inflict sleep or paralysis are ideal for catching Legendary Pokémon. False Swipe is also useful for reducing the target’s HP to 1 without knocking it out.
13. Is it okay to play Black 2 without playing Black first?
Yes, Black 2 functions as a standalone game. While it is a direct sequel, the storyline is accessible even without prior knowledge of the events in Black.
14. Which Pokémon is better, Reshiram or Zekrom?
The answer to this question depends on which Pokemon team that you want to build. Zekrom is better for physical coverage with its strong electric and dragon moves. Reshiram is the better pick for special coverage as its dragon and fire moves are stronger.
15. Does the version of Black 2 impact the difficulty of the game?
Yes, the versions do impact the difficulty of the game. White 2 includes an “Easy Mode” setting while Black 2 includes a “Hard Mode” setting.
Final Thoughts
Building a winning team in Pokémon Black 2 requires careful planning, strategic thinking, and an understanding of type matchups, movepools, and team synergy. Don’t be afraid to experiment and adapt your team to overcome challenges. With the right Pokémon and a solid strategy, you can conquer the Unova region!