How the team analysis works
How PokemonBuilder grades a team: the weakness rules, the score formula, meta threats, the damage calculator and speed tiers, explained step by step.
Last updated Oct 30, 2026
How the team builder grades a team, how it finds the meta threats to it, and how the damage calculator and speed tiers get their numbers. Everything here is the formula the site runs, so you can check any result by hand.
How are a team's weaknesses found?
For each of the 18 attacking types, the builder multiplies the type chart's values across each member's types (Fire against Grass/Steel is 2 × 2 = 4×). A member is weak to the type above 1×, resists it below 1×, and an immunity is 0×.
A type counts as a team weakness when at least half of the team is weak to it and more members are weak than resist it. One weak member is normal; three members weak to Ground with nothing resisting it is the kind of hole the analysis points out.
Offensive coverage is the set of types the team's own types hit super effectively. It reads types, not moves, so it is the coverage of your Pokémon's STAB attacks.
How is the team score computed?
The score starts at 50 and adds 2 for each type the team hits super effectively, 1.5 for each type at least one member resists, and 5 for a full team of six; it subtracts 7.5 for each team weakness. The result is rounded and kept between 5 and 100.
The grades follow the score: Weak below 44, Fair from 44, Solid from 66 and Excellent from 82. The same formula grades a team everywhere it is shown, on the phone, on the computer and on a saved team.
- Score = 50 + 2 × (types covered) + 1.5 × (types resisted) − 7.5 × (team weaknesses) + 5 (if six members)
- Kept between 5 and 100, then rounded
What does the score not see?
It reads types only. Moves, abilities (Levitate, for instance, removes a Ground weakness), items, stats and Tera types do not change it, and neither does how well the six play together. Use it to spot holes in type coverage, then check the matchups that matter with the damage calculator.
How are partner suggestions and meta threats chosen?
Suggestions are Pokémon that resist at least one of the team's weaknesses, up to ten of them.
A meta threat is a Pokémon of the selected format whose types hit at least one of your members super effectively. Threats are ranked by how much they are used (usage share, weighted by tournament win rate around 50%) times the pressure they put on your team (the share of members they hit super effectively, times the strongest multiplier, up to 4×).
How does the damage calculator work?
It uses the main-series stat and damage formulas, with 31 IVs and level 50 unless you change them. It accounts for natures, EVs, weather, terrain, burns, items, abilities, Terastallization, screens, spread moves in doubles, Helping Hand and critical hits, and shows all 16 damage rolls, from 85% to 100%.
Not every ability or item in the games is modelled. For an exotic interaction, confirm the result in Pokémon Showdown's calculator.
How are speed tiers computed?
Every Pokémon's Speed at level 50 with 31 IVs, under four investments: no EVs, 252 EVs with a neutral nature, 252 EVs with a +Speed nature, and that spread holding a Choice Scarf (×1.5, rounded down). Pokémon with the same Speed share a tier.
Where do the usage and tournament numbers come from?
Usage comes from Smogon's monthly statistics of Pokémon Showdown battles, merged with Limitless tournament results for VGC; tournament teams come from VGCPastes. The Meta & usage and Best teams pages state the sample and the date of their data under their lists.
Found a number that looks wrong? Write to pokemonteambuilderadmin@gmail.com.