Defensive Coverage · Team Balance · Type Analysis
Pokemon Team Builder Defensive Coverage: Find Weaknesses
Pokemon team builder defensive coverage is the part of team planning that answers a simple question: what happens when the opponent attacks? Instead of looking only at each Pokemon separately, read the whole party for repeated weaknesses, useful resistances, and safe immunities.
MonTeams shows this in the Builder's Defense board. Choose a game, add your party, and each attacking type gets a compact balance value. It is not a damage calculator and it does not pretend to know every move. It is a quick way to see whether the six members leave the same door open.
See your team's defensive coverageAdd the team you are actually playing, then read the red rows before you add another favorite.
Open the Pokemon Team Builder →What defensive coverage means
For every attacking type, the board counts how many members are weak and how many resist or ignore it. A team with three Water weaknesses and one Water resistance still has a Water problem, even if every individual Pokemon looks strong on its own.
The board's value is a fast comparison, not a grade. A positive number does not guarantee a win, and a negative number does not automatically make a team unusable. It tells you where the next team-building decision deserves attention.
Read the number, then read the marks
The number summarizes the row. The small marks show the members behind it. Use both: a -2 row with three weaknesses and one resist needs a different fix from a -2 row with two weaknesses and no answer at all.
What do -2, 0, and +2 mean?
The balance is calculated as resistances and immunities minus weaknesses:
- -2: two more team members are weak to that attacking type than resist or ignore it.
- 0: the row is even. The party may still have several weaknesses, but it has the same number of type-level answers.
- +2: two more members resist or ignore the type than are weak to it.
Immunities count as answers because they give you a type-level switch-in. They do not make a Pokemon universally safe: abilities, coverage moves, hazards, speed, and battle rules can still change the matchup.
How to use defensive coverage in the Builder
- Choose the game first. The selected mode keeps the Pokedex and type context tied to the run you are planning.
- Add at least two members. One Pokemon tells you about that Pokemon. Two or more reveal whether the party is repeating the same problem.
- Open the Type board. The Defense panel is next to the party; use the Type board button when you want to hide or restore it.
- Scan the lowest rows. Start with the most negative values and the rows with several red weakness marks.
- Read “What to fix next.” The story team coach identifies a repeated weakness and ranks version-legal candidates that can answer it.
- Recheck after every swap. A candidate can solve Ground while creating a new Ice or Electric stack. Keep the change only if the whole board improves.
Defensive coverage is not offensive coverage
The Builder separates the two views because they answer different questions:
- Defense: can the party take or ignore attacks of each type?
- Offense: do the team's natural types provide STAB reach against the defending types?
A team can have good offensive coverage and still fold to one repeated attack type. It can also have many resistances but struggle to pressure the opponent. Read Defense first when you are trying to stop a wipe; read Offense next when you are deciding what the next slot should threaten.
Example: fixing a repeated weakness without rebuilding everything
Imagine five planned members leave three rows at -2, and Ground is the most repeated weakness. Do not replace the whole party immediately. First look for one available candidate that resists or is immune to Ground, then check what it adds offensively.
If that candidate turns Ground to 0 but creates a new three-member Ice weakness, it is not a complete fix. Try the next ranked option, or keep the original favorite and change a different slot. The point of defensive coverage is to make that trade-off visible before you grind the team for hours.
What this board does not calculate
MonTeams uses type-only analysis to stay readable and fast. The Defense board does not score:
- individual move power, coverage moves, or priority;
- abilities such as Levitate, Intimidate, or Flash Fire;
- held items, EVs, IVs, levels, weather, or damage rolls;
- competitive format legality or a full battle simulation.
Showdown imports keep those set details attached for sharing and export, but the type board does not use them to change the tally. Use a battle simulator or damage calculator when you need those questions answered.
Pokemon team builder defensive coverage FAQ
What does defensive coverage mean in a Pokemon team builder?
It shows how many team members are weak, resistant, or immune to each attacking type so shared weaknesses are easy to find.
What do -2, 0, and +2 mean?
The value is resistances and immunities minus weaknesses. Negative rows need attention first; zero is even; positive rows have more type-level answers than weaknesses.
Does defensive coverage include moves and abilities?
No. The board is type-only, with selected Tera typing included where relevant. Moves, abilities, items, and format rules are outside this tally.
Where do I see this feature?
Open the Pokemon Team Builder, choose a game, add Pokemon to the party, and read the Defense panel beside the team. The Type board button can hide or restore it.