Best team composition for Pokemon Gold and Silver

What's the best team composition for Pokemon Gold and Silver? The answer might depend on who is asked, but Gold and Silver's gauntlet of the Johto and Kanto Pokemon Leagues, as well as battling the Elite Four, can be a tough task. This is to say nothing of Silver, the rival of the two games, but trainers can overcome their challenges with the right Pokemon team.

Compiling the best team composition in Pokemon Gold and Silver requires a bit of forethought about which opponents will be faced in gyms and the Elite Four, and battles with Silver have to be accounted for, too. Regardless of whether players are brand new to the Generation II games or are replaying them, it never hurts to take a look at a solid team composition.

Typhlosion and Kingdra spearhead the best team composition in Pokemon Gold and Silver

Typhlosion

Out of Pokemon Gold and Silver's starters, Typhlosion possesses the highest base stat total (534) with impressive Special Attack (109) and Speed (100) stats. It's a powerful Fire-type Pokemon that can carry players to the end of the game once it evolves from Cyndaquil and Quilava.

Although Typhlosion excels with many moves, a recommended moveset for it includes:

Flamethrower
Earthquake
Protect
Thunder Punch

Flamethrower and Earthquake: Flamethrower is Typhlosion's go-to Fire-type attack in Pokemon Gold and Silver, while Earthquake counters Rock-types that give it trouble. Flamethrower can be learned at level 60, while Earthquake's TM (TM26) can be obtained on the northwest ledge of Victory Road.

Protect and Thunder Punch: Protect is a means of keeping Typhlosion safe from harm, while Thunder Punch counters enemy Water- and Flying-types. Protect's TM17 can be bought at the Celadon Department Store in Kanto, while Thunder Punch's TM41 is available at the Goldenrod Department Store.

With this loadout, Typhlosion can take on several gym leaders, Elite Four members, and rivals, including:

Bugsy's entire team (Metapod, Kakuna, Scyther)
Jasmine's entire team (Magnemite, Steelix)
Pryce's Mamoswine
Lt. Surge's team (Raichu, Electrode, Magneton, Electabuzz) via Earthquake
Erika's full team (Jumpluff, Tangela, Victreebell, Bellossom)
Janine's Ariados and Venomoth
Blaine's team (Magcargo, Magmar, Rapidash) via Earthquake
Blue's Exeggutor, his Arcanine, can also be countered with Earthquake
Silver's Sneasel, Magneton, and Gengar, Feraligatr can also be countered with Thunder Punch
Red's Venusaur and Pikachu
Will's Exeggutor and Jynx
Koga's Ariados, Forretress, Muk (with Earthquake), and Venomoth, Thunder Punch can deal with Crobat
Earthquake can counter Bruno's Onix
Karen's Vileplume, Thunder Punch counters Murkrow

Kingdra

If Pokemon Gold and Silver players find a Horsea or Seadra near the Whirl Islands, they can evolve it into Kingdra by trading Seadra while it's holding a Dragon Scale. It's tricky to do in modern Pokemon, but the results are a Water/Dragon-type creature that's only weak to Dragon-type moves in Generation II, making it quite a battler, especially with its well-rounded base stats.

Kingdra benefits from multiple moves in Pokemon Gold and Silver, but this moveset can set it up for success:

Hydro Pump
Blizzard
Dragon Breath
Surf

Hydro Pump and Surf: The hard-hitting 120-power Hydro Pump can be learned by Kingdra at level 61 in Pokemon Gold and Silver, while Surf is teachable through an HM to give Kingdra an extra Water-type move if Hydro Pump runs out. Surf's HM03 can be obtained in Ecruteak City by beating the Kimono Girls and speaking with their director.

Dragon Breath and Blizzard: Dragon Breath gives Kingdra a solid Dragon-type attack with a 1/3 chance of paralyzing its target. Pokemon Gold and Silver players can obtain the move's TM24 by defeating Clair of Blackthorn City's gym. Meanwhile, Blizzard gives Kingdra extra effectiveness against its fellow dragons, its TM14 can be obtained from the Goldenrod Game Corner for 5,500 coins.

Even without an optimized moveset in Pokemon Gold and Silver, Kingdra's low number of weaknesses and well-rounded base stats make it a force, particularly against the following enemies:

Jasmine's Steelix
Pryce's Piloswine
Clair's team (Dragonair, Kingdra), just be wary of other Dragon-type moves
Brock's Graveler, Onix, and Rhyhorn
Erika's team, by using Blizzard
Blaine's team
Blue's Rhydon and Arcanine, Blizzard can also counter Exeggutor
Blizzard counters Will's Exeggutor and Xatu
Blizzard counters Koga's Crobat
Bruno's Onix
Karen's Houndoom, Blizzard counters her Vileplume
Silver's Crobat
Red's Charizard, Blizzard counters his Venusaur

Piloswine

Players who obtain a Swinub at Ice Path and teach it Ancient Power in Pokemon Gold and Silver can evolve it into Piloswine, a very capable Ground/Ice-type that can handle several opponent types, including the dreaded Dragon-type. Its base HP and Attack stat of 100 might not make it seem dangerous, but its type combination makes it effective well into the late game.

A great overall Piloswine moveset in Pokemon Gold and Silver is as follows:

Icy Wind
Blizzard
Endure
Mud-Slap

Icy Wind and Blizzard: Icy Wind provides Piloswine with an Ice-type move with plenty of usage while also being guaranteed to reduce the target's Speed stat. Its TM16 can be obtained after beating Pryce of the Mahogany Town Gym. Blizzard has been outlined above and gives Piloswine even more chilly power, but it can be learned by Piloswine at level 56 instead of using a TM.

Endure and Mud-Slap: Although Piloswine can be bulky, Endure allows it to survive a deadly blow with one HP remaining. Its TM20 can be found by dropping into the northeastern hole in the Burned Tower in Ecruteak City. Mud-Slap isn't a hard-hitter like Earthquake, but since Typhlosion is already using that TM, players can get the accuracy-lowering Mud-Slap's TM by defeating Faulkner.

With this menagerie of Ice- and Ground-type moves, Piloswine can tackle plenty of opponents in Pokemon Gold and Silver, including:

Clair's Dragonair
Brock's full team (Graveler, Rhyhorn, Omastar, Kabutops, Onix)
Lt. Surge's team (Raichu, Electrode, Magneton, Electabuzz)
Erika's team with Blizzard and Icy Wind
Janine's Venomoth, Weezing, and Ariados
Blaine's team with Mud-Slap
Blue's Rhydon, Arcanine, and Exeggutor
Will's Xatu and Exeggutor
Koga's Ariados, Venomoth, Muk, and Crobat
Bruno's Onix
Karen's Vileplume and Houndoom
Silver's Magneton and Gengar
Red's Pikachu and Venusaur

Tyranitar

Pokemon Gold and Silver players won't find Larvitar until they reach Mt. Silver, but evolving it into Pupitar at level 30 and Tyranitar at level 55 is a worthwhile endeavor. The Dark/Rock-type is an absolute beast of a pseudo-legendary with a grand total of 600 base stat points, and it can take care of some of the more difficult opponents in the game.

It's tough to go wrong with a Tyranitar moveset in Pokemon Gold and Silver, but this one should serve it well:

Crunch
Earthquake
Sandstorm
Rock Slide

Crunch and Earthquake: Crunch will serve as Tyranitar's main Dark-type attack in Pokemon Gold and Silver, dealing 80 base damage with a chance to flinch the opponent. Tyranitar learns this move at level 47. Earthquake's devastating power is noted above, and Tyranitar can learn it without a TM at level 61.

Sandstorm and Rock Slide: Sandstorm serves as a means of damaging any opponent that isn't a Steel-, Rock-, or Ground-type by 1/8 of their health each turn. Its TM37 can be found along Route 27 and purchased at the Celadon Department Store in Kanto. Rock Slide gives Tyranitar extra firepower against Bug-, Fire-, and Flying-types, and its TM48 is at the Goldenrod Dept. Store.

Once it has cut its teeth with these moves, Tyranitar can become a menace against many opponents in Pokemon Gold and Silver. However, the fact that it is obtained so late in the game mostly means its effectiveness is limited to battling Red in a single playthrough unless trainers trade for it earlier. Regardless, Tyranitar can deal impressive damage to these foes:

Brock's team
Lt. Surge's team
Janine's team
Sabrina's team (Alakazam, Mr. Mime, Espeon)
Blaine's team
Blue's team
Will's Xatu and Exeggutor
Koga's Ariados, Venomoth, Crobat, and Muk
Bruno's Onix
Karen's Gengar, Murkrow, Houndoom, and Vileplume
Silver's Sneasel, Golbat, Magneton, Gengar, and Alakazam
Red's Pikachu, Charizard, Venusaur, and Espeon

Machamp

Pokemon Gold and Silver players can find Machop early on in Rock Tunnel and evolve it into Machoke at level 28, then trade their Machoke to evolve it into the powerful Fighting-type Machamp. With a sky-high base Attack stat of 130, Machamp exists to beat down opponents, and it has plenty of foes that it has a large advantage over as the game progresses.

A physical-heavy moveset for Machamp is advised in Pokemon Gold and Silver, such as the following collection of moves:

Cross Chop
Detect
Seismic Toss
Ice Punch

Cross Chop and Seismic Toss: Cross Chop is the bread and butter of Machamp's arsenal, learned at level 43 and dealing 100 damage. It isn't perfectly accurate, but it has a high chance of landing critical hits. Seismic Toss deals damage commensurate to Machamp's level, growing in power and being more accurate than Cross Chop. Machamp learns this move as early as level 19.

Detect and Ice Punch: Detect allows Machamp to avoid an attack it would prefer not to take, while Ice Punch gives this creature the ability to counter Flying-types that can give it trouble in Pokemon Gold and Silver. Detect's TM43 can be found at the Lake of Rage, while Ice Punch is held within TM33 at the Goldenrod Department Store.

Machamp can manhandle several enemy types in Pokemon Gold and Silver, including the ever-elusive and often neutral Normal-types. If trainers get a Machop early enough, they can have a Machamp with the moves listed above and make battles against the following foes much easier:

Whitney's team (Clefairy and Miltank)
Jasmine's team
Pryce's Dewgong and Piloswine
Clair's Dragonair with Ice Punch
Brock's team
Misty's Lapras
Lt. Surge's Magneton
Blaine's Magcargo
Blue's Rhydon and Pidgeot
Will's Xatu and Exeggutor
Koga's Crobat
Bruno's Onix
Karen's Umbreon, Vileplume, Murkrow, and Houndoom
Silver's Sneasel, Golbat, and Magneton
Red's Snorlax and Venusaur

Check out the best team compositions for other Pokemon games: