http://veekun.com/dex/pokemon/tornadus
QC Approved: Fireburn, trickroom
GP Approved: Fatecrashers, NixHex
[Overview]
<p>Although Tornadus may seem like an odd choice for the Ubers metagame, it makes an excellent supporter thanks to priority Tailwind, which doubles its teammates' Speed for a short interval. This allows slow, heavy hitters to smash through their usually faster checks. STAB Hurricane is also an appealing move, given the abundance of Kyogre in Ubers, and with a Life Orb equipped, Tornadus is capable of 2HKOing many threats, making switching into it a daunting prospect. Tornadus does not come without flaws, though; it has a horrible defensive typing, no reliable recovery, and a weakness to Stealth Rock. Still, Tornadus provides a rather unique form of support, and is definitely worth a look for its ability to completely retake the momentum of a match.</p>
[SET]
name: Uber Tailwind
move 1: Tailwind
move 2: Hurricane
move 3: Focus Blast / Hammer Arm
move 4: Grass Knot / U-turn / Taunt
item: Life Orb
ability: Prankster
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Thanks to Prankster, Tornadus can use priority Tailwind before the opponent can react, and as such can end an opponent's sweep or set up a teammate's at any moment. For example, Tornadus can use Tailwind against a +1 Rayquaza, allowing a partnered Dialga to OHKO Rayquaza after Tornadus dies, ending Rayquaza's sweep. There are a few Speed investment benchmarks that should be kept in mind when building a team with Tornadus in it. Pokemon with Base 90 Speed need to invest 124 EVs in Speed in order to outpace Timid Choice Scarf Palkia while Tailwind is in effect. Similarly, a Speed-boosting nature and 204 Speed EVs allow teammates to outspeed Choice Scarf Shaymin-S and anything below it.</p>
<p>Hurricane is Tornadus's most powerful STAB move, and it can 2HKO many Ubers when boosted by a Life Orb. It is recommended that Kyogre be partnered with Tornadus in order to give Hurricane perfect accuracy. Focus Blast helps to deal with the ever-present Ferrothorn, and to an extent Dialga, but Hammer Arm is an option if Chansey and Blissey are a concern; in this case, a Rash or Naive nature should be used. Grass Knot nails Groudon and Kyogre, which is important because Groudon can rob Tornadus of its accurate Hurricanes. U-turn allows Tornadus to bring a sweeper out immediately after using Tailwind, while Taunt can be used to shut down any boosting or phazing attempts, and block status moves as well.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Because Tornadus outspeeds a majority of the Ubers metagame, a Modest nature is preferred for the boost in power. A Timid nature is still an option if Choice Scarf-less Palkia and Lugia are a concern outside of Tailwind. The EVs are standard fare for a special attacker. Although the boost Life Orb provides is necessary for some KOs, using Leftovers is an option for greater longevity. Hidden Power Ice is Tornadus's strongest move against Zekrom, and also provides a more reliable way to kill Rayquaza, who negates Hurricane's accuracy boost in the rain with Air Lock. Hidden Power Rock is also an option for nailing Ho-Oh.</p>
<p>Kyogre should be paired with Tornadus so that Hurricane can be used freely, but if Kyogre is not being used then Air Slash, although much weaker than Hurricane, can be used to ensure that Tornadus has a reliable STAB move. Stealth Rock support is great for guaranteeing some KOs, but Tornadus doesn't appreciate Stealth Rock on its own side, so packing a Rapid Spinner such as Forretress or Excadrill is recommended. Powerful Choice item users make good teammates. Choice Specs Kyogre and Choice Specs Zekrom are both incredibly powerful, and can spam their strongest STAB moves with little risk. Pokemon like these become exponentially more dangerous while Tailwind is in effect, capable of sweeping through teams that rely on faster Pokemon to revenge kill them.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Substitute can be used to scout and block status moves. Torment neuters Choice item users and Toxic provides a last-ditch option for crippling a sweeper. A pair of Choice Specs can be equipped to increase the damage output of Hurricane, but this does not turn any notable 2HKOs into OHKOs, so they are not worth the loss of the ability to use Tailwind freely. A Bulk Up set using Flight Gem and Acrobatics is an option, but it is generally too weak, and Tornadus lacks reliable recovery so it can't survive for long anyway.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>When dealing with Tornadus, it is much more important to have methods for dealing with the Tailwind recipients. Paralysis works well in this regard. Phazing moves and Protect help to stall out Tailwind's turns. ExtremeSpeed users can nail Tornadus before it can use Tailwind. If Thundurus wins a Speed tie, it can block Tailwind with Taunt. Another option is using Snatch to steal Tailwind. In terms of actual counters, Bronzong, Metagross, and Jirachi can shrug off Hurricanes and force Tornadus out. Zekrom walls Tornadus if it lacks Hidden Power Ice, and can outspeed and OHKO Tornadus with Bolt Strike if Zekrom is using a Choice Scarf. Chansey and Blissey wall it completely if Tornadus doesn't carry Hammer Arm. Skarmory walls Tornadus if it opts to use Hammer Arm over Focus Blast, but Skarmory greatly fears Taunt. Although not checks per se, Groudon and Rayquaza can rob Tornadus of its perfect accuracy Hurricanes through their respective abilities.</p>