Astronaut Funk
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Introduction
Howdy guys! Before I go on, I want to thank AccidentalGreed, Wario is OSSIM, and Stone_Cold for reading through the RMT even when I told them that it was not necessary. That really shows how kind some of the people on Smogon can be. My last team, The Persistence of Memory, was a bit stall-based, and I really disliked long battles (and admittedly, the team was not my best work). This time, I chose to go a more offensive route because I have always been a fan of offensive teams, and they're the most fun to play with if you ask me. While the team has changed a bit from the original concept to accommodate a bit of a defensive backbone, the main objective has stayed the same; I still try to wreck all walls on the opponent's team and then allow one of my hard hitters to do the rest of the work, all the while preventing the opponent from setting up. This is my favorite style of play, and it has served me well.
However, before I delve into that, I'll introduce the team's name. Astronaut Funk is the name of the song seen before you, made by Stephen Walking, one of the best dubstep / techno artists that I have ever heard. I was inspired to make this team the first time I heard this very song, and the team has been really fun to use. While I have not laddered with the team outside from testing it against other teams, it has done very well against some big name players, and I'm proud of it.
Also, if anyone is wondering, I ripped the format from Kevin Garrett's amazing RMTs, which were a pleasure to both read and learn from. So, I guess this introduction has been a bit lengthier than I suspected it would be, but that's basically all I have to say. Let's look at the team building process!
Team Building Process
Immediately, I knew I was going to build a rain team based around Tornadus, so naturally Politoed and Tornadus were the first on the team. They complimented each other quite nicely offensively, and Politoed could even pack a defensive punch at times. With these two Pokemon, I realized that opposition to the foe's weather, so I immediately picked the next members of my team without question.
Terrakion was an obvious choice because it is a physical powerhouse capable of beating the two main counters to the above Pokemon as the team stood; Chansey and Blissey could no longer have a field day with my team. Terrakion also provided relief against Ninetales and Tyranitar, as well as even Abomasnow. With that in mind, I chose an extra teammate because I wanted extra insurance against not only sand, but also against opposing rain. Virizion was the natural choice due to its amazing bulk and good movepool.
At this point, the team looked fairly speedy, but not amazingly fast. I realized I needed a solid defensive backbone and paralysis support. Jirachi was the obvious candidate because it provided all of that and Stealth Rock support, which all offensively minded teams need. Dragonite was the second Pokemon I added to help paralyze foes. This is actually a modified version of BTzz's tank set, which I adapted to help spread paralysis support in the rain.
And finally, we arrived at a completed team. As it turned out, my team ended up looking like a multitude of rain abusers and two musketeers; however, I was quite alright with that. It was a very offensively natured team that disrupted stall and defensive styles with high powered attacks, beat other offensive teams with agility and careful play, and relied on my setting up. While offensive teams do give me problems if allowed to set up, I could take them down with my core if I played well.
Now, at this point, I thought the team was great. I took it to the ladder and easily got to 1200 points, but I really struggled from that point. One main problem was my lack of Rapid Spin with Tornadus, Dragonite, and a Choice-locked Terrakion. This was an immense problem, and though Starmie crossed my mind millions of times, I was more than reluctant to use it.
I pinpointed the weakest link, Virizion. Though it did help in some battles, I often never used it unless I wanted to sac something to an Outrage. This prompted me to add another Pokemon that I had never tried before, Forretress. Forretress provided me with another Dragon-type attack absorber, and it also gave me Rapid Spin support and Spikes. While the team is built for a quick sweep, Forretress really provides me with the support I need for that sweep to even occur.
Closer Look
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Politoed @ Leftovers | Drizzle
Modest Nature | 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 Spe
Hydro Pump | Ice Beam | Hidden Power Grass | Perish Song
This is basically the Politoed you will always see me run, and that is for many reasons. First off, no other Politoed can really compare to 3 attacks Politoed. The sad truth is that both Choice Scarf and Choice Specs Politoed pack Speed / power, but they cannot have both. While Choice Scarf Politoed is forced to run a Timid nature, Choice Specs Politoed lacks Speed and bulk. Additionally, Politoed becomes dead weight after KOing a threat successfully if it is equipped with a Choice item. Defensive Politoed is another story. While I have run defensive Politoed in the past, I find them to be much too weak and slow to work with. As a primarily offensively minded player, this just does not work. 3 attacks Politoed does a lot of things the above can do, though arguably not as well. However, that isn't the point; the point is that 3 attacks Politoed is an offensive medium between the other three variants. It has more power than the Choice Scarf and defensive variants and more bulk than the Choice Specs variant, as well as the freedom to switch moves. Who doesn't want that?
The EV spread that goes with Politoed is fairly straightforward. I run maximum Speed and the most HP I can with a Stealth Rock number. 8 Speed EVs allows me to outspeed defensive Politoed who is 3HKOed by 3 attacks Politoed. The Modest nature allows me to preserve my massive Special Attack, and in conjunction with rain, STAB, and the maximum EV spread, equates to a outrageously powerful Hydro Pump that can 2HKO even some resists like Rotom-W. Hydro Pump is obviously the main move on this set, and it is usually spammed until Ferrothorn / Chansey / Blissey comes in. Ice Beam provides useful coverage against Dragon-type Pokemon who can become harmful later on in the battle if Jirachi and Forretress are weakened. While I used to use Focus Blast, I found Hidden Power Grass more useful against foes like Swampert and Gastrodon. While Encore has its uses as a great support move, I generally choose to use Perish Song because it helps me a lot more in the lategame when a Dragonite is the last Pokemon left and I need to prevent a setup. Also, it's useful for forcing out Reuniclus that I allow to get too many boosts and things like that; basically, it acts as an insurance against sweepers or troublesome Pokemon.
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Jirachi @ Leftovers | Serene Grace
Sassy Nature | 252 HP / 84 Atk / 172 SpD
Wish | Thunder | Iron Head | Drain Punch
Jirachi is one of my favorite Pokemon ever, and to be fair, it makes up most of the defensive backbone of my very offensive team. That being said, I chose a specially defensive Jirachi over the likes of specially defensive Ferrothorn or Chansey because I already had a source of Spikes support in Forretress, and I really could not care less about Wish support because that just prolongs games. Chansey without Wish support is really useless in my opinion, as it's just a sitting duck against the likes of Terrakion and Infernape. In fact, it is completely ruined by those two. With that out of the way, I'll explain the set itself. I'll be fair, I played around a lot with the EVs to ensure that I can defeat the likes of Magnezone, as I do not want a Magnezone to take down the entirety of the defensive buffer of the team. The Attack EVs ensure that I do 35.86% - 42.76% to standard 36 HP Magnezone, meaning I'll be able to KO it before it can KO me usually, especially because I have Stealth Rock support. The remaining EVs are dispersed into Special Defense and HP to soak up hits like they are nothing, and they are really fairly helpful. I chose a Sassy nature because Jirachi doesn't mind the drop in Speed due to paralysis support, and also because it boosts my Special Defense so that I can wall Latios even harder.
Iron Head and Thunder are the two main moves that I will use, as they provide paralysis and flinch support, which is especially useful for hitting Chlorophyll sweepers if their sun support dies out early. The combo of those two moves also helps me deal with Gengar effectively. Thunder serves me well for hitting Magnezone on the switch, as well as taking out most physical walls like Slowbro and Skarmory. Iron Head is just solid STAB that beats down Terrakion. Wish support is useful for this team because it allows Tornadus, Terrakion, and Dragonite to nullify Stealth Rock damage, and since 2 of the 3 have no way of healing, it aids immensely. While most sets often run Stealth Rock, this team doesn't need that because Forretress can do this as well. Drain Punch's functionality has already been explained, though it also lets me regain a bit of health on sufficiently weakened Pokemon in the KO range (yeah, yeah, I scavenge where I can). Honestly, I cannot see myself ever replacing Jirachi who has probably been the most consistent, if not, one of the most consistent members of the team.
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Dragonite @ Leftovers | Multiscale
Modest Nature | 248 HP / 248 SpA / 12 Spe
Draco Meteor | Thunder | Thunder Wave | Roost
Dragonite is my all time favorite Pokemon, but I wanted to try and use it with originality for this team. Hence, I looked through the Contributions & Corrections forum in search of something original that I could use, and two things immediately stood out to me. One was that I had a ton of work to do on my Rotom-C analysis, but more importantly, I saw a very cool and original set by BTzz. Honestly, I have been so surprised with how well this set works. It effectively lures out some of Dragonite's most common counters like Skarmory and Slowbro and effectively dispatches them, with its bulk allowing it to cleave holes in the opposing team. The spread of 248 HP / 248 SpA / 12 Spe is standard for tank Dragonite, and while the lack of Speed seems disappointing, it really does not matter at all. The Modest nature is also standard, as it really beefs up Dragonite's Base 100 Special Attack which may seem weak, but it's really enough to do the job. With Multiscale, Dragonite is effectively one of the hardest Pokemon to stop.
Like I mentioned earlier, I really do not need to invest too much in Speed. That's due to the paralysis support that Dragonite provides, which is really helpful against Chlorophyll sweepers and other Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Terrakion that presume they are coming in for the kill while I set up a Dragon Dance. The key to this set is exactly that, it doesn't use Dragon Dance like most Dragonite. While the standard is Draco Meteor and Fire Blast as the two attacking moves, I chose to use Thunder because it works better than Fire Blast does under rain, and it also provides the ability to beat Slowbro, a rising threat in OU. While I am completely walled by the likes of Ferrothorn, I have Terrakion and Tornadus to clean up the mess. Roost is one of the vital moves on this set; when I Roost after paralyzing my opponent, I can make sure that I can activate Multiscale and then kill the foe, allowing me to usually paralyze an extra Pokemon.
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Tornadus @ Choice Specs | Prankster
Timid Nature | 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Hurricane | Focus Blast | Rain Dance | U-turn
There are only a handful of words that can describe the terror that Tornadus showers upon any and everything. A few of them would be “destruction,” “demolition,” and “lolumad.” To be honest though, there is really no way to describe Tornadus's wreckage; once Chansey, Blissey, Heatran, and Jirachi are gone, I can just freely kill anything I really want to, as long as I can keep away from status. The EVs are standard fare, maximizing both Speed and Special Attack, while the Timid nature ensures that I outspeed Latios, Latias, Terrakion, Virizion, and Infernape; all of these are pretty big threats to any team. With Choice Specs, Tornadus even OHKOes Politoed and Gyarados with Stealth Rock support, and it has the ability to 2HKO even behemoths like Ferrothorn, ensuring that no team will ever get a safe switch in if I have taken out their specially based walls.
Really, there is no explanation necessary for the moves, as they are al pretty standard, but I'll share anyways. Hurricane is really the move I use 99 percent of the time; it's just that powerful. If I can see a switch in from a special wall from a mile away, I can always fall back on U-turn to switch out and nab momentum. Another thing I can do is if the opponent reliesy on Heatran to take down Tornadus, I can go with Focus Blast to grab a quick KO. My last option is Rain Dance, which I have surprisingly have actually found use for. An example was a battle with Delko, where it was 1 on 2 with his Cloyster against Tornadus and Dragonite. I used Rain Dance and switched, while he sent out Cloyster on Dragonite. When I switched back, I was able to take down Cloyster because Hurricane OHKOed it, and I had rain support. So while Hidden Power Ice may seem appealing, I can already say that Hurricane kills everything so there is no need for Hidden Power and that Rain Dance is much more useful in the long run. Truly, there is not much else to say. Tornadus really makes its brother Thundurus proud, as it can kindly KO everything that Thundurus could with only one move, though obviously it lacks Nasty Plot.
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Terrakion @ Choice Scarf | Justified
Jolly Nature | 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Close Combat | Stone Edge | X-Scissor | Earthquake
So first off, I should clarify that Terrakion is the most fearsome physical attacker in the BW OU metagame at this point. While it only has access to weak priority, its strong base defenses, high base Attack, and high base Speed make it an amazing Pokemon in general. With that in mind, there are so many Terrakion sets to choose from, but I arguably chose the weakest in Choice Scarf Terrakion. That is for a good reason, though, as I really needed a reliable answer to +1 Dragonite and Gyarados after Multiscale was broken on the former, and Terrakion readily provided that so long as it was equipped with a Choice Scarf. While I did use a Choice Band variant in the earlier versions of this team, I found that I was never able to reliably beat threats with the Choice Band variant, even if it left a dent in literally anything that was not immune to it. While Choice Scarf Terrakion does have a lot less power than Choice Band versions, I have found it to be as powerful as I need it to be, and I don't think that I would replace it with anything.
The EVs are standard fare for any physically based revenge killer, and they serve Terrakion well. With a Jolly nature and 252 Speed EVs, Terrakion checks many boosted threats such as +1 Volcarona, +1 Dragonite, and even +2 Scrafty. Close Combat provides obligatory STAB, and it's the move that I will be using 80 percent of the time. It hits even resistant Pokemon hard, and it is probably one of the best moves in the game even if it makes Terrakion more Scizor-weak. Stone Edge is spammed the remaining 19 percent of the time because it is STAB for Close Combat resists, though with shaky accuracy. X-Scissor and Earthquake are mainly coverage, though the latter is able to hit some of the few resists to the infamous Fighting- / Rock-type offensive combination. Though Quick Attack could be used, I would much rather have insurance against the likes of weakened Reuniclus, as well as Grass-type Pokemon that can get problematic like Celebi. Honestly, Terrakion does its job well and I have never seen a suitable replacement.
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Forretress @ Leftovers | Sturdy
Relaxed Nature | 252 HP / 176 Def / 80 SpD
Rapid Spin | Spikes | Stealth Rock | Gyro Ball
Forretress brings a solid defensive presence to my team, though it does lack the bulk of similar Pokemon like Skarmory and Ferrothorn. So why did I not choose them? The answer is simple: with two Stealth Rock weak Pokemon and a Choice Scarfed Pokemon, I desperately needed a Rapid Spin user. Coupled with the fact that rain reduces Forretress's annoying 4x Fire-type weakness to 2x, I knew immediately that it would be the perfect Rapid Spin user. The choice of set that I used is for a reason; I really needed a solid check to Choice Band Terrakion. With the power to OHKO Terrakion, protect my team, and even sponge hits from big threats like Scizor, I knew that I could simply not pass up Forretress.
The set is fairly straightforward, though I did deviate from what's considered the norm to help patch up some weaknesses on my team. The EVs are standard—pulled straight from the Smogon set on site—and they help me sponge most hits, physical and special. The Speed reducing nature powers up Gyro Ball, so it's favorable to an Impish nature. Rapid Spin is obviously the move I'll use mot often because my team has a bit of a weakness to entry hazards. Spikes are used if I ever get a free turn, as they help me gain some KOs that I would not normally achieve. Gyro Ball was chosen over both Toxic and Volt Switch because I wanted a surefire check to all variants of Terrakion. While I had Protect and Toxic Spikes originally over Stealth Rock, I decided to allow Jirachi to Wish pass and let Forretress take on its job. Toxic Spikes conflicted with the team's ability to spread paralysis, while Protect turned Forretress into death fodder half the time. Stealth Rock really nullifies my weakness to Dragonite, and it also helps out against VoltTurn.
Threat List
Now, before you read (or don't read) the threat list, the things you'll want to notice are not only that I have a reliable answer to most Pokemon, but also that my team is not based on countering specific Pokemon per se. It's an offensive team, so I aim to grab momentum early and then if need be, I will have to check or counter a Pokemon that can become dangerous. If you are going to say that I have no reliable answer to something, please note that I'm not really trying to answer that something; I am actually trying to beat it before it beats me. With that said, no team is perfect and this is no exception. Obviously, tell me if you see a problem that you think can hurt my team and I will either respond with how I beat it or try and fix it if I agree with you. Read it, skip it; I don't care. Just remember that it took 6 pages on Microsoft Word to type this thing… So in short, I apologize for the massive wall of text you are about to see. However, for those willing to try out my team, I strongly recommend you look through the threat list to find out how to play these threats.
Abomasnow: While Abomasnow is not too big of a problem with Terrakion, Jirachi, and Forretress helping out, I cannot let it set up weather against me, as I don't want to throw the game because I failed to set up my rain.
Alakazam: While it is a threat to most teams, Jirachi does fairly well against it. Also, Choice Scarf Terrakion will demolish it so long as it doesn't have a Focus Sash. It's not necessarily a big threat, but it can be dangerous.
Blissey: Though it can be a pain if it somehow manages to paralyze Terrakion on the switch, my best option is to just straight up KO it with Close Combat. However, I can paralyze it with Jirachi and Drain Punch / Iron Head it continually.
Breloom: While it seems like a fairly large threat, I will just sac either Forretress or Jirachi to Spore and then beat it down with Tornadus, my primary option. If for whatever reason Tornadus has fainted, I will have to settle for KOing it with Terrakion's Close Combat.
Celebi: While it can be problematic at times, I can safely revenge kill it with Terrakion or Tornadus, and if I'm feeling ballsy, I can try and beat it down with Jirachi. Terrakion and Tornadus are generally better options, though, so I'll lean on to them more.
Chansey: The same applies to Chansey as it did to Blissey, more or less. However, Chansey has better bulk so I cannot be reckless with Terrakion. Jirachi does better though because Chansey lacks the recovery that Leftovers grants.
Cloyster: This thing can be a pain in the ass if Jirachi is down, but luckily Jirachi usually is alright. Thunder beats it down, and Choice Scarf Terrakion will also beat it to the punch if it has one boost. While it's not too big of a threat, I must watch out regardless.
Conkeldurr: Tornadus is generally my best option because I can just kill it immediately, but if I lack Tornadus, I have to usually switch to Dragonite and either beat it down with Thunders or Draco Meteors.
Deoxys-D: There have been times before I added Forretress where Deoxys-D just made this team look silly. Not anymore. I can 2HKO it with Politoed and then Rapid Spin its hazards away later, nullifying Deoxys-D's presence. Of course, they are usually paired with Gengar, so it can be problematic, but Jirachi is my main answer to that.
Donphan: Politoed can attack Donphan mercilessly, and it cannot do much to Tornadus bar a priority Ice Shard. The biggest problem with Donphan is that it gets Stealth Rock, so I have to eventually Rapid Spin Stealth Rock away with Forretress, which can allow the opponent to set up. However, Politoed is basically my best answer.
Dragonite: My favorite Pokemon is also the reason that Forretress joined the squad; he really wrecked my team before. But now I have two Steel-types that I play conservatively with to paralyze it and then damage it or work from there with Terrakion. Terrakion also beats it even at +1 if Multiscale is broken.
Dugtrio: Most will come in on Jirachi, so I have to have Stealth Rock up already. If I don't need Jirachi anymore in the battle, I can sacrifice it while doing decent damage and either revenge Jirachi with Terrakion or Tornadus. However, it's generally best to make sure that I don't get trapped.
Espeon: Jirachi is my primary option against most Espeon sets because I can try to paralyze it with Thunder and then exploit its lower Defense by using Iron Head. Another viable option if it ever kills anything is revenge killing it with Terrakion or Tornadus.
Ferrothorn: All rain teams have trouble with Ferrothorn; that is a given. However, I can paralyze Ferrothorn and try to 2HKO it with Tornadus or go for the kill directly with Terrakion. Either option works, and I can always Rapid Spin entry hazards away with Forretress.
Forretress: I will usually just go for the 2HKO with Tornadus because Forretress cannot do too much in return, unless for some odd reason it decides to attack me instead of laying hazards. My own Forretress can clean up the mess later with Rapid Spin.
Gastrodon: Orignially it was not even a problem due to Virizion. While it can be dangerous, Tornadus and Terrakion hit it really hard allowing it to do very little damage to my team. I always have to play conservatively around these things, though. Hidden Power Grass also handles it, now that I've made the switch to it on Politoed.
Gengar: Tornadus and Terrakion both server as checks because they are faster, but Gengar usually uses Substitute so that's not a reliable option. Jirachi does over 60% to them with Iron Head, and it can avoid Disable by using Thunder on the next turn, so it's usually my best bet due to its high Special Defense.
Gliscor: Politoed is easily my best bet, while Tornadus picks up the slack. If worst comes to worst, I can sacrifice some of Dragonite's HP for the OHKO, but it's usually not worth it.
Gyarados: Dragonite and Jirachi cover Gyarados quite well, and Terrakion will outspeed the brute even at +1, so I'm never too alarmed to see Gyarados. While it can be a threat if it's allowed to set up, it's generally not.
Haxorus: Haxorus is one of the team's bigger threats. That being said, Jirachi will take it on any day if it is locked into Outrage, and Forretress is not too shabby against it either, especially if it has boosts because I can exploit its massive Speed. If it is at +1, I can check it with Terrakion.
Heatran: Politoed and Terrakion are both fairly decent answers, though I'm almost positive that no one in the right mind would leave their Heatran in on either threat. I can also paralyze it with Dragonite, and when it is dead, I will be able to Rapid Spin away the Stealth Rock that it will inevitably lay.
Hippowdon: Politoed makes sure that Hippowdon rests in pieces with a very powerful Hydro Pump, and a Draco Meteor from Dragonite really dents the thing as well. It's a good wall, but I can break through it with careful play. Forretress removes Stealth Rock when it's KOed.
Hydreigon: Since Hydreigon is so unpredictable, Jirachi is usually my best bet. It takes Fire Blasts like a champ in the rain and has the ability to paralyze Hydreigon. While Substitute variants are a bit tougher to deal with, they should not be a problem if played correctly.
Infernape: Rain is a very good counter to Infernape's Fire-type arsenal, and Tornadus screws it over royally with Hurricane. Politoed is also a decent answer with Hydro Pump, but I usually try not to risk losing Politoed. Dragonite can paralyze it and kill it swiftly.
Jellicent: Dragonite will demolish it with Thunder before getting KOed, and Jirachi does quite well as well. I just always need to be aware of Will-O-Wisp and Scald because I don't want to get burnt.
Jirachi: Probably one of the biggest threats. I can try to beat some SubCM variants with Drain Punch from my own Jirachi, but my best bet against these is to sac Terrakion by sufficiently weakening Jirachi with Earthquake. If I do not get paralyzed, then that's an added bonus.
Jolteon: Jirachi can take attacks and try and beat it, but I usually have to take it down with either Dragonite and lose health to Hidden Power Ice, or Terrakion and get locked into a move that could ruin the game. It's a pretty big threat, but it's pretty manageable.
Kyurem: Not a problem at all because it is walled all day by the likes of Jirachi, and Politoed ensures that it cannot spam Blizzard. Terrakion wrecks even Choice Scarf variants, so I experience no problems with the (arguably) ugliest Pokemon in the game. I mean come on; Game Freak is not even going to fix its mess. Black and White Kyurem? Really?
Landorus: Forretress works pretty well, and I can always Stone Edge it if it's low on health when it comes in on Terrakion expecting an easy kill. Politoed does fairly well as long as rain is up and it has enough health.
Latias: Easily one of the toughest Pokemon for me to face. I can paralyze it and then hit it with X-Scissor, but my best bet is to immediately bring in Tornadus and try and beat it down with Hurricane. Jirachi can work its parahax magic, but that's a last resort kind of thing.
Latios: It's not as threatening as Latias, so I can usually just paralyze it to render it useless. If it's a Calm Mind variant which is really rare, I'll follow the same procedure with Tornadus or use X-Scissor.
Lucario: This is easily one of the most threatening Pokemon in the game. Thank god it is so frail and is forced to run a Life Orb. Jirachi and Forretress are my main options, but if it doesn't carry Bullet Punch, Terrakion wrecks it.
Magnezone: The only Pokemon it will come in on are Jirachi and Forretress; with that said, I will never leave Forretress in if the opponent has Magnezone. However, my special Jirachi beats Magnezone 1v1 because of Drain Punch. Terrakion is there for backup.
Mamoswine: Not too big of a threat, but I cannot play Dragonite and Tornadus against it for obvious reasons. Forretress can destroy it with Gyro Ball, and later it can Rapid Spin hazards away for good measure.
Metagross: While I have not really seen many, if any, Jirachi can paralyze it and I can work from there. If it lacks Bullet Punch, Terrakion will take on weakened variants, and if it lacks Ice Punch, Dragonite can break it down.
Mienshao: While its Speed is problematic, Terrakion and Tornadus both reliably check it with Close Combat and Hurricane respectively, and Jirachi is a reliable switch in. I have not seen too many, but Mienshao is a very good offensive Pokemon so I must be careful.
Ninetales: I pressure Ninetales with Politoed and Terrakion, so I really do not face many troubles. While it changes the weather, sun is arguable the easiest weather for me to handle because Terrakion handily takes down most sun abusers.
Politoed: Politoed is never too big of a problem, though variants with Choice Specs can get out of hand if I allow them to do enough damage. My own Politoed is my primary switch because it can do decent damage with its own Hydro Pump, while Jirachi picks up the slack if need be.
Reuniclus: Tornadus is a pretty solid answer because it does between 90% - 106% with a Hurricane if it has no boosts, while Politoed also surprisingly does very well. I can always fall back on Terrakion's X-Scissor if Reuniclus is sufficiently weakened, though that is never the most reliable answer.
Rotom-W: While I don't have a dedicated counter per se, I can use Jirachi to sponge hits all day. If it comes out on Forretress to grab momentum, I can screw the opponent over by using Protect and reacting to the situation. Jirachi's paralysis makes the washing machine sad.
Salamence: Dragon Dance variants are dealt with by Forretress and Jirachi, as they aim to take down the dragon with either Gyro Ball or paralysis. Mixed variants are not a problem because they cannot boost their attack, so Jirachi does exceptionally here.
Scizor: This is where my precious Forretress comes into play. Protect allows me to scout moves, telling me whether to switch or not. Otherwise, I can always just lay hazards and Rapid Spin Stealth Rock away against opposing Scizor. If it is a Swords Dance variant, I must use Jirachi to paralyze it and take it down as quickly as possible. Politoed also does its work well against Swords Dance variants thanks to its resistance to Bullet Punch and its super powerful Hydro Pump.
Scrafty: Tornadus is quite a solid answer, and it deals with Scrafty well. Terrakion's Close Combat is my second best check, and I really have not faced any Scrafty problems.
Skarmory: Most Skarmory come out on either Dragonite or Terrakion. Terrakion will always just switch out to Jirachi, but Dragonite can straight up OHKO Skarmory with Thunder, alleviating any and all Skarmory problems. Tornadus also 2HKOes Skarmory with a resisted move.
Starmie: Starmie is probably one of the biggest threats to my team, especially Life Orb variants. While I can take it down at any point in the match after one of my Pokemon is KOed with Terrakion, I generally try and soften blows with Jirachi and then use Thunder to KO / paralyze it. While this isn't the most reliable of strategies, it works fairly well.
Tentacruel: Tentacruel is not a major threat thanks to the Electric-type moves that my team packs and Terrakion and Tornadus's heavy offensive presences. I don't have many Tentacruel problems.
Terrakion: Yeah, this is probably the biggest threat to any and every team in this metagame. My safest and best option is switching to Forretress and OHKOing it with Gyro Ball, but most players are smarter than that. I can check non Choice Scarf variants with my own Terrakion and Tornadus, though. Dragonite can also paralyze it with Multiscale active.
Tornadus: While Tornadus is a very dangerous Pokemon for all teams to face, Jirachi does very well against it. I also have a Scarf Terrakion to take it down if it ever goes on a rampage, but that's a last resort kind of thing because I do not want to risk a Stone Edge miss.
Toxicroak: I have not yet run into a Toxicroak, but I imagine that a combination of Jirachi and Forretress would handle it fairly well, especially because they are both exceptional walls. Of course, if it has no Swords Dance boosts, Tornadus will demolish it. If it is not behind a Substitute, Terrakion can take a Sucker Punch for a Justified boost and demolish it.
Tyranitar: Tyranitar is not a very big problem because Politoed is really powerful, and also because Terrakion mauls it. Even Jirachi does exceptionally against Tyranitar. I don't fear weather wars because I have so much insurance against Tyranitar.
Vaporeon: Jirachi is my primary option against Vaporeon, but I can fall back on Politoed's Perish Song to force it out and Tornadus's Hurricane if it is weakened. Terrakion's Close Combat can also help, and if Dragonite has retained Multiscale, I will use Thunder to my advantage.
Venusaur: My first option against Venusaur is usually Dragonite's Draco Meteor to dent it if sun is up. Then I work from there by re-summoning rain and then playing around it. While it is a dangerous threat, I haven't had too many problems. Of course, if I lose my rain, it really hurts.
Virizion: Really, the best counter to this is Tornadus's Hurricane. It will even take down a +1 Virizion, so I don't really have too many problems here. I usually try and paralyze it before doing anything, and try to win with Iron Head from Jirachi.
Volcarona: Rain is obviously a thorn in Volcarona's side, and so is Tornadus. My biggest check to +1 Volcarona is Terrakion who will outspeed and OHKO it with Stone Edge. I don't worry too much about Volcarona because I have it covered adequately.
If you think that I didn't cover a threat sufficiently, or that I am missing a Pokemon, just VM me and I'll either fix it or tell you why I don't agree. For those who read the threat list, thanks for making sure that I didn't spend the time in vain!
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Closing Remarks
Before I conclude, I'd like to thank a few people. First and foremost, the QC team of Straw Hat Luffy, AccidentalGreed, Pocket, and zdrup15 has been very helpful for me in the Contributions & Corrections forums, so I'd like to thank them for their help. Secondly, the leaders and team raters from the RMT forum have been extremely helpful for me in not only helping me be a better rater, but also in improving my own teams. I won't name all of them because there are too many, but they should know who they are. Another group of users that I would like to thank are my fellow auth at the Treehouse server, Expert Physics and Wario is OSSIM. Both help me test teams and in turn, make me a better battler. Also, Wario, along with AccidentalGreed and Stone_Cold put up with my request and read through the RMT, so I would like to thank them again. Finally, I'd like to thank Iconic who has been extremely kind to me and even nommed me for my badge, so thanks!
So that is my team. While it may look like standard rain offense, I tried to be creative and make a team that catered exactly to my playstyle. I think I succeeded, as it's been one of my most successful teams. So, anyone looking over my team, feel free to rate, comment, and suggest whatever you need. And if you like it, go ahead and Luvdisc it! Thanks for reading my RMT. On a side note, please do not tell me that my team is weak to something. I know exactly what my team is weak to, and I spelt it out on the threat list. Anyways, I hope you had as much fun reading my RMT as I had writing it. :)
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Introduction
Howdy guys! Before I go on, I want to thank AccidentalGreed, Wario is OSSIM, and Stone_Cold for reading through the RMT even when I told them that it was not necessary. That really shows how kind some of the people on Smogon can be. My last team, The Persistence of Memory, was a bit stall-based, and I really disliked long battles (and admittedly, the team was not my best work). This time, I chose to go a more offensive route because I have always been a fan of offensive teams, and they're the most fun to play with if you ask me. While the team has changed a bit from the original concept to accommodate a bit of a defensive backbone, the main objective has stayed the same; I still try to wreck all walls on the opponent's team and then allow one of my hard hitters to do the rest of the work, all the while preventing the opponent from setting up. This is my favorite style of play, and it has served me well.
However, before I delve into that, I'll introduce the team's name. Astronaut Funk is the name of the song seen before you, made by Stephen Walking, one of the best dubstep / techno artists that I have ever heard. I was inspired to make this team the first time I heard this very song, and the team has been really fun to use. While I have not laddered with the team outside from testing it against other teams, it has done very well against some big name players, and I'm proud of it.
Also, if anyone is wondering, I ripped the format from Kevin Garrett's amazing RMTs, which were a pleasure to both read and learn from. So, I guess this introduction has been a bit lengthier than I suspected it would be, but that's basically all I have to say. Let's look at the team building process!
Team Building Process
Immediately, I knew I was going to build a rain team based around Tornadus, so naturally Politoed and Tornadus were the first on the team. They complimented each other quite nicely offensively, and Politoed could even pack a defensive punch at times. With these two Pokemon, I realized that opposition to the foe's weather, so I immediately picked the next members of my team without question.
Terrakion was an obvious choice because it is a physical powerhouse capable of beating the two main counters to the above Pokemon as the team stood; Chansey and Blissey could no longer have a field day with my team. Terrakion also provided relief against Ninetales and Tyranitar, as well as even Abomasnow. With that in mind, I chose an extra teammate because I wanted extra insurance against not only sand, but also against opposing rain. Virizion was the natural choice due to its amazing bulk and good movepool.
At this point, the team looked fairly speedy, but not amazingly fast. I realized I needed a solid defensive backbone and paralysis support. Jirachi was the obvious candidate because it provided all of that and Stealth Rock support, which all offensively minded teams need. Dragonite was the second Pokemon I added to help paralyze foes. This is actually a modified version of BTzz's tank set, which I adapted to help spread paralysis support in the rain.
And finally, we arrived at a completed team. As it turned out, my team ended up looking like a multitude of rain abusers and two musketeers; however, I was quite alright with that. It was a very offensively natured team that disrupted stall and defensive styles with high powered attacks, beat other offensive teams with agility and careful play, and relied on my setting up. While offensive teams do give me problems if allowed to set up, I could take them down with my core if I played well.
Now, at this point, I thought the team was great. I took it to the ladder and easily got to 1200 points, but I really struggled from that point. One main problem was my lack of Rapid Spin with Tornadus, Dragonite, and a Choice-locked Terrakion. This was an immense problem, and though Starmie crossed my mind millions of times, I was more than reluctant to use it.
I pinpointed the weakest link, Virizion. Though it did help in some battles, I often never used it unless I wanted to sac something to an Outrage. This prompted me to add another Pokemon that I had never tried before, Forretress. Forretress provided me with another Dragon-type attack absorber, and it also gave me Rapid Spin support and Spikes. While the team is built for a quick sweep, Forretress really provides me with the support I need for that sweep to even occur.
Closer Look
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Politoed @ Leftovers | Drizzle
Modest Nature | 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 Spe
Hydro Pump | Ice Beam | Hidden Power Grass | Perish Song
This is basically the Politoed you will always see me run, and that is for many reasons. First off, no other Politoed can really compare to 3 attacks Politoed. The sad truth is that both Choice Scarf and Choice Specs Politoed pack Speed / power, but they cannot have both. While Choice Scarf Politoed is forced to run a Timid nature, Choice Specs Politoed lacks Speed and bulk. Additionally, Politoed becomes dead weight after KOing a threat successfully if it is equipped with a Choice item. Defensive Politoed is another story. While I have run defensive Politoed in the past, I find them to be much too weak and slow to work with. As a primarily offensively minded player, this just does not work. 3 attacks Politoed does a lot of things the above can do, though arguably not as well. However, that isn't the point; the point is that 3 attacks Politoed is an offensive medium between the other three variants. It has more power than the Choice Scarf and defensive variants and more bulk than the Choice Specs variant, as well as the freedom to switch moves. Who doesn't want that?
The EV spread that goes with Politoed is fairly straightforward. I run maximum Speed and the most HP I can with a Stealth Rock number. 8 Speed EVs allows me to outspeed defensive Politoed who is 3HKOed by 3 attacks Politoed. The Modest nature allows me to preserve my massive Special Attack, and in conjunction with rain, STAB, and the maximum EV spread, equates to a outrageously powerful Hydro Pump that can 2HKO even some resists like Rotom-W. Hydro Pump is obviously the main move on this set, and it is usually spammed until Ferrothorn / Chansey / Blissey comes in. Ice Beam provides useful coverage against Dragon-type Pokemon who can become harmful later on in the battle if Jirachi and Forretress are weakened. While I used to use Focus Blast, I found Hidden Power Grass more useful against foes like Swampert and Gastrodon. While Encore has its uses as a great support move, I generally choose to use Perish Song because it helps me a lot more in the lategame when a Dragonite is the last Pokemon left and I need to prevent a setup. Also, it's useful for forcing out Reuniclus that I allow to get too many boosts and things like that; basically, it acts as an insurance against sweepers or troublesome Pokemon.
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Jirachi @ Leftovers | Serene Grace
Sassy Nature | 252 HP / 84 Atk / 172 SpD
Wish | Thunder | Iron Head | Drain Punch
Jirachi is one of my favorite Pokemon ever, and to be fair, it makes up most of the defensive backbone of my very offensive team. That being said, I chose a specially defensive Jirachi over the likes of specially defensive Ferrothorn or Chansey because I already had a source of Spikes support in Forretress, and I really could not care less about Wish support because that just prolongs games. Chansey without Wish support is really useless in my opinion, as it's just a sitting duck against the likes of Terrakion and Infernape. In fact, it is completely ruined by those two. With that out of the way, I'll explain the set itself. I'll be fair, I played around a lot with the EVs to ensure that I can defeat the likes of Magnezone, as I do not want a Magnezone to take down the entirety of the defensive buffer of the team. The Attack EVs ensure that I do 35.86% - 42.76% to standard 36 HP Magnezone, meaning I'll be able to KO it before it can KO me usually, especially because I have Stealth Rock support. The remaining EVs are dispersed into Special Defense and HP to soak up hits like they are nothing, and they are really fairly helpful. I chose a Sassy nature because Jirachi doesn't mind the drop in Speed due to paralysis support, and also because it boosts my Special Defense so that I can wall Latios even harder.
Iron Head and Thunder are the two main moves that I will use, as they provide paralysis and flinch support, which is especially useful for hitting Chlorophyll sweepers if their sun support dies out early. The combo of those two moves also helps me deal with Gengar effectively. Thunder serves me well for hitting Magnezone on the switch, as well as taking out most physical walls like Slowbro and Skarmory. Iron Head is just solid STAB that beats down Terrakion. Wish support is useful for this team because it allows Tornadus, Terrakion, and Dragonite to nullify Stealth Rock damage, and since 2 of the 3 have no way of healing, it aids immensely. While most sets often run Stealth Rock, this team doesn't need that because Forretress can do this as well. Drain Punch's functionality has already been explained, though it also lets me regain a bit of health on sufficiently weakened Pokemon in the KO range (yeah, yeah, I scavenge where I can). Honestly, I cannot see myself ever replacing Jirachi who has probably been the most consistent, if not, one of the most consistent members of the team.
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Dragonite @ Leftovers | Multiscale
Modest Nature | 248 HP / 248 SpA / 12 Spe
Draco Meteor | Thunder | Thunder Wave | Roost
Dragonite is my all time favorite Pokemon, but I wanted to try and use it with originality for this team. Hence, I looked through the Contributions & Corrections forum in search of something original that I could use, and two things immediately stood out to me. One was that I had a ton of work to do on my Rotom-C analysis, but more importantly, I saw a very cool and original set by BTzz. Honestly, I have been so surprised with how well this set works. It effectively lures out some of Dragonite's most common counters like Skarmory and Slowbro and effectively dispatches them, with its bulk allowing it to cleave holes in the opposing team. The spread of 248 HP / 248 SpA / 12 Spe is standard for tank Dragonite, and while the lack of Speed seems disappointing, it really does not matter at all. The Modest nature is also standard, as it really beefs up Dragonite's Base 100 Special Attack which may seem weak, but it's really enough to do the job. With Multiscale, Dragonite is effectively one of the hardest Pokemon to stop.
Like I mentioned earlier, I really do not need to invest too much in Speed. That's due to the paralysis support that Dragonite provides, which is really helpful against Chlorophyll sweepers and other Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Terrakion that presume they are coming in for the kill while I set up a Dragon Dance. The key to this set is exactly that, it doesn't use Dragon Dance like most Dragonite. While the standard is Draco Meteor and Fire Blast as the two attacking moves, I chose to use Thunder because it works better than Fire Blast does under rain, and it also provides the ability to beat Slowbro, a rising threat in OU. While I am completely walled by the likes of Ferrothorn, I have Terrakion and Tornadus to clean up the mess. Roost is one of the vital moves on this set; when I Roost after paralyzing my opponent, I can make sure that I can activate Multiscale and then kill the foe, allowing me to usually paralyze an extra Pokemon.
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Tornadus @ Choice Specs | Prankster
Timid Nature | 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Hurricane | Focus Blast | Rain Dance | U-turn
There are only a handful of words that can describe the terror that Tornadus showers upon any and everything. A few of them would be “destruction,” “demolition,” and “lolumad.” To be honest though, there is really no way to describe Tornadus's wreckage; once Chansey, Blissey, Heatran, and Jirachi are gone, I can just freely kill anything I really want to, as long as I can keep away from status. The EVs are standard fare, maximizing both Speed and Special Attack, while the Timid nature ensures that I outspeed Latios, Latias, Terrakion, Virizion, and Infernape; all of these are pretty big threats to any team. With Choice Specs, Tornadus even OHKOes Politoed and Gyarados with Stealth Rock support, and it has the ability to 2HKO even behemoths like Ferrothorn, ensuring that no team will ever get a safe switch in if I have taken out their specially based walls.
Really, there is no explanation necessary for the moves, as they are al pretty standard, but I'll share anyways. Hurricane is really the move I use 99 percent of the time; it's just that powerful. If I can see a switch in from a special wall from a mile away, I can always fall back on U-turn to switch out and nab momentum. Another thing I can do is if the opponent reliesy on Heatran to take down Tornadus, I can go with Focus Blast to grab a quick KO. My last option is Rain Dance, which I have surprisingly have actually found use for. An example was a battle with Delko, where it was 1 on 2 with his Cloyster against Tornadus and Dragonite. I used Rain Dance and switched, while he sent out Cloyster on Dragonite. When I switched back, I was able to take down Cloyster because Hurricane OHKOed it, and I had rain support. So while Hidden Power Ice may seem appealing, I can already say that Hurricane kills everything so there is no need for Hidden Power and that Rain Dance is much more useful in the long run. Truly, there is not much else to say. Tornadus really makes its brother Thundurus proud, as it can kindly KO everything that Thundurus could with only one move, though obviously it lacks Nasty Plot.
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Terrakion @ Choice Scarf | Justified
Jolly Nature | 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Close Combat | Stone Edge | X-Scissor | Earthquake
So first off, I should clarify that Terrakion is the most fearsome physical attacker in the BW OU metagame at this point. While it only has access to weak priority, its strong base defenses, high base Attack, and high base Speed make it an amazing Pokemon in general. With that in mind, there are so many Terrakion sets to choose from, but I arguably chose the weakest in Choice Scarf Terrakion. That is for a good reason, though, as I really needed a reliable answer to +1 Dragonite and Gyarados after Multiscale was broken on the former, and Terrakion readily provided that so long as it was equipped with a Choice Scarf. While I did use a Choice Band variant in the earlier versions of this team, I found that I was never able to reliably beat threats with the Choice Band variant, even if it left a dent in literally anything that was not immune to it. While Choice Scarf Terrakion does have a lot less power than Choice Band versions, I have found it to be as powerful as I need it to be, and I don't think that I would replace it with anything.
The EVs are standard fare for any physically based revenge killer, and they serve Terrakion well. With a Jolly nature and 252 Speed EVs, Terrakion checks many boosted threats such as +1 Volcarona, +1 Dragonite, and even +2 Scrafty. Close Combat provides obligatory STAB, and it's the move that I will be using 80 percent of the time. It hits even resistant Pokemon hard, and it is probably one of the best moves in the game even if it makes Terrakion more Scizor-weak. Stone Edge is spammed the remaining 19 percent of the time because it is STAB for Close Combat resists, though with shaky accuracy. X-Scissor and Earthquake are mainly coverage, though the latter is able to hit some of the few resists to the infamous Fighting- / Rock-type offensive combination. Though Quick Attack could be used, I would much rather have insurance against the likes of weakened Reuniclus, as well as Grass-type Pokemon that can get problematic like Celebi. Honestly, Terrakion does its job well and I have never seen a suitable replacement.
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Forretress @ Leftovers | Sturdy
Relaxed Nature | 252 HP / 176 Def / 80 SpD
Rapid Spin | Spikes | Stealth Rock | Gyro Ball
Forretress brings a solid defensive presence to my team, though it does lack the bulk of similar Pokemon like Skarmory and Ferrothorn. So why did I not choose them? The answer is simple: with two Stealth Rock weak Pokemon and a Choice Scarfed Pokemon, I desperately needed a Rapid Spin user. Coupled with the fact that rain reduces Forretress's annoying 4x Fire-type weakness to 2x, I knew immediately that it would be the perfect Rapid Spin user. The choice of set that I used is for a reason; I really needed a solid check to Choice Band Terrakion. With the power to OHKO Terrakion, protect my team, and even sponge hits from big threats like Scizor, I knew that I could simply not pass up Forretress.
The set is fairly straightforward, though I did deviate from what's considered the norm to help patch up some weaknesses on my team. The EVs are standard—pulled straight from the Smogon set on site—and they help me sponge most hits, physical and special. The Speed reducing nature powers up Gyro Ball, so it's favorable to an Impish nature. Rapid Spin is obviously the move I'll use mot often because my team has a bit of a weakness to entry hazards. Spikes are used if I ever get a free turn, as they help me gain some KOs that I would not normally achieve. Gyro Ball was chosen over both Toxic and Volt Switch because I wanted a surefire check to all variants of Terrakion. While I had Protect and Toxic Spikes originally over Stealth Rock, I decided to allow Jirachi to Wish pass and let Forretress take on its job. Toxic Spikes conflicted with the team's ability to spread paralysis, while Protect turned Forretress into death fodder half the time. Stealth Rock really nullifies my weakness to Dragonite, and it also helps out against VoltTurn.
Threat List
Now, before you read (or don't read) the threat list, the things you'll want to notice are not only that I have a reliable answer to most Pokemon, but also that my team is not based on countering specific Pokemon per se. It's an offensive team, so I aim to grab momentum early and then if need be, I will have to check or counter a Pokemon that can become dangerous. If you are going to say that I have no reliable answer to something, please note that I'm not really trying to answer that something; I am actually trying to beat it before it beats me. With that said, no team is perfect and this is no exception. Obviously, tell me if you see a problem that you think can hurt my team and I will either respond with how I beat it or try and fix it if I agree with you. Read it, skip it; I don't care. Just remember that it took 6 pages on Microsoft Word to type this thing… So in short, I apologize for the massive wall of text you are about to see. However, for those willing to try out my team, I strongly recommend you look through the threat list to find out how to play these threats.
Abomasnow: While Abomasnow is not too big of a problem with Terrakion, Jirachi, and Forretress helping out, I cannot let it set up weather against me, as I don't want to throw the game because I failed to set up my rain.
Alakazam: While it is a threat to most teams, Jirachi does fairly well against it. Also, Choice Scarf Terrakion will demolish it so long as it doesn't have a Focus Sash. It's not necessarily a big threat, but it can be dangerous.
Blissey: Though it can be a pain if it somehow manages to paralyze Terrakion on the switch, my best option is to just straight up KO it with Close Combat. However, I can paralyze it with Jirachi and Drain Punch / Iron Head it continually.
Breloom: While it seems like a fairly large threat, I will just sac either Forretress or Jirachi to Spore and then beat it down with Tornadus, my primary option. If for whatever reason Tornadus has fainted, I will have to settle for KOing it with Terrakion's Close Combat.
Celebi: While it can be problematic at times, I can safely revenge kill it with Terrakion or Tornadus, and if I'm feeling ballsy, I can try and beat it down with Jirachi. Terrakion and Tornadus are generally better options, though, so I'll lean on to them more.
Chansey: The same applies to Chansey as it did to Blissey, more or less. However, Chansey has better bulk so I cannot be reckless with Terrakion. Jirachi does better though because Chansey lacks the recovery that Leftovers grants.
Cloyster: This thing can be a pain in the ass if Jirachi is down, but luckily Jirachi usually is alright. Thunder beats it down, and Choice Scarf Terrakion will also beat it to the punch if it has one boost. While it's not too big of a threat, I must watch out regardless.
Conkeldurr: Tornadus is generally my best option because I can just kill it immediately, but if I lack Tornadus, I have to usually switch to Dragonite and either beat it down with Thunders or Draco Meteors.
Deoxys-D: There have been times before I added Forretress where Deoxys-D just made this team look silly. Not anymore. I can 2HKO it with Politoed and then Rapid Spin its hazards away later, nullifying Deoxys-D's presence. Of course, they are usually paired with Gengar, so it can be problematic, but Jirachi is my main answer to that.
Donphan: Politoed can attack Donphan mercilessly, and it cannot do much to Tornadus bar a priority Ice Shard. The biggest problem with Donphan is that it gets Stealth Rock, so I have to eventually Rapid Spin Stealth Rock away with Forretress, which can allow the opponent to set up. However, Politoed is basically my best answer.
Dragonite: My favorite Pokemon is also the reason that Forretress joined the squad; he really wrecked my team before. But now I have two Steel-types that I play conservatively with to paralyze it and then damage it or work from there with Terrakion. Terrakion also beats it even at +1 if Multiscale is broken.
Dugtrio: Most will come in on Jirachi, so I have to have Stealth Rock up already. If I don't need Jirachi anymore in the battle, I can sacrifice it while doing decent damage and either revenge Jirachi with Terrakion or Tornadus. However, it's generally best to make sure that I don't get trapped.
Espeon: Jirachi is my primary option against most Espeon sets because I can try to paralyze it with Thunder and then exploit its lower Defense by using Iron Head. Another viable option if it ever kills anything is revenge killing it with Terrakion or Tornadus.
Ferrothorn: All rain teams have trouble with Ferrothorn; that is a given. However, I can paralyze Ferrothorn and try to 2HKO it with Tornadus or go for the kill directly with Terrakion. Either option works, and I can always Rapid Spin entry hazards away with Forretress.
Forretress: I will usually just go for the 2HKO with Tornadus because Forretress cannot do too much in return, unless for some odd reason it decides to attack me instead of laying hazards. My own Forretress can clean up the mess later with Rapid Spin.
Gastrodon: Orignially it was not even a problem due to Virizion. While it can be dangerous, Tornadus and Terrakion hit it really hard allowing it to do very little damage to my team. I always have to play conservatively around these things, though. Hidden Power Grass also handles it, now that I've made the switch to it on Politoed.
Gengar: Tornadus and Terrakion both server as checks because they are faster, but Gengar usually uses Substitute so that's not a reliable option. Jirachi does over 60% to them with Iron Head, and it can avoid Disable by using Thunder on the next turn, so it's usually my best bet due to its high Special Defense.
Gliscor: Politoed is easily my best bet, while Tornadus picks up the slack. If worst comes to worst, I can sacrifice some of Dragonite's HP for the OHKO, but it's usually not worth it.
Gyarados: Dragonite and Jirachi cover Gyarados quite well, and Terrakion will outspeed the brute even at +1, so I'm never too alarmed to see Gyarados. While it can be a threat if it's allowed to set up, it's generally not.
Haxorus: Haxorus is one of the team's bigger threats. That being said, Jirachi will take it on any day if it is locked into Outrage, and Forretress is not too shabby against it either, especially if it has boosts because I can exploit its massive Speed. If it is at +1, I can check it with Terrakion.
Heatran: Politoed and Terrakion are both fairly decent answers, though I'm almost positive that no one in the right mind would leave their Heatran in on either threat. I can also paralyze it with Dragonite, and when it is dead, I will be able to Rapid Spin away the Stealth Rock that it will inevitably lay.
Hippowdon: Politoed makes sure that Hippowdon rests in pieces with a very powerful Hydro Pump, and a Draco Meteor from Dragonite really dents the thing as well. It's a good wall, but I can break through it with careful play. Forretress removes Stealth Rock when it's KOed.
Hydreigon: Since Hydreigon is so unpredictable, Jirachi is usually my best bet. It takes Fire Blasts like a champ in the rain and has the ability to paralyze Hydreigon. While Substitute variants are a bit tougher to deal with, they should not be a problem if played correctly.
Infernape: Rain is a very good counter to Infernape's Fire-type arsenal, and Tornadus screws it over royally with Hurricane. Politoed is also a decent answer with Hydro Pump, but I usually try not to risk losing Politoed. Dragonite can paralyze it and kill it swiftly.
Jellicent: Dragonite will demolish it with Thunder before getting KOed, and Jirachi does quite well as well. I just always need to be aware of Will-O-Wisp and Scald because I don't want to get burnt.
Jirachi: Probably one of the biggest threats. I can try to beat some SubCM variants with Drain Punch from my own Jirachi, but my best bet against these is to sac Terrakion by sufficiently weakening Jirachi with Earthquake. If I do not get paralyzed, then that's an added bonus.
Jolteon: Jirachi can take attacks and try and beat it, but I usually have to take it down with either Dragonite and lose health to Hidden Power Ice, or Terrakion and get locked into a move that could ruin the game. It's a pretty big threat, but it's pretty manageable.
Kyurem: Not a problem at all because it is walled all day by the likes of Jirachi, and Politoed ensures that it cannot spam Blizzard. Terrakion wrecks even Choice Scarf variants, so I experience no problems with the (arguably) ugliest Pokemon in the game. I mean come on; Game Freak is not even going to fix its mess. Black and White Kyurem? Really?
Landorus: Forretress works pretty well, and I can always Stone Edge it if it's low on health when it comes in on Terrakion expecting an easy kill. Politoed does fairly well as long as rain is up and it has enough health.
Latias: Easily one of the toughest Pokemon for me to face. I can paralyze it and then hit it with X-Scissor, but my best bet is to immediately bring in Tornadus and try and beat it down with Hurricane. Jirachi can work its parahax magic, but that's a last resort kind of thing.
Latios: It's not as threatening as Latias, so I can usually just paralyze it to render it useless. If it's a Calm Mind variant which is really rare, I'll follow the same procedure with Tornadus or use X-Scissor.
Lucario: This is easily one of the most threatening Pokemon in the game. Thank god it is so frail and is forced to run a Life Orb. Jirachi and Forretress are my main options, but if it doesn't carry Bullet Punch, Terrakion wrecks it.
Magnezone: The only Pokemon it will come in on are Jirachi and Forretress; with that said, I will never leave Forretress in if the opponent has Magnezone. However, my special Jirachi beats Magnezone 1v1 because of Drain Punch. Terrakion is there for backup.
Mamoswine: Not too big of a threat, but I cannot play Dragonite and Tornadus against it for obvious reasons. Forretress can destroy it with Gyro Ball, and later it can Rapid Spin hazards away for good measure.
Metagross: While I have not really seen many, if any, Jirachi can paralyze it and I can work from there. If it lacks Bullet Punch, Terrakion will take on weakened variants, and if it lacks Ice Punch, Dragonite can break it down.
Mienshao: While its Speed is problematic, Terrakion and Tornadus both reliably check it with Close Combat and Hurricane respectively, and Jirachi is a reliable switch in. I have not seen too many, but Mienshao is a very good offensive Pokemon so I must be careful.
Ninetales: I pressure Ninetales with Politoed and Terrakion, so I really do not face many troubles. While it changes the weather, sun is arguable the easiest weather for me to handle because Terrakion handily takes down most sun abusers.
Politoed: Politoed is never too big of a problem, though variants with Choice Specs can get out of hand if I allow them to do enough damage. My own Politoed is my primary switch because it can do decent damage with its own Hydro Pump, while Jirachi picks up the slack if need be.
Reuniclus: Tornadus is a pretty solid answer because it does between 90% - 106% with a Hurricane if it has no boosts, while Politoed also surprisingly does very well. I can always fall back on Terrakion's X-Scissor if Reuniclus is sufficiently weakened, though that is never the most reliable answer.
Rotom-W: While I don't have a dedicated counter per se, I can use Jirachi to sponge hits all day. If it comes out on Forretress to grab momentum, I can screw the opponent over by using Protect and reacting to the situation. Jirachi's paralysis makes the washing machine sad.
Salamence: Dragon Dance variants are dealt with by Forretress and Jirachi, as they aim to take down the dragon with either Gyro Ball or paralysis. Mixed variants are not a problem because they cannot boost their attack, so Jirachi does exceptionally here.
Scizor: This is where my precious Forretress comes into play. Protect allows me to scout moves, telling me whether to switch or not. Otherwise, I can always just lay hazards and Rapid Spin Stealth Rock away against opposing Scizor. If it is a Swords Dance variant, I must use Jirachi to paralyze it and take it down as quickly as possible. Politoed also does its work well against Swords Dance variants thanks to its resistance to Bullet Punch and its super powerful Hydro Pump.
Scrafty: Tornadus is quite a solid answer, and it deals with Scrafty well. Terrakion's Close Combat is my second best check, and I really have not faced any Scrafty problems.
Skarmory: Most Skarmory come out on either Dragonite or Terrakion. Terrakion will always just switch out to Jirachi, but Dragonite can straight up OHKO Skarmory with Thunder, alleviating any and all Skarmory problems. Tornadus also 2HKOes Skarmory with a resisted move.
Starmie: Starmie is probably one of the biggest threats to my team, especially Life Orb variants. While I can take it down at any point in the match after one of my Pokemon is KOed with Terrakion, I generally try and soften blows with Jirachi and then use Thunder to KO / paralyze it. While this isn't the most reliable of strategies, it works fairly well.
Tentacruel: Tentacruel is not a major threat thanks to the Electric-type moves that my team packs and Terrakion and Tornadus's heavy offensive presences. I don't have many Tentacruel problems.
Terrakion: Yeah, this is probably the biggest threat to any and every team in this metagame. My safest and best option is switching to Forretress and OHKOing it with Gyro Ball, but most players are smarter than that. I can check non Choice Scarf variants with my own Terrakion and Tornadus, though. Dragonite can also paralyze it with Multiscale active.
Tornadus: While Tornadus is a very dangerous Pokemon for all teams to face, Jirachi does very well against it. I also have a Scarf Terrakion to take it down if it ever goes on a rampage, but that's a last resort kind of thing because I do not want to risk a Stone Edge miss.
Toxicroak: I have not yet run into a Toxicroak, but I imagine that a combination of Jirachi and Forretress would handle it fairly well, especially because they are both exceptional walls. Of course, if it has no Swords Dance boosts, Tornadus will demolish it. If it is not behind a Substitute, Terrakion can take a Sucker Punch for a Justified boost and demolish it.
Tyranitar: Tyranitar is not a very big problem because Politoed is really powerful, and also because Terrakion mauls it. Even Jirachi does exceptionally against Tyranitar. I don't fear weather wars because I have so much insurance against Tyranitar.
Vaporeon: Jirachi is my primary option against Vaporeon, but I can fall back on Politoed's Perish Song to force it out and Tornadus's Hurricane if it is weakened. Terrakion's Close Combat can also help, and if Dragonite has retained Multiscale, I will use Thunder to my advantage.
Venusaur: My first option against Venusaur is usually Dragonite's Draco Meteor to dent it if sun is up. Then I work from there by re-summoning rain and then playing around it. While it is a dangerous threat, I haven't had too many problems. Of course, if I lose my rain, it really hurts.
Virizion: Really, the best counter to this is Tornadus's Hurricane. It will even take down a +1 Virizion, so I don't really have too many problems here. I usually try and paralyze it before doing anything, and try to win with Iron Head from Jirachi.
Volcarona: Rain is obviously a thorn in Volcarona's side, and so is Tornadus. My biggest check to +1 Volcarona is Terrakion who will outspeed and OHKO it with Stone Edge. I don't worry too much about Volcarona because I have it covered adequately.
If you think that I didn't cover a threat sufficiently, or that I am missing a Pokemon, just VM me and I'll either fix it or tell you why I don't agree. For those who read the threat list, thanks for making sure that I didn't spend the time in vain!
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Politoed (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SAtk / 8 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Perish Song
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 84 Atk / 172 SDef
Gentle Nature (+SDef, -Def)
- Iron Head
- Stealth Rock
- Thunder
- Drain Punch
Dragonite (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Multiscale
EVs: 248 HP / 248 SAtk / 12 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Roost
- Thunder Wave
- Draco Meteor
- Thunder
Terrakion @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- X-Scissor
- Earthquake
Tornadus (M) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Prankster
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Hurricane
- Focus Blast
- Rain Dance
- U-turn
Forretress (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 176 Def / 80 SDef
Relaxed Nature (+Def, -Spd)
- Rapid Spin
- Spikes
- Protect
- Gyro BallBefore I conclude, I'd like to thank a few people. First and foremost, the QC team of Straw Hat Luffy, AccidentalGreed, Pocket, and zdrup15 has been very helpful for me in the Contributions & Corrections forums, so I'd like to thank them for their help. Secondly, the leaders and team raters from the RMT forum have been extremely helpful for me in not only helping me be a better rater, but also in improving my own teams. I won't name all of them because there are too many, but they should know who they are. Another group of users that I would like to thank are my fellow auth at the Treehouse server, Expert Physics and Wario is OSSIM. Both help me test teams and in turn, make me a better battler. Also, Wario, along with AccidentalGreed and Stone_Cold put up with my request and read through the RMT, so I would like to thank them again. Finally, I'd like to thank Iconic who has been extremely kind to me and even nommed me for my badge, so thanks!
So that is my team. While it may look like standard rain offense, I tried to be creative and make a team that catered exactly to my playstyle. I think I succeeded, as it's been one of my most successful teams. So, anyone looking over my team, feel free to rate, comment, and suggest whatever you need. And if you like it, go ahead and Luvdisc it! Thanks for reading my RMT. On a side note, please do not tell me that my team is weak to something. I know exactly what my team is weak to, and I spelt it out on the threat list. Anyways, I hope you had as much fun reading my RMT as I had writing it. :)
