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Thundurus-T has enough Speed and Special Attack to be a late-game cleaner as well as an early-game scout, boasting a base 101 Speed stat and a base 145 Special Attack stat. His useful typing and ability leave him with two immunities, five resistances, and only two weaknesses, which helps him switch into commonly seen moves such as Earthquake and Thunder Wave. Thundurus-T is mostly outclassed by Thundurus due to the latter's access to Prankster, and he also faces big competition from Zapdos. Thundurus-T is also pretty frail, so he won't be taking many hits.
Choice
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name: Choice
move 1: Thunderbolt / Thunder
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Psychic
move 4: Volt Switch / Focus Blast / Grass Knot
item: Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
evs: 20 HP / 236 SpA / 252 Spe
ivs: 0 Atk / 30 Def
nature: Modest / Timid
Moves
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Thunderbolt is Thundurus-T's most reliable STAB attack. Should Thundurus-T be used on a rain team, however, Thunder is a suitable option. It is incredibly powerful and perfectly accurate in the rain, packing a nifty 30% chance to paralyze its target. Hidden Power Ice forms pseudo-BoltBeam coverage with Thundurus-T's Electric-type attack. Psychic hits Mega Venusaur and Amoonguss, both of which are a pain to Thundurus-T. Volt Switch lets Thundurus-T dent a foe and switch out, as well as scout. Focus Blast hits Steel-types such as Heatran, Excadrill, and Ferrothorn, while Grass Knot hits Pokemon such as Mega Swampert and Gastrodon.
Set Details
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20 HP EVs ensure that Thundurus-T will avoid the OHKO from Jolly Tyranitar's Rock Slide and Sylveon's Choice Specs-boosted Hyper Voice. 252 Speed EVs make Thundurus-T as fast as possible, letting him outspeed neutral-natured base 100 Speed Pokemon such as Charizard and its Mega Evolutions, Mega Kangaskhan, and Mega Gardevoir. The remaining EVs are put into Special Attack to let Thundurus-T hit as hard as possible. A Modest nature is used for extra power, but a Timid nature can be used for extra Speed; it lets Thundurus-T outspeed positive-natured base 100 Speed Pokemon. If you decide to use a Choice Scarf instead of Choice Specs, an EV spread of 20 HP / 252 SpA / 236 Spe with a Modest nature should be used to let Thundurus-T outspeed Modest Choice Scarf Hydreigon. A Timid nature is plausible, too, as it lets Thundurus-T outspeed Timid Choice Scarf Hydreigon at the cost of some power. The provided IVs give Thundurus-T Hidden Power Ice.
Usage Tips
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Lead with Thundurus-T and use him as an early-game scout with Volt Switch. When you send out Thundurus-T, if you predict a Fake Out, don't hesitate to switch out into a Pokemon that can tank the hit. Use Thundurus-T as a late-game cleaner once his checks and counters have been removed. Predict switch-ins; if you predict a Garchomp or Landorus-T to come in, use Hidden Power Ice. Use moves appropriately; a neutral Thunderbolt or Thunder does more damage than a 2x super effective Hidden Power Ice, a 2x resisted Thunderbolt or Thunder does more than a neutral Hidden Power Ice, and so on and so forth. Even though it is super effective, don't use Grass Knot against Rotom-W, as it is very light; instead, use Thunderbolt or Thunder.
Team Options
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If Thundurus-T is being used on a rain team, Politoed is a must-have partner because of its ability Drizzle. Thanks to Thundurus-T's ability to quickly dispose of Landorus-T, physical attackers such as Mega Kangaskhan, Terrakion, and Talonflame are good partners. Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame can remove bulky Grass-types such as Amoonguss, which Thundurus-T has trouble with. This does, however, stack up a weakness to Rock-type attacks such as Rock Slide. Wide Guard support from Pokemon such as Aegislash protects Thundurus-T and his teammates this move, as well as other common attacks such as Hyper Voice, and Heat Wave. As Thundurus-T makes a good early-game scout, pairing him with Fake Out users such as Mega Kangaskhan and Ludicolo is helpful. They shield Thundurus-T from damage for a turn and let him scout with Volt Switch more easily. Landorus-T provides Intimidate support and can freely spam Earthquake thanks to Thundurus-T's Flying typing. Other Ground-types such as Garchomp and Mamoswine work well alongside Thundurus-T, too. Helping Hand users power up Thundurus-T's attacks to monstrous levels. Politoed and Cresselia make for solid users. Thundurus-T's base 101 Speed isn't bad at all, but it falls short of outspeeding some notable Pokemon such as Gengar and Garchomp. Speed control from Pokemon such as Politoed and Suicune is therefore appreciated.
Other Options
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Discharge can be used for a multi-target STAB attack, but it is significantly weaker than Thunderbolt and Thunder. If you are using it, however, pair up Thundurus-T with a Ground-type Pokemon or a Pokemon with Lightningrod, Motor Drive, or Volt Absorb. Hidden Power Flying was a decent choice in previous years, but the change to the way Thundurus-T can be legally obtained with it forces him to use a Speed IV of 30, making it a really poor option compared to Hidden Power Ice or some other coverage move such as Psychic. A Life Orb increases Thundurus-T's damage output by 30% and doesn't lock him into one move. However, Thundurus-T gets quickly worn down by its recoil. Thundurus-T has a few useful physical attacks such as Knock Off and Superpower, but it's best to keep him firing off special attacks. Nasty Plot can be used to boost Thundurus-T's Special Attack to outstanding levels.
Checks & Counters
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**Typing Advantage**: As Thundurus-T is Choice-locked, Pokemon that can take advantage of the move that he is locked into are troublesome. Ground-types such as Garchomp, Excadrill, and Landorus-T are immune to Thundurus-T's Electric-type attacks. Though he's not allergic to Rock Slide like Mega Charizard Y and Talonflame are, Thundurus-T cannot stomach repeated Rock Slides. The most common Rock Slide users, namely Tyranitar, Garchomp, and Landorus-T, are to be feared, but they have to be wary of Thundurus-T's coverage moves.
**Double Targeting**: Because Thundurus-T is usually using a Choice item, it is usually safe for the opponent to double target Thundurus-T and quickly KO him.
**Speed Control**: Thundurus-T is much easier to deal with once the opponent's team is faster than him. Trick Room, Tailwind, and Icy Wind will all get the job done.
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