Raikou is even outclassed as a cming electric type by tapu koko. Koko can run roost (reliable recovery is huge, frees up the option to forgo lefties for a z crystal or whatever) or taunt over substitute, while still having that sexy 130 speed tier. The change in bulk that lets raikou sub on zap, which is admittedly nice, but as far as I can tell neither can sub on fini without at least cm, 1 for kou and 2 for koko (0 SpA Tapu Fini Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Raikou: 51-61 (30.9 - 36.9%) -- guaranteed 4HKO after Leftovers recovery vs 0 SpA Tapu Fini Moonblast vs. +1 4 HP / 0 SpD Tapu Koko: 43-52 (29.4 - 35.6%) -- 100% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery), though koko is better with roost over sub anyway. The pure electric typing only helps with checking sciz a bit better, which is also nice but not quite enough to get ranked over imo.While I agree Kartana could rise (good speed tier with stupidly high Attack and good defense with the ability to run a couple different sets, it can break through fatter teams easily), you are misinformed about Z-Giga actually doing things.
252 Atk Kartana Bloom Doom (175 BP) vs. 252 HP / 232+ Def Toxapex: 199-235 (65.4 - 77.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery
252 Atk Kartana Breakneck Blitz (200 BP) vs. 252 HP / 232+ Def Toxapex: 152-179 (50 - 58.8%) -- 74.2% chance to 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery
Do not use Z-Giga Kartana please
On to my own nom
So this mon got a lot worse between gens, it now faces competition from Tapu Koko as an electric type with a good speed tier now, but I feel like leaving it unranked is inaccurate to its viability. Life Orb 4 Attacks is outclassed, as is pretty much every other set, except for SubCM, which is probably its best set atm and is legit good. I've had a lot of success with it when laddering. People are unprepared for it since like no one uses it, and it can catch people off guard too.
Unranked -> C
Raikou @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
This is the set I've been using, and it works great. It works as an effective late game cleaner and wind condition. It sets up or gets a Sub on mons like Zapdos, Tapu Fini, Toxapex, etc. It has decent natural bulk, at 90/75/100, which is more than Tapu Koko and Thundurus. It also isn't weak to Stealth Rock which is everywhere right now like Thundurus is, which is another benefit it has over the other electrics. Its speed tier allows it to outspeed Mega Metagross, which is the biggest one. BoltBeam coverage lets it break through Zygarde, Lando-T, Garchomp, etc. It also has an amazing match up vs Trick Room oddly.
Some replays:
These are two games I played vs Trick Room, and it dealt with them pretty easily.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-561869992
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-561871129
Here's one vs a pretty standard team, Raikou is able to clean up at the end and use Fini as fodder.
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7ou-561760557
It isn't the best mon, and it has its flaws, but its strengths are definitely that of a viable Pokemon to me.
Game 1: Koko also could've subbed on uxie if it was running sub; here's neutral hidden power: 0 SpA Uxie Hidden Power Grass vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Tapu Koko: 23-28 (15.7 - 19.1%) -- possible 8HKO after Leftovers recovery. Unless uxies have suddenly started running modest + max spatk, koko is fine, though hp isn't exactly standard so who knows unless we see the dude's evs. Now, raikou KO'd mawile on turn 6, which would mean koko's electric terrain would have worn off. Despite that, it still OHKOs max HP mawile with the same amount of boosts as raikou had and no terrain:
+3 252 SpA Tapu Koko Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Mega Mawile: 160-190 (101.9 - 121%) -- guaranteed OHKO. Unless mega maw on TR runs some spdef, the boost in power post terrain is irrelevant.
Game 2: Again, raikou didn't do anything koko couldn't, don't think I have to go into detail here.
Game 3 is the only noteworthy one, because raikou's extra bulk and typing do make a difference. Here's koko at +1 spdef against fini again: 0 SpA Tapu Fini Moonblast vs. +1 4 HP / 0 SpD Tapu Koko: 43-52 (29.4 - 35.6%) -- 100% chance to 4HKO after Leftovers recovery, which isn't enough to keep a substitute with. This would be a pretty big issue for an electric type whose only form of recovery is lefties, but a cm + roost koko boosts to its heart's content against fini barring a crit. However, running roost over substitute allows it to be rkd by mega meta. Koko without terrain is weaker than raikou, so you don't need a calc to tell you +1 tbolt from koko doesn't ohko either, but defensively koko crumbles to bp mega meta: 252 Atk Tough Claws Mega Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Tapu Koko: 124-147 (84.9 - 100.6%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO + 252 Atk Tough Claws Mega Metagross Bullet Punch vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Tapu Koko: 55-66 (37.6 - 45.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery; it probably wouldn't even need to resort to bp, since there's no way fini would let it get out at full hp and eq and zen both do upwards of 70%.
So, basically, raikou's niche is that of a cm using electric type that can sub up on fini at +1 and can check mega meta, mega scizor, and zap better than koko can. Is that worth a rank when cm koko which usually outclasses it isn't on the sets viability ranks at all? I mean
TL;DR don't rank raikou yet