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**sandshrewz** · Apr 22nd, 2012, 6:14:26 AM

On it now!! Sorry for the late >.>

Rain Inducers

Volbeat
Type: Bug
Base Stats: 65 HP / 73 Atk / 55 Def / 47 SpA / 75 SpD / 85 Spe
Abilities: Illuminate / Swarm / Prankster

Volbeat is an excellent Rain Dance user thanks to Prankster, almost guaranteeing that it will set it up without fail. Volbeat has a handful of support moves that are also given a +1 priority thanks to Prankster, such as Thunder Wave and Encore. It works as an emergency Rain Dance user and sometimes a sacrificial one meant as a one time use as it doesn't have much bulk to survive strong attacks. With priority Encore, Volbeat can lock foes into setup and support moves, giving it both an easy time setting up the weather and acting as a check to setup sweepers. Prankster Thunder Wave also lets Volbeat support the team even further by spreading paralysis which can be useful especially when the rain isn't up. Volbeat also has access to U-turn, bringing rain sweepers safely. However, less common options available for Volbeat include Substitute, Baton Pass, and Tail Glow. Substitute and Tail Glow are both Baton Passable to teammates; the former allows teammates to have an easier time setting up while the latter gives special rain sweepers such as Ludicolo a +3 Special Attack to completely devastate teams. Overall, Volbeat is a reliable and versatile Rain Dance user.

Murkrow
Type: Dark / Flying
Base Stats: 60 HP / 85 Atk / 42 Def / 85 SpA / 42 SpD / 91 Spe
Abilities: Insomnia / Super Luck / Prankster

Murkrow is perhaps one of the most forgotten weather inducer with Prankster. It has terrible bulk as well but it has neither U-turn nor Baton Pass to switch to its teammates. However, it does have another set of support moves to utilize Prankster with. It differentiates itself from other Prankster weather inducers with Haze and FeatherDance. Haze clears all stat changes and lets it put a stop to setup sweepers. FeatherDance allows Murkrow to cushion attacks from physical attackers and open an opportunity for a teammate to set up. Murkrow also has Thunder Wave for paralysis support and Taunt to prevent setup from foes. Murkrow also happens to be another Prankster user alongside Ilumise to have a recovery move in Roost, migitating the problem of Stealth Rock damage as well and increasing it's longevity. Murkrow is an option for a rain inducer if you need a Pokemon that can deal with setup Pokemon too.

Articuno
Type: Ice / Flying
Base Stats: 90 HP / 85 Atk / 100 Def / 95 SpA / 125 SpD / 85 Spe
Abilities: Pressure / Snow Cloak

Articuno is not your typical rain inducer, partly due to its horrible typing that plagues it with a 4x weakness to Rock. Most Articuno do not even consider using Rain Dance on its moveset as well! However, there are a few quirks that might make using Articuno as a rain inducer worthwhile. Offensively, Articuno can make use of a short Rain Dance to utilize 100% accurate Hurricanes. Defensively, it can support the team with Heal Bell and Roar while swapping one of its common moves for Rain Dance. Articuno's typing can be useful if the team can constantly keep Stealth Rocks off the field. Although it shares an Electric-type weakness with common Water-type rain sweepers such as Gorebyss, it also has a resistance to Grass-type attacks and can shrug off neutral special hits thanks to its high Special Defense stat. It can also help to check opposing Ludicolo from sweeping your team with the rain as it is not OHKOed by Hydro Pump, although it'll take quite a beating from it as well. Articuno might not be the main weather inducer on any rain team, but it's worth considering to put Rain Dance on it if your team does not need another phazer or cleric.

Altaria
Type: Dragon / Flying
Base Stats: 75 HP / 70 Atk / 90 Def / 70 SpA / 105 SpD / 80 Spe
Abilities: Natural Cure / Cloud Nine

Altaria is a very fine defensive Pokemon by virtue of its stats, typing, and movepool. Natural Cure adds to the fact that it works as a good status absorber as well. Altaria has access to some useful support moves that any team will welcome; Roar and Heal Bell are both great support moves that rain teams might not always be able to fit in. Altaria brings with it a 4x resistance to Grass-type attacks that are often used against Water-type teammates while brushing off special Electric-type attacks thanks to its good special bulk. With access to Roost and Rest, the latter working in tandem with Natural Cure, Altaria doesn't burden the team too much to support itself and can quickly use an appropriate support move or set up Rain Dance before switching out or healing itself. Altaria has to forgo one support move in Roar or Heal Bell to accomodate for Rain Dance, however. But if one of those aren't really a concern for your team, Altaria could be worth considering as a rain inducer.

Liepard
Type: Dark
Base Stats: 64 HP / 88 Atk / 50 Def / 88 SpA / 50 SpD / 106 Spe
Abilities: Limber / Unburden / Prankster (DW)

Offensive

Relicanth
Type: Water / Rock
Base Stats: 100 HP / 90 Atk / 130 Def / 45 SpA / 65 SpD / 55 Spe
Abilities: Swift Swim / Rock Head / Sturdy

Relicanth might seem like an odd offensive Pokemon with only a mere base 90 Attack stat and pathetic base 55 Speed. However, it can utilize the 150 Base Power Head Smash without any recoil thanks to Rock Head. With simply just Head Smash, Waterfall, and Earthquake, Relicanth does not have much coverage issues. Rock Head Relicanth can use Rock Polish to bolster its poor Speed; it can set up on physical attackers that don't hit it super effectively thanks to its high base 130 Defense. Such high Defense also makes Relicanth harder to revenge kill with priority attacks. Rain-boosted Waterfall also compensates for its average base 90 Attack and between it and Head Smash, few resist this combination. While less common, Relicanth can use Swift Swim coupled with a Choice Band or Life Orb to put dents on the opposing team. However, it will be very reliant on rain to outspeed Pokemon and it can still be outpaced by common Choice Scarf users.

Samurott
Type: Water
Base Stats: 95 HP / 100 Atk / 85 Def / 108 SpA / 70 SpD / 70 Spe
Abilities: Torrent / Shell Armor

Samurott doesn't rely on rain to sweep, but it does appreciate having the rain to boost its STAB moves. It is an already versatile Pokemon by itself and is hard enough to counter due to the variety of sets it can run and having good usable Attack and Special Attack stats. Samurott under the rain is another beast that will make it even harder to take down as rain-boosted Waterfalls and Hydro Pumps will put a huge dent into its checks such as Regice and perhaps make them unreliable checks while in rain. Physical Samurott has the added benefit of rain-boosted Aqua Jets to revenge kill foes better. It remains as a reliable sweeper even if you've lost all your rain inducers as it is not fully dependent on the weather—rain only helps Samurott by boosting its STAB moves. Hence, if you want a backup sweeper that can perform even better in rain, Samurott is a pick so you aren't completely at a loss without rain inducers.

Raichu
Type: Electric
Base Stats: 60 HP / 90 Atk / 55 Def / 90 SpA / 80 SpD / 100 Spe
Abilities: Static / Lightningrod

With Lightningrod, Raichu provides rain teams with a welcomed Electric immunity, while also granting itself a Special Attack boost whenever it switches into an Electric-type attack. Unlike a Ground-type, it does not stack up the Grass-type weakness shared by Water-type teammates. Choice Scarf Electric-types are common checks to rain teams, and Raichu can capitalize on that by switching in to activiate Lightningrod. While the opponent is forced to switch, Raichu can hit hard with a +1 Thunder or even set up with Nasty Plot. Starting out with a base 90 Special Attack might not seem like much, but with oppportunities to boost that stat up, Raichu can sometimes bore holes into teams. Raichu with a Choice item itself also works as a good offensive pivot for rain teams; it can quickly make way for its teammates to come in after absorbing an Electric-type attack, via Volt Switch.

Mantine
Type: Water / Flying
Base Stats: 65 HP / 40 Atk / 70 Def / 80 SpA / 140 SpD / 70 Spe
Abilities: Swift Swim / Water Absorb / Water Veil (DW)

Pelipper
Type: Water / Flying
Base Stats: 60 HP / 50 Atk / 100 Def / 85 SpA / 70 SpD / 65 Spe
Abilities: Keen Eye / Rain Dish (DW)

Golduck
Type: Water
Base Stats: 80 HP / 82 Atk / 78 Def / 95 SpA / 80 SpD / 85 Spe
Abilities: Damp / Cloud Nine / Swift Swim (DW)

Other teammates

Meganium
Type: Grass
Base Stats: 80 HP / 82 Atk / 100 Def / 83 SpA / 100 SpD / 80 Spe
Abilities: Overgrow / Leaf Guard

Meganium has a usable overall bulk and a Grass typing that benefits rain teams. It has a few support moves that might be beneficial to rain teams; for example, Aromatherapy clears the team of status, which might be helpful if a Swift Swim user or rain sweeper gets paralysed and made impossible to pull off a sweep. Meganium also has access to dual screens for more offensive rain teams that would appreciate having them to soften blows so that it can set up more easily. It can also reduce the need for Gorebyss to carry White Herb with dual screens negating the lowered defenses and allow it to opt for Life Orb to deal more damage. Dual screen support also benefits other frail rain sweepers such as Ludicolo and could help them survive a priority move such as Sucker Punch. Meganium's Grass typing eases switching between it and its teammates as well. However, Meganium is also unable to rely on Synthesis as a recovery move on rain teams.

Tangela
Type: Grass
Base Stats: 65 HP / 55 Atk / 115 Def / 100 SpA / 40 SpD / 60 Spe
Abilities: Chlorophyll / Leaf Guard / Regenerator

Tangela, the physically defensive behemoth that is known to most NU players. Its already high base 115 Defense, which is backed by Eviolite, makes it one of the sturdiest physical walls in NU. Futhermore, Regenerator also helps Tangela function as a defensive pivot after sponging a blow and recovering HP while switching. Its high Defense makes it an option for rain teams to use as a physical wall to fall back on and check physical threats such as Gurdurr. Not only can it tank hits, it can also put foes to sleep with Sleep Powder and can do decent damage thanks to its acceptable base 100 Special Attack. Having the ability to put an opponent to sleep can also help to reduce the number of counters the opponent may have to your rain sweepers, thus making a sweep easier. Leech Seed might not seem like much, but it can help teammates gain a little bit of HP by switching around as the opponent is forced to use a super effective move or rely on a special attacker to force Tangela out.

Miltank
Type: Normal
Base Stats: 95 HP / 80 Atk / 105 Def / 40 SpA / 70 SpD / 100 Spe
Abilities: Thick Fat / Scrappy / Sap Sipper (DW)

Roselia
Type: Grass / Poison
Base Stats: 50 HP / 60 Atk / 45 Def / 100 SpA / 80 SpD / 65 Spe
Abilities: Natural Cure / Poison Point / Leaf Guard (DW)

Threats

Gardevoir
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 68 HP / 65 Atk / 65 Def / 125 SpA / 115 SpD / 80 Spe
Abilities: Synchronize / Trace / Telepathy

Choice Scarf Gardevoir is one of the most prominent weather checks thanks to Trace. With Trace, Gardevoir acts as a great revenge killer against rain teams; even a Gorebyss after Shell Smash with Swift Swim boost is outsped by Choice Scarf Gardevoir as Trace copies Swift Swim. It can then proceed to pick off Water-type sweepers with Thunderbolt, or Signal Beam in Ludicolo's case. Gardevoir is something to look out for and prepare against for every rain team as it can put many rain teams to a halt by itself. Between Thunderbolt, Psychic, and Signal Beam, Gardevoir can quickly weaken offensive rain teams that can only rely on switching around to get past Gardevoir. If there's a Gardevoir lurking in the opponent's team, it might be better to hold off setting up and potentially wasting your White Herb and just attack straight off the bat instead.

Rotom-S & Rotom-F
Type: Electric / Flying & Electric / Ice
Base Stats: 50 HP / 65 Atk / 107 Def / 105 SpA / 107 SpD / 86 Spe
Abilities: Levitate

Other Threats

Roselia
Type: Grass / Poison
Base Stats: 50 HP / 60 Atk / 45 Def / 100 SpA / 80 SpD / 65 Spe
Abilities: Natural Cure / Poison Point / Leaf Guard (DW)

Trick Room teams

writing ~~

Apr 22nd, 2012, 6:14:26 AM	#2
sandshrewz 南Potest 华Qui 人Vult Moderator Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 1,431 Live like there's no tomorrow Mentor	On it now!! Sorry for the late >.> Rain Inducers Volbeat Type: Bug Base Stats: 65 HP / 73 Atk / 55 Def / 47 SpA / 75 SpD / 85 Spe Abilities: Illuminate / Swarm / Prankster Volbeat is an excellent Rain Dance user thanks to Prankster, almost guaranteeing that it will set it up without fail. Volbeat has a handful of support moves that are also given a +1 priority thanks to Prankster, such as Thunder Wave and Encore. It works as an emergency Rain Dance user and sometimes a sacrificial one meant as a one time use as it doesn't have much bulk to survive strong attacks. With priority Encore, Volbeat can lock foes into setup and support moves, giving it both an easy time setting up the weather and acting as a check to setup sweepers. Prankster Thunder Wave also lets Volbeat support the team even further by spreading paralysis which can be useful especially when the rain isn't up. Volbeat also has access to U-turn, bringing rain sweepers safely. However, less common options available for Volbeat include Substitute, Baton Pass, and Tail Glow. Substitute and Tail Glow are both Baton Passable to teammates; the former allows teammates to have an easier time setting up while the latter gives special rain sweepers such as Ludicolo a +3 Special Attack to completely devastate teams. Overall, Volbeat is a reliable and versatile Rain Dance user. Murkrow Type: Dark / Flying Base Stats: 60 HP / 85 Atk / 42 Def / 85 SpA / 42 SpD / 91 Spe Abilities: Insomnia / Super Luck / Prankster Murkrow is perhaps one of the most forgotten weather inducer with Prankster. It has terrible bulk as well but it has neither U-turn nor Baton Pass to switch to its teammates. However, it does have another set of support moves to utilize Prankster with. It differentiates itself from other Prankster weather inducers with Haze and FeatherDance. Haze clears all stat changes and lets it put a stop to setup sweepers. FeatherDance allows Murkrow to cushion attacks from physical attackers and open an opportunity for a teammate to set up. Murkrow also has Thunder Wave for paralysis support and Taunt to prevent setup from foes. Murkrow also happens to be another Prankster user alongside Ilumise to have a recovery move in Roost, migitating the problem of Stealth Rock damage as well and increasing it's longevity. Murkrow is an option for a rain inducer if you need a Pokemon that can deal with setup Pokemon too. Articuno Type: Ice / Flying Base Stats: 90 HP / 85 Atk / 100 Def / 95 SpA / 125 SpD / 85 Spe Abilities: Pressure / Snow Cloak Articuno is not your typical rain inducer, partly due to its horrible typing that plagues it with a 4x weakness to Rock. Most Articuno do not even consider using Rain Dance on its moveset as well! However, there are a few quirks that might make using Articuno as a rain inducer worthwhile. Offensively, Articuno can make use of a short Rain Dance to utilize 100% accurate Hurricanes. Defensively, it can support the team with Heal Bell and Roar while swapping one of its common moves for Rain Dance. Articuno's typing can be useful if the team can constantly keep Stealth Rocks off the field. Although it shares an Electric-type weakness with common Water-type rain sweepers such as Gorebyss, it also has a resistance to Grass-type attacks and can shrug off neutral special hits thanks to its high Special Defense stat. It can also help to check opposing Ludicolo from sweeping your team with the rain as it is not OHKOed by Hydro Pump, although it'll take quite a beating from it as well. Articuno might not be the main weather inducer on any rain team, but it's worth considering to put Rain Dance on it if your team does not need another phazer or cleric. Altaria Type: Dragon / Flying Base Stats: 75 HP / 70 Atk / 90 Def / 70 SpA / 105 SpD / 80 Spe Abilities: Natural Cure / Cloud Nine Altaria is a very fine defensive Pokemon by virtue of its stats, typing, and movepool. Natural Cure adds to the fact that it works as a good status absorber as well. Altaria has access to some useful support moves that any team will welcome; Roar and Heal Bell are both great support moves that rain teams might not always be able to fit in. Altaria brings with it a 4x resistance to Grass-type attacks that are often used against Water-type teammates while brushing off special Electric-type attacks thanks to its good special bulk. With access to Roost and Rest, the latter working in tandem with Natural Cure, Altaria doesn't burden the team too much to support itself and can quickly use an appropriate support move or set up Rain Dance before switching out or healing itself. Altaria has to forgo one support move in Roar or Heal Bell to accomodate for Rain Dance, however. But if one of those aren't really a concern for your team, Altaria could be worth considering as a rain inducer. Liepard Type: Dark Base Stats: 64 HP / 88 Atk / 50 Def / 88 SpA / 50 SpD / 106 Spe Abilities: Limber / Unburden / Prankster (DW) Offensive Relicanth Type: Water / Rock Base Stats: 100 HP / 90 Atk / 130 Def / 45 SpA / 65 SpD / 55 Spe Abilities: Swift Swim / Rock Head / Sturdy Relicanth might seem like an odd offensive Pokemon with only a mere base 90 Attack stat and pathetic base 55 Speed. However, it can utilize the 150 Base Power Head Smash without any recoil thanks to Rock Head. With simply just Head Smash, Waterfall, and Earthquake, Relicanth does not have much coverage issues. Rock Head Relicanth can use Rock Polish to bolster its poor Speed; it can set up on physical attackers that don't hit it super effectively thanks to its high base 130 Defense. Such high Defense also makes Relicanth harder to revenge kill with priority attacks. Rain-boosted Waterfall also compensates for its average base 90 Attack and between it and Head Smash, few resist this combination. While less common, Relicanth can use Swift Swim coupled with a Choice Band or Life Orb to put dents on the opposing team. However, it will be very reliant on rain to outspeed Pokemon and it can still be outpaced by common Choice Scarf users. Samurott Type: Water Base Stats: 95 HP / 100 Atk / 85 Def / 108 SpA / 70 SpD / 70 Spe Abilities: Torrent / Shell Armor Samurott doesn't rely on rain to sweep, but it does appreciate having the rain to boost its STAB moves. It is an already versatile Pokemon by itself and is hard enough to counter due to the variety of sets it can run and having good usable Attack and Special Attack stats. Samurott under the rain is another beast that will make it even harder to take down as rain-boosted Waterfalls and Hydro Pumps will put a huge dent into its checks such as Regice and perhaps make them unreliable checks while in rain. Physical Samurott has the added benefit of rain-boosted Aqua Jets to revenge kill foes better. It remains as a reliable sweeper even if you've lost all your rain inducers as it is not fully dependent on the weather—rain only helps Samurott by boosting its STAB moves. Hence, if you want a backup sweeper that can perform even better in rain, Samurott is a pick so you aren't completely at a loss without rain inducers. Raichu Type: Electric Base Stats: 60 HP / 90 Atk / 55 Def / 90 SpA / 80 SpD / 100 Spe Abilities: Static / Lightningrod With Lightningrod, Raichu provides rain teams with a welcomed Electric immunity, while also granting itself a Special Attack boost whenever it switches into an Electric-type attack. Unlike a Ground-type, it does not stack up the Grass-type weakness shared by Water-type teammates. Choice Scarf Electric-types are common checks to rain teams, and Raichu can capitalize on that by switching in to activiate Lightningrod. While the opponent is forced to switch, Raichu can hit hard with a +1 Thunder or even set up with Nasty Plot. Starting out with a base 90 Special Attack might not seem like much, but with oppportunities to boost that stat up, Raichu can sometimes bore holes into teams. Raichu with a Choice item itself also works as a good offensive pivot for rain teams; it can quickly make way for its teammates to come in after absorbing an Electric-type attack, via Volt Switch. Mantine Type: Water / Flying Base Stats: 65 HP / 40 Atk / 70 Def / 80 SpA / 140 SpD / 70 Spe Abilities: Swift Swim / Water Absorb / Water Veil (DW) Pelipper Type: Water / Flying Base Stats: 60 HP / 50 Atk / 100 Def / 85 SpA / 70 SpD / 65 Spe Abilities: Keen Eye / Rain Dish (DW) Golduck Type: Water Base Stats: 80 HP / 82 Atk / 78 Def / 95 SpA / 80 SpD / 85 Spe Abilities: Damp / Cloud Nine / Swift Swim (DW) Other teammates Meganium Type: Grass Base Stats: 80 HP / 82 Atk / 100 Def / 83 SpA / 100 SpD / 80 Spe Abilities: Overgrow / Leaf Guard Meganium has a usable overall bulk and a Grass typing that benefits rain teams. It has a few support moves that might be beneficial to rain teams; for example, Aromatherapy clears the team of status, which might be helpful if a Swift Swim user or rain sweeper gets paralysed and made impossible to pull off a sweep. Meganium also has access to dual screens for more offensive rain teams that would appreciate having them to soften blows so that it can set up more easily. It can also reduce the need for Gorebyss to carry White Herb with dual screens negating the lowered defenses and allow it to opt for Life Orb to deal more damage. Dual screen support also benefits other frail rain sweepers such as Ludicolo and could help them survive a priority move such as Sucker Punch. Meganium's Grass typing eases switching between it and its teammates as well. However, Meganium is also unable to rely on Synthesis as a recovery move on rain teams. Tangela Type: Grass Base Stats: 65 HP / 55 Atk / 115 Def / 100 SpA / 40 SpD / 60 Spe Abilities: Chlorophyll / Leaf Guard / Regenerator Tangela, the physically defensive behemoth that is known to most NU players. Its already high base 115 Defense, which is backed by Eviolite, makes it one of the sturdiest physical walls in NU. Futhermore, Regenerator also helps Tangela function as a defensive pivot after sponging a blow and recovering HP while switching. Its high Defense makes it an option for rain teams to use as a physical wall to fall back on and check physical threats such as Gurdurr. Not only can it tank hits, it can also put foes to sleep with Sleep Powder and can do decent damage thanks to its acceptable base 100 Special Attack. Having the ability to put an opponent to sleep can also help to reduce the number of counters the opponent may have to your rain sweepers, thus making a sweep easier. Leech Seed might not seem like much, but it can help teammates gain a little bit of HP by switching around as the opponent is forced to use a super effective move or rely on a special attacker to force Tangela out. Miltank Type: Normal Base Stats: 95 HP / 80 Atk / 105 Def / 40 SpA / 70 SpD / 100 Spe Abilities: Thick Fat / Scrappy / Sap Sipper (DW) Roselia Type: Grass / Poison Base Stats: 50 HP / 60 Atk / 45 Def / 100 SpA / 80 SpD / 65 Spe Abilities: Natural Cure / Poison Point / Leaf Guard (DW) Threats Gardevoir Type: Psychic Base Stats: 68 HP / 65 Atk / 65 Def / 125 SpA / 115 SpD / 80 Spe Abilities: Synchronize / Trace / Telepathy Choice Scarf Gardevoir is one of the most prominent weather checks thanks to Trace. With Trace, Gardevoir acts as a great revenge killer against rain teams; even a Gorebyss after Shell Smash with Swift Swim boost is outsped by Choice Scarf Gardevoir as Trace copies Swift Swim. It can then proceed to pick off Water-type sweepers with Thunderbolt, or Signal Beam in Ludicolo's case. Gardevoir is something to look out for and prepare against for every rain team as it can put many rain teams to a halt by itself. Between Thunderbolt, Psychic, and Signal Beam, Gardevoir can quickly weaken offensive rain teams that can only rely on switching around to get past Gardevoir. If there's a Gardevoir lurking in the opponent's team, it might be better to hold off setting up and potentially wasting your White Herb and just attack straight off the bat instead. Rotom-S & Rotom-F Type: Electric / Flying & Electric / Ice Base Stats: 50 HP / 65 Atk / 107 Def / 105 SpA / 107 SpD / 86 Spe Abilities: Levitate Other Threats Roselia Type: Grass / Poison Base Stats: 50 HP / 60 Atk / 45 Def / 100 SpA / 80 SpD / 65 Spe Abilities: Natural Cure / Poison Point / Leaf Guard (DW) Trick Room teams writing ~~ __________________ Thanks for voting for The Smog Awards! ^_^ Member of the GP Team- VM for a check / stamp! Chinese Translation Project \|\| Art Thread \|\| NU Sun \| NU Rain Last edited by sandshrewz; Mar 20th, 2013 at 10:42:21 AM.