Mudstorm reformed

Hello everyone, it's my first RMT and even my first participation to the forum. By the way i'm French so I may not use some words the proper way. Don't hesistate to correct my wording as you do for my Team building choices.

So here is the point : This summer i started to play a Rain/Sandstorm team for the fun. The idea was it could be usefull sometime to set rain in a Sandteam when to much Fiery threat were around or symply to punch a Water Type in the face with a 100% accurate Thunder. I played the team for a few weak but it didn't have a lot of success, and then i made break in Pokebattling.

But a week ago, i started to play Pokemon again and decided to rethink my Mudstorm Team, mainly for fun. But the fact is the Team works way better than i expected (Ok, let's say way less bad than i expected).

~~~~~~~~~~~~

So here is how it look :




~~~~~~~~~~~~




Politoed @ Life Orb
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SAtk / 8 Spd
Modest Nature
- Focus Blast
- Hydro Pump
- Toxic
- Ice Beam

I noticed that a switch-in from Politoed often lead to switch out from the opponent, the point of the life orb is to hit the new incommer hard with Hydropump or Focus Blast whithout being locked on one move if i guessed wrong.
Focus blast is here for Ferrothorn which often think it can switch-in safely, in fact focus blast can hurt a lot more switch-ins than hp grass. Ice Beam is here for Dragonite and Gliscor. I don't know if I should keep this opportunity to have toxic as this Politoed is not choiced or if i'd better use HP grass for water types.




Tyranitar @ Leftovers
Trait: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 SDef / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Dance / Pursuit
- Crunch
- Stone Edge
- Fire Punch

I choosed him over Hippodown cause my team arleady has diffculties to take special water attacks, plus it would be redundant with Donphan.

Fire Punch is better on my sandstorm inducer than on any other of my Poke, simply for it to not be countered by my own rain.
Crunch let Ttar damage bulky Psys, and stone edge have a great coverage. I hesitate on what to do on a switch-out from the opponent DDance or Pursuit ? The fact is after a DDance Ttar still can't do much thing against Fighting Types. Or maybe should replace it with HP grass or psy for better coverage, with a Brave nature. I can even try a fully special oriented set but i would be unnarmed agaisnt Reuniclus.



Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 104 HP / 252 SAtk / 152 SDef
Modest Nature
- Thunder
- Wish
- Psyshock
- Hidden Power [Ice] / Protect

Jirachi is here to electrocute water types and spread paralysis, even out of rain it can f**k Tentacruel's brain out with psyshock.
Hidden Power [Ice] help me with some threats but i sometimes feel I miss Protect.




Tetannoying (Skarmory) @ Rocky Helmet
Trait: Sturdy
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Impish Nature
- Whirlwind
- Roost
- Brave Bird
- Stealth Rock / Spikes

Not much to say about him, it love rain as much as sand and in fact it have often a lot of opportunity to lay spikes as it is hard to take him down. Rocky helmet is here to annoye U-turning opponents.

Using SR or Spikes depend of i've put SR on Donphan.



Scizor @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Technician
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Pursuit
- Superpower
- U-turn

Under kd24 recommandation i replaced Landorus with Scizor and it helped me a lot against several threats. But i feel like it doesn't help me to outspeed much thing, so i'll maybe go for a more classical choice band set.





Donphan @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Ice Shard / SR
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Stone Edge

He's my spinner and he help me well with steel types Pokes. Having a Priority attack is nice but SR would allow me to use Donphan as a lead thanks to his great coverage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Old members :



Landorus @ Choice Band
Trait: Sand Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Speed
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone-Edge
- U-turn
- Outrage




Cloyster @ White Herb
Trait: Overcoat
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Speed / 152 Atk / 4 SAtk
Naive Nature
- Ice Shard
- Hydro Pump
- Rapid Spin
- Shell Smash


~~~~~~~~~~~~


So, every idea of change is wellcome (but don't forget the point is to keep a Rain and Sandstorm inducer). As you read this lines i am still playtesting the different options evoked above, and i will soon give you new feeds back

Hello there,

I have some advice to give you, so let's go to rate your team!

First of all, your team is weak to a lots of setupper (Volcarona for example) because you haven't a revenge killer and it's weak to Keldeo too, that can destroy your team easily after one Calm Mind and also if it has a Choice item. Also, some pokèmon have a bad EV spread and very useless moves and item for their working so I will fix them. To begin, I'd use Politoed with Perish Song in place of Focus Blast and with this EV spread: EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef, Focus Blast doesn't hit hard nothing without Choice Specs and with Perish Song combined to a bulky EV spread, your team has a solution to many setupper (with this EV spread you can take better Keldeo's hits and you can check the Calm Mind one with Perish Song, with Jirachi's Wish, Politoed is your check to Keldeo). In general, if your Politoed has Toxic and Protect, you should running a bulky EV spread to stall the opponents better. Then, I don't understand why your Tyranitar has Life Orb with a bulky EV spread, I suggest you to use Leftovers in place of Life Orb to have more staying power, I think it's important on a pokèmon that must take hits as Tyranitar. After, your Jirachi has a difensive moves without an difensive EV spread at all, so I'd use this EV spread: EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd with Sassy nature. Jirachi must take all special hits so this spread can help with its work. After, Politoed isn't enough against the statupper and you need also a revenge killer to Volcarona that can 6-0'd you easily, for this reasons, I'd use Choice Scarf in place of Choice Band on Landorus and I'd Hidden Power Ice in place of Outrage, because I think it's really bad remains locked in one move, and I'd use Naive nature in place of Adamant nature to have more power with the Hidden Power Ice (other small parenthesis: Landorus with Choice Scarf can revenge kill not Choice Scarf Keldeo if weakened, and it can be helpful in many occasions, also Choice Scarf Landorus isn't very common in the current metagame because people prefer now the Sheer Force one so you can surprise someone and that's nice).
Finally, Shell Smash in combination with Rapid Spin is really bad in my opinion, because if your bigger purpose is to spin, you don't need any boost at the offensive statistics.
For this reason, I suggest you to use this set on Cloyster, I think it can do its job better. here's it:


Hope I helped, gl.

Okay, first don't get confused, the team description is exported from PShowdown where Spd mean Speed and SDef mean Special Defense. I'll edit my post with the full names.

Then, I'll of course try playtesting your advices with the exception i think i will make a more offensive Politoed (Life orb or Choice spec).

I'll try to get back back Hidden Power Ice on Landorus but i still think it cannot works without great sacrifices on Physical Power.

Thanks a lot for your advices especially on Cloyster.

Against set-uppers have you an idea of what poke i could use if i don't go for a defensive Politoed with Perish Song ?

List of threats:

Abomasnow - Leech Seed/Protect/Blizzard/Giga Drain is actually really annoying, as is just an offensive LO Ice Shard/Wood Hammer/Blizzard/Earthquake. The problem here isn't the weather, it's just that switching in to Abomasnow is surprisingly a pain. If you don't get up SR with Tyranitar, you're going to find Abomasnow switching in on Jirachi and Politoed (Politoed will have to correctly predict the Abomasnow and hit it with Focus Blast (hitting with Focus Blast shouldn't be relied on anyway)).

Ferrothorn - Even with the precautions taking, this team is extremely weak to a Ferrothorn with Leech Seed and Protect. The best you can do is hope you predict it correctly with Politoed or that it stays in on a LO Ttar for some reason. Regardless, it still walls the majority of this team and it can be very difficult to Rapid Spin vs it with Cloyster.

Dugtrio - It's never fun to play Dugtrio and unfortunately here, he can probably take out Jirachi and Tyranitar very quickly if played correctly. You can manage him from there but this team begins to struggle with fast Special Sweepers and mons such as the dreaded Sub Toxic Tentacruel.

Hydreigon - A Life Orb mixed set is surprisingly an issue. Fire Blast, Draco Meteor, Superpower is basically the Mixmence of old, and this team has a terrible time switching in. Jirachi is almost giving away free switches which can be a problem, particularly if it has an alternate way to deal with Jirachi in Rain other than Fire Blast. I wouldn't worry that -too- much but know you have no switch in to this thing that I would ever feel good about it outside of Jirachi in the rain (which could give them a free Sub if they are Sub Expert Belt instead.

Lucario - Close Combats are a pain in the ass to face, and this team is no different. Landorus will not enjoy taking LO Close Combats and ExSpeeds to the face (and Jolly Lucario will outspeed and Ice Punch you if he absolutely has to. This wouldn't be an issue if it didn't mean you then get 6-0ed by Lucario).

Reuniclus - A Calm Mind Reuniclus is always a threat and this team doesn't have much in the way of dealing with him. Landorus U-Turn into TTar is your best shot, but that's not going to come easy. Landorus would be one of the mons I'd be trying to avoid. Pursuit TTar is good but if they realize you don't have Crunch as they Recover up, they're just going to kill you from LO damage and then sweep. Jirachi can do nothing to Reuniclus.

Terrakion - Much like Lucario, this is really annoying to face because of Close Combat. You have only 1 resist and a CB Terrakion will outspeed Landorus as well.

Thundurus-T - It outspeeds and OHKOs everything after a Nasty Plot if it opts for a 3 Atk set. Cloyster is the only out at that point, which is never something I'd enjoy relying on.

Volcarona - It just kills you with a Quiver Dance, only Politoed can really handle it.

These were things that jumped out at me. To summarize it's Abomasnow, Ferrothorn, Lucario, Terrakion, Thundurus-T, Hydreigon, Reuniclus, Dugtrio, and Volcarona.

Right away, I think Scizor would solve a lot of issues here, and I would go with a unique Choice Scarf Scizor. While I generally wouldn't advocate using it over band, it's fast U-Turn provides what Landorus provides; giving Reuniclus trouble and attacking over large threats. The key difference here is that Scizor outspeeds Terrakion with Bullet Punch or Superpower, outspeeds and OHKOs Lucario with Superpower, is yet another Pokemon to take Draco Meteor from Hydreigon and can then U-Turn against it, Pursuit Dugtrio, and can U-Turn vs Abomasnow while resisting Blizzard/Giga Drain/Ice Shard.

Thundurus-T, Volcarona, and Ferrothorn are still annoying, and I don't really see what Cloyster is providing. I think I would use something like Sash Terrakion with Stealth Rock, Stone Edge, and Close Combat instead. He handles those three very well, can handle Hydreigon and Abomasnow, and can free up a slot for Tyranitar to run Crunch or something to that effect. In fact, you could even now use Expert Belt on Tyranitar to bluff a choice set.

Using Terrakion also frees up a slot of Politoed to use Ice Beam for Dragons. With Ice Beam Politoed and Sash Terrakion, I don't think Dragonite is as much of a threat anymore.

The idea of using double weather to dominate Sun and try to benefit from both is a unique one, hopefully some of these changes help out.

@ Cinna Domenici: Hey, I'm not confused, I know Spd means Speed and SDef means Special Defensive. However, you don't lose physica lpower on Landorus if you run Naive nature.

@kd24

List of threats:

Abomasnow - Ya, Scizor would fix the problem well

Ferrothorn - In fact, Seeder Ferrothorn has never really annoyed me with this team

Hydreigon - It's true this MF really annoye me

Lucario - Scarf Scizor may solve the problem too

Reuniclus - For now, as you sayed, U-turning to Tyrannitar with Landorus has often solved the problem

Terrakion - Yep, facing him is a Pain, would a bulkyer Politoed solve the problem ?

Volcarona - Yep, my only response to him is when i'm under rain with Skarmory


The idea of using Scizor over Landorus is overall great.

The point that make me hesitate to take terrakium is that it replace my spinner. Would Donphan replace Cloyster effectively ? As it could handle Thundurus and Volacarona, and keep Ice shard.

@A l e x a n d e r : Excuse me, i believed i readed something like "Don't put Spd on Cloyster cause it cannot handle Special Attacks anyway" But obviously i've read to fast cause you never said such a thing. Sorry, again.


So let's try Scizor over Landorus and Donphan over Cloyster


EDIT : It works very well, and life orb Politoed proved to be usefull as well as rocky helmet Skarmory.
But Gliscor is giving me much trouble, i have to test if a ice beam from Politoed is enough to OHKO it, if not Hydro Pump will certainly, although it is less reliable.

Re-EDIT : I've put hidden power ice on Jirachi, let's see if it can endure a earthquake without EV investment

The team presentation has been heavily updated