Rainy Days (UU Rain Team)

Rainy Days
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Kingdra
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
Hydro Pump
Draco Meteor
Dragon Pulse
Hidden Power Electric
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature (+SpA, -Atk)​

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Zapdos
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
Thunder
Volt-Switch
Hidden Power Grass
Roost
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)​

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Kabutops
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
Waterfall
Rapid Spin
Stone Edge
Swords Dance
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Hp / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)​

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There is one problem with this team. If Mew goes down, you have no other Pokemon for an 8-turn Rain. I suggest Support Tornadus > Specs Tornadus. Support Tornadus can set up Rain Dance with the blink of an eye.

Well, honestly, this team does not actually rely on rain too much, as the only benefits from the rain are the 100% accuracy hurricane and Kingdras swift swim, and Kingdra already has rain dance. I will try out support Tornadus though, thanks for the idea! BTW, how do you get an avatar?

Like A dude said, I think Support Tornadus would be a good addition.

Another suggestion is that you replace Ambipom with Hitmontop.
Hitmontop is far better at abusing priority than Ambipom, plus he can spin. I suggest a mix between smogon's Rapid Spin and TechniTop sets.


Also, you can change your avatar by going to User CP > Edit Avatar

Thanks for the idea! I've tried it out and it works pretty well. Just a thought, but should Hitmontop have techincian? Also thanks for how to get an avatar.

I'll give a rate for your version of the team, then comment on the rates of others, as there's some things being proposed that shouldn't be.

This is a solid Rain team, however, you lack the diversity to power through threats to rain teams, such as Slowking and Cofagrigus. that same lack of diverse typing will also make it hard for your team to get through bulky Water-type Pokemon if Tornadus is ever to fall. Also, Pokemon like Snorlax and Porygon2 can also provide your team with issues provided Virizion is removed. In order to patch up these issues, I suggest dropping Gorebyss and Ambipom for Zapdos and Blastoise. I also suggest changing Tornadus' set, as a Choice user that relies on weather is typically not the best choice user, as getting it in costs a turn of Rain.

Zapdos brings some much-needed Electric STAB to this team, allowing your team to power through Slowking and the other bulky Water-type Pokemon that may provide your team with issues. Zapdos also gains access to Volt Switch, a handy move that can provide your team with some much needed momentum, much like How Mew and U-Turn function. Zapdos also gives your team some security against opposing Tornadus, who would otherwise take advantage of your Rain, and beat you with it. Both Zapdos and Tornadus form a very powerful offensive core in UU that can power through a lot of walls found in the tier. Now, Blastoise may come as a strange suggestion, but with two Flying-type sweepers on the team, and a team that may have to undergo its fair share of switching, you'll want something to deal with Stealth Rock or Spikes if they ever manage to be strewn across your portion of the field. Blastoise makes for a better spinner on this team than Hitmontop, as it can take advantage of the Rain, and has access to Roar, which may save your team from a stray setup sweeper that gets a little too greedy. I also wanted to emphasize a change on Tornadus' set, as there are better offensive sets that do more for the team. The set I'm going to suggest allows Tornadus to set up its own Rain, all while preventing being set up on.

I also recommend you play your Mew differently, by first always leading with Magic Coat, setting Stealth Rock, then setting Rain. This gives your team the edge by having your own hazards up, preventing the opponent from setting up their hazards, and then allowing you to bring the pain. It seems silly, but the onset of a battle does not need to be right to the punch. Give yourself time to properly initiate a sweep, then go balls-to-the-wall. Setting Stealth Rock is much more important than just weakening Pokemon that carry a weakness to Rock-type moves. Believe it or not, but without Stealth Rock, Kingdra cannot beat opposing Snorlax, and with the extra 12.5% damage, it can. Don't overlook a move just because it may delay a match by a single turn.



Now, regarding the previous rates. That defensive Tornadus set is terrible. Tornadus is not a defensive Pokemon, and it can use most of those moves in an offensive manner, such as setting its own rain to take advantage of, and using Taunt to prevent status users or other Hazard layers (shits on Sableye too) from doing what they do best. Tornadus serves the purpose of an offensive Pokemon , as that's what it does best. With access to Superpower, Tornadus can get past things that would typically wall it. In regards to Hitmontop, Blastoise just does its job on this team better, as it reduces a weakness to opposing Tornadus, takes advantage of the rain, and can potentially burn physical threats. Nothing against Hitmontop or whoever suggested it, but there is a time and a place.

Neat looking team. Good luck.

I'm sad to get rid of Goreybyss, for that thing can completely destroy entire teams. But I will try your suggestions, as you seem to be an expert. I do need a spinner though, and Hitmontop just doesn't seem to be cutting it. But do I need a priority user? That was the purpose of Ambipom and Hitmontop, but I guess Kingdra is fast enough under the rain to serve as one. Also with Gorebyss gone, I decided to replace the Rain Dance on Kingdra with an Ice Beam, for Gorebyss was the only Pokemon on my team with an ice type move. Thanks for the idea!

I tried putting this team on Showdown, but it says I can't have foresight on Blastoise. Any idea why? Also, why have roar when you can have dragon tail?

Wolgy42 said:

I tried putting this team on Showdown, but it says I can't have foresight on Blastoise. Any idea why? Also, why have roar when you can have dragon tail?

Click to expand...

Blastoise can have Foresight. I'm even using it on mine right now. And Roar can phaze substitutes, which Dragon Tail may not break upon hitting.

It says this:
Your team was rejected for the following reasons:

- Magikarp (Blastoise) can't learn Foresight because it's incompatible with its ability or another move.
:P

Hi there. This is a very cool rain team you have here. However, I feel as though it is a little bit too slow and not offensive enough. Blastoise seems to really slow the team down, as with every spin, you are allowing monsters like Raikou to come in and set-up, whereas a great rain team IMO keeps up so much offensive pressure that nothing can set-up. You could also do with some more rain abusers. Both Virizion and Blastoise could be replaced by something that fits your team's style much better.

Kabutops over Blastoise is the first thing you could do. In the rain, with, and a LO, Kabutops's Waterfall hits like a truck, and he's super fast. He also has Rapid Spin if you find the time to do so, and since Waterfall 2HKO's OTR Cofagrgius after SR, he can get the spin off quite easily. Normally I wouldn't recommend Kabutops, as he isn't that good a spinner in UU, so you should mainly use him as an atacker/late-game cleaner than spinner. Also, by going Jolly, you can outspeed Modest/Adamant Kingdra in the rain, which is a major plus for any rain team, as I find Kingdra to be arguably the biggest threat to this playstyle.

Next up is Virizion. Virizion is mainly used for that grass typing, and a resistance to water. However, I find that Ludicolo performs pretty much the same job as Virizion-only better. Ludicolo is super-fast in the rain, and thanks to his grass typing allows you to power through things like Slowking, which are often troublesome for rain teams as pokemazter pointed out. Again, Ludicolo hits like a freight train in the rain, and his Hydro Pump does massive damage to everything, and thanks to his wonderful typing, he can even set-up the rain himself(it never hurts to have 3 rain inducers).

Finally, you could try out Uxie over Mew. It doesn't really matter all that much, but Uxie has better bulk, allowing it to get up both rain and Stealth Rock easier. It also carries all of the moves that you're Mew uses, however, Mew is slightly faster so it's really up to you. Also, I'm not too sure what Ice Beam is hitting. Therefore, I recommend Hidden Power Electric. This hits both Slowking and Empoleon for rather large damage without having to lower your special attack every time with Draco Meteor. Roserade and Shaymin already take massive damage from Dragon Pulse followed by a Draco Meteor anyway-in fact, Draco meteor hits both harder than an Ice Beam.

Here are the sets:



GL and I hope I helped.

Well, I like ice beam for the hits I can get off on grass types without having to lower my special attack with draco meteor, but bulky water types are annoying as well, so I'll try out hidden power electric. As for Ludicolo, I didn't actually think of him when building the team, as I was focusing on the new transits. But now that I do I'm pretty sure he'll be better than Virizion anyway. Kabutops is also a good idea, as Blastoise is a bit too defensive for my team. Mew has good speed, but as you said, I think Uxie will be better anyway. The only speed I really needed on Mew was for Magic Coat, and that always goes first anyway. I mostly use Mew for the surprise factor, as opponents almost always go for the taunt, not knowing what to expect. Then I bounce the taunt back and they have to switch out >:D Thanks for the ideas!