[Overview]
<p>With the inclusion of its Therian Forme, Tornadus was almost completely outclassed in OU, and its usage suffered accordingly. However, in UU, Tornadus has the ability to wreck almost everything in the tier. This is largely due to its excellent Special Attack and its unique Speed stat that allow it to outspeed and destroy a majority of the tier, especially one that is filled with Fighting-types that are weak to its STAB. However, Tornadus is not limited to special attacking as its Attack stat is almost just as good, which allows it to get past special walls, such as Snorlax and Umbreon, with ease, setting it apart from most other special attackers in the tier. Its access to Prankster also means Tornadus is well suited for a supporting role, giving it one of the fastest Taunts in the game and a prioritized Rain Dance.</p>
<p>With all the power that Tornadus packs, it makes sense that it is crippled by a few flaws. While Tornadus's Hurricane is one of the most powerful moves in the tier, its 70 accuracy before a Rain Dance can be incredibly annoying. Additionally, with a Stealth Rock weakness and mediocre bulk, Tornadus will oftentimes find itself struggling to stay alive throughout a battle. Furthermore, its attacking prowess is held back by a shallow movepool that leaves it open to certain threats, such as Raikou and Zapdos.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Hurricane
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Superpower
item: Life Orb
ability: Prankster
nature: Naive
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With its fearsome mixed attacking stats and a speed stat that surpasses most of the tier, Tornadus can easily go on the offensive route. In a tier where Flying is only resisted by a few Pokemon, and also in one that is filled with many dangerous Fighting-types such as Heracross, Mienshao, and Scrafty, Tornadus's STAB is extremely useful and difficult to switch into. Due to Prankster, Tornadus will almost always use Rain Dance first, hindered only by faster priority moves or faster Prankster Taunts. When in the rain, Hurricane never misses, which allows Tornadus to fire off its STAB with impunity, putting major dents into the opponent's team. Grass Knot destroys Rhyperior, which can take both Hurricane, and Superpower with ease. It is also useful for dealing a lot of damage to bulky Water-types such as Milotic that can tank a Hurricane and take advantage of the rain to hit Tornadus harder. Grass + Flying coverage is also surprisingly useful in UU, being resisted only by Steel-type Pokemon, which are somewhat uncommon within the tier, and a few Electric-types, such as Zapdos and Rotom-H. Even then, Superpower lays a smack down on Steel-types, such as Registeel. In addition, Umbreon and Snorlax, two of the most specially bulky Pokemon in UU, take massive damage from a super effective Superpower despite the lack of investment in Attack.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Though setting up Rain Dance isn't required for Tornadus, a miss can be very devastating due to its frailty, so you may as well try to set up Rain before using Hurricane. Setting up Rain Dance may be tricky at times, but the main way to get it up is by forcing an opponent out, which is generally a Fighting-type, such as Mienshao orand Scrafty, or a Grass-type, such as Shaymin and Tangrowth. Tornadus sorely misses out on a good move to use against Electric-types, such as Raikou and Zapdos; the former is capable of outspeeding and OHKOing it while the latter resists Tornadus's three move coverage. Snorlax can take hits from these Pokemon for quite a while and do massive damage to them with an Earthquake or a Body Slam, but if Raikou and Zapdos aren't running Hidden Power Grass, then Swampert and Rhyperior can easily defeat them due to their immunity to their Electric STAB.</p>
<p>Rain Dance doesn't last very long on this set, but regardless, Swift Swim Pokemon, such as Kingdra and Kabutops, can devastate teams under the rain thanks to the Speed boost. In case Tornadus happens to faint or if Tornadus is sent out for a last-ditch Rain Dance, then these Pokemon can take advantage of the remaining turns. Blastoise can Rapid Spin Stealth Rock away for Tornadus, and it can also get extra healing in the rain thanks to Rain Dish. Although Tornadus gets Superpower, it generally cannot depend on this to get past bulky Steel-types, such as Registeel, and it only hits Bronzong for neutral damage, and the dDefense drop can be devastating. Chandelure and Darmanitan can easily OHKO any Steel-type that comes in their way, but note that if it is raining then this may not happen, so be careful when using Rain Dance.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Acrobatics
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Taunt / Substitute
item: Flying Gem
ability: Prankster
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although Tornadus is usually a Hurricane-spamming machine, Tornadus is perfectly capable of going the physical attacking route. Tornadus has a 115 base Attack Stat, which is nearly as high as its Special Attack and still one of the highest in the tier. As a result, this set is not only one of surprise value but it can also threaten to be a lethal physical attacker, as it is one of the only Pokemon in UU that gets a good physical Flying STAB. Bulk Up is the only way for Tornadus to increase its attack, but thanks to Prankster, it can set up before the opponent can Taunt it. In addition, while the defense boost from Bulk Up usually doesn't help, it can aid Tornadus in taking a physical attack so then it isn't KOed as easily while it sets up. Acrobatics is the main STAB option, and thanks to the Flying Gem and STAB, it hits very hard. Superpower hits Steel-types and Rhyperior hard, and while it may seem counterproductive with Bulk Up, the power from Brick Break doesn't do nearly enough damage to these Pokemon. Both Taunt and Substitute prevent the opponent from inflicting crippling status, such as burn or paralysis. Taunt prevents phazing Tornadus out and ridding it of its boosts, while Substitute acts as a buffer to give Tornadus more time for setting up.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>While Bulk Up's defense boost can help a little bit, the goal is not to make it take hits better, but it is instead to increase its attack since Tornadus is rather frail. The Flying Gem is almost required for Tornadus, as it lets Tornadus unleash a powerful Acrobatics on the initial hit, and it reaches its full effectiveness without an item. Tornadus has no other even decent physical STAB, so a Life Orb serves no purpose on this set. If you don't want to lose Bulk Up boosts with a Fighting-type move, then Brick Break is the next best option, although it won't be doing much to Steel-types without a substantial amount of boosts. Despite attacking on the physical side rather than the special side, Tornadus still struggles with Electric-types. Because of this, bulky Ground-types, such as Rhyperior and Swampert, or special tanks, such as Snorlax, are good partners for Tornadus, though Ground-types must be wary of Hidden Power Grass. Rhyperior's Rock Blast is a pain for this set, as it can break through a Substitute and keep attacking, and Rhyperior can take even a Superpower thanks to its massive bulk. Because of this, Water-types, such as Suicune and Miltoic, make good teammates.</p>
[SET]
name: Rain Dance
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Hurricane
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Superpower
item: Damp Rock
ability: Prankster
nature: Naive
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While this may look similar to an offensive set, the point of this set is to set up Rain Dance quickly rather than sweeping. Despite being frail, the reason why Tornadus is useful for setting up rain is because it has access to Prankster, meaning that it cannot be Taunted by anything other than a speedy Whimsicott, which is uncommon. It also means it is the fastest Pokemon in the game at setting up rain, which gives it an important niche. Despite the main goal of this set and the lack of a boosting item, its Hurricane still tears holes in the opponent's team, and Superpower still does plenty to the opponent's Steel-types, Snorlax, and Umbreon. Taunt is also helpful, as it makes sure that the opponent cannot inflict a status on both Tornadus and your rain abuser.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A bulkier spread can be used if Tornadus is dependent on setting up Rain Dance for the team since Tornadus will almost always do it first, but it is still generally too frail and, instead, enjoys taking advantage of the rain itself. A Damp Rock is used to extend the amount of turns the rain will last, ensuring that its teammates can take advantage of the rain that it summons. Grass Knot can be used for Rhyperior and heavier, bulkier Water-types like Suicune and Milotic since Superpower and Hurricane don't hit any of them very hard, but it generally isn't worth giving up a moveslot for. Since the goal is to make sure that you set up Rain Dance, Swift Swimmers, such as Kabutops and Kingdra, can take advantage of the rain and blast through teams thanks to the boost to their Speed and their Water STAB. Since Tornadus will be switching out a lot, Blastoise is a good partner as it can Rapid Spin Stealth Rock away and appreciates the boost to its Water STAB and potentially healing with Rain Dish. Electric-type Pokemon are tough for Tornadus to handle, so using Snorlax, Rhyperior, or Swampert will aid Tornadus in defeating these Pokemon. Due to how hard it can be to handle bulky Waters and Rhyperior, using Roserade or Shaymin's STAB Grass moves are useful as it will make quick work of them.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Tornadus has a somewhat barren movepool that leaves it without many other options. Focus Blast can be used for a special Fighting-type move, but Superpower will do more to Umbreon and Snorlax, and Focus Blast has an infuriatingly mediocre accuracy. Tornadus can hit Zapdos hard with Hidden Power Ice, but it generally isn't worth giving up a moveslot for. Air Slash is a more accurate alternative to Hurricane, but since Tornadus can easily set up Rain Dance to fix the accuracy issues and Air Slash is a lot less powerful, this isn't worth it. When rain isn't a factor, Heat Wave will help get past Bronzong, and even in the rain it will still hit it harder than any of Tornadus's other moves. Choice Specs may seem plausible due to its brutal Special Attack stat, but its most powerful moves, Focus Blast and Hurricane, only have 70% accuracy in this case, which is not enough to depend on. Finally, Tornadus can raise its Speed with Agility or Tailwind, but since Tornadus is fast enough already, this is usually a poor choice.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>With high mixed attacking stats, Tornadus is difficult to counter. However, Tornadus struggles against almost any Electric-type Pokemon, including Raikou, Zapdos, and Rotom-H. Raikou can outspeed and OHKO it, Zapdos resists its STAB and all of its common coverage moves, and Rotom-H is only hit hard by Superpower, which it can survive without a problem. Bronzong is one of the few Steel-type Pokemon that is hit neutrally by Superpower, and can wall Tornadus while doing massive damage back with Gyro Ball. Aerodactyl can take a Hurricane, outspeed Tornadus, and OHKO it with Stone Edge. If Tornadus doesn't have Grass Knot, Rhyperior is capable of taking a Superpower and then destroying it with its Rock STAB. Registeel may take quite a bit from Superpower, but it can still wear it down with Iron Head and paralyze it with Thunder Wave. Weavile cannot take a hit from Tornadus, but it can outspeed it and OHKO it with Ice Punch. Kingdra and Kabutops can outspeed Tornadus in the rain and proceed to OHKO it with a Rain-boosted Waterfall. Finally, while Snover will never survive a STAB hit from Tornadus, the Hail that it sets up cancels out Tornadus's Rain, and Choice Scarfed Ice-types, such as Rotom-F and Glaceon, can OHKO Tornadus and take advantage of the fact that it needs to take a turn setting up Rain Dance again, but these Pokemon must beware of Superpower.</p>
<p>With the inclusion of its Therian Forme, Tornadus was almost completely outclassed in OU, and its usage suffered accordingly. However, in UU, Tornadus has the ability to wreck almost everything in the tier. This is largely due to its excellent Special Attack and its unique Speed stat that allow it to outspeed and destroy a majority of the tier, especially one that is filled with Fighting-types that are weak to its STAB. However, Tornadus is not limited to special attacking as its Attack stat is almost just as good, which allows it to get past special walls, such as Snorlax and Umbreon, with ease, setting it apart from most other special attackers in the tier. Its access to Prankster also means Tornadus is well suited for a supporting role, giving it one of the fastest Taunts in the game and a prioritized Rain Dance.</p>
<p>With all the power that Tornadus packs, it makes sense that it is crippled by a few flaws. While Tornadus's Hurricane is one of the most powerful moves in the tier, its 70 accuracy before a Rain Dance can be incredibly annoying. Additionally, with a Stealth Rock weakness and mediocre bulk, Tornadus will oftentimes find itself struggling to stay alive throughout a battle. Furthermore, its attacking prowess is held back by a shallow movepool that leaves it open to certain threats, such as Raikou and Zapdos.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Hurricane
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Superpower
item: Life Orb
ability: Prankster
nature: Naive
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With its fearsome mixed attacking stats and a speed stat that surpasses most of the tier, Tornadus can easily go on the offensive route. In a tier where Flying is only resisted by a few Pokemon, and also in one that is filled with many dangerous Fighting-types such as Heracross, Mienshao, and Scrafty, Tornadus's STAB is extremely useful and difficult to switch into. Due to Prankster, Tornadus will almost always use Rain Dance first, hindered only by faster priority moves or faster Prankster Taunts. When in the rain, Hurricane never misses, which allows Tornadus to fire off its STAB with impunity, putting major dents into the opponent's team. Grass Knot destroys Rhyperior, which can take both Hurricane, and Superpower with ease. It is also useful for dealing a lot of damage to bulky Water-types such as Milotic that can tank a Hurricane and take advantage of the rain to hit Tornadus harder. Grass + Flying coverage is also surprisingly useful in UU, being resisted only by Steel-type Pokemon, which are somewhat uncommon within the tier, and a few Electric-types, such as Zapdos and Rotom-H. Even then, Superpower lays a smack down on Steel-types, such as Registeel. In addition, Umbreon and Snorlax, two of the most specially bulky Pokemon in UU, take massive damage from a super effective Superpower despite the lack of investment in Attack.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Though setting up Rain Dance isn't required for Tornadus, a miss can be very devastating due to its frailty, so you may as well try to set up Rain before using Hurricane. Setting up Rain Dance may be tricky at times, but the main way to get it up is by forcing an opponent out, which is generally a Fighting-type, such as Mienshao orand Scrafty, or a Grass-type, such as Shaymin and Tangrowth. Tornadus sorely misses out on a good move to use against Electric-types, such as Raikou and Zapdos; the former is capable of outspeeding and OHKOing it while the latter resists Tornadus's three move coverage. Snorlax can take hits from these Pokemon for quite a while and do massive damage to them with an Earthquake or a Body Slam, but if Raikou and Zapdos aren't running Hidden Power Grass, then Swampert and Rhyperior can easily defeat them due to their immunity to their Electric STAB.</p>
<p>Rain Dance doesn't last very long on this set, but regardless, Swift Swim Pokemon, such as Kingdra and Kabutops, can devastate teams under the rain thanks to the Speed boost. In case Tornadus happens to faint or if Tornadus is sent out for a last-ditch Rain Dance, then these Pokemon can take advantage of the remaining turns. Blastoise can Rapid Spin Stealth Rock away for Tornadus, and it can also get extra healing in the rain thanks to Rain Dish. Although Tornadus gets Superpower, it generally cannot depend on this to get past bulky Steel-types, such as Registeel, and it only hits Bronzong for neutral damage, and the dDefense drop can be devastating. Chandelure and Darmanitan can easily OHKO any Steel-type that comes in their way, but note that if it is raining then this may not happen, so be careful when using Rain Dance.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Acrobatics
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Taunt / Substitute
item: Flying Gem
ability: Prankster
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although Tornadus is usually a Hurricane-spamming machine, Tornadus is perfectly capable of going the physical attacking route. Tornadus has a 115 base Attack Stat, which is nearly as high as its Special Attack and still one of the highest in the tier. As a result, this set is not only one of surprise value but it can also threaten to be a lethal physical attacker, as it is one of the only Pokemon in UU that gets a good physical Flying STAB. Bulk Up is the only way for Tornadus to increase its attack, but thanks to Prankster, it can set up before the opponent can Taunt it. In addition, while the defense boost from Bulk Up usually doesn't help, it can aid Tornadus in taking a physical attack so then it isn't KOed as easily while it sets up. Acrobatics is the main STAB option, and thanks to the Flying Gem and STAB, it hits very hard. Superpower hits Steel-types and Rhyperior hard, and while it may seem counterproductive with Bulk Up, the power from Brick Break doesn't do nearly enough damage to these Pokemon. Both Taunt and Substitute prevent the opponent from inflicting crippling status, such as burn or paralysis. Taunt prevents phazing Tornadus out and ridding it of its boosts, while Substitute acts as a buffer to give Tornadus more time for setting up.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>While Bulk Up's defense boost can help a little bit, the goal is not to make it take hits better, but it is instead to increase its attack since Tornadus is rather frail. The Flying Gem is almost required for Tornadus, as it lets Tornadus unleash a powerful Acrobatics on the initial hit, and it reaches its full effectiveness without an item. Tornadus has no other even decent physical STAB, so a Life Orb serves no purpose on this set. If you don't want to lose Bulk Up boosts with a Fighting-type move, then Brick Break is the next best option, although it won't be doing much to Steel-types without a substantial amount of boosts. Despite attacking on the physical side rather than the special side, Tornadus still struggles with Electric-types. Because of this, bulky Ground-types, such as Rhyperior and Swampert, or special tanks, such as Snorlax, are good partners for Tornadus, though Ground-types must be wary of Hidden Power Grass. Rhyperior's Rock Blast is a pain for this set, as it can break through a Substitute and keep attacking, and Rhyperior can take even a Superpower thanks to its massive bulk. Because of this, Water-types, such as Suicune and Miltoic, make good teammates.</p>
[SET]
name: Rain Dance
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Hurricane
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Superpower
item: Damp Rock
ability: Prankster
nature: Naive
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While this may look similar to an offensive set, the point of this set is to set up Rain Dance quickly rather than sweeping. Despite being frail, the reason why Tornadus is useful for setting up rain is because it has access to Prankster, meaning that it cannot be Taunted by anything other than a speedy Whimsicott, which is uncommon. It also means it is the fastest Pokemon in the game at setting up rain, which gives it an important niche. Despite the main goal of this set and the lack of a boosting item, its Hurricane still tears holes in the opponent's team, and Superpower still does plenty to the opponent's Steel-types, Snorlax, and Umbreon. Taunt is also helpful, as it makes sure that the opponent cannot inflict a status on both Tornadus and your rain abuser.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A bulkier spread can be used if Tornadus is dependent on setting up Rain Dance for the team since Tornadus will almost always do it first, but it is still generally too frail and, instead, enjoys taking advantage of the rain itself. A Damp Rock is used to extend the amount of turns the rain will last, ensuring that its teammates can take advantage of the rain that it summons. Grass Knot can be used for Rhyperior and heavier, bulkier Water-types like Suicune and Milotic since Superpower and Hurricane don't hit any of them very hard, but it generally isn't worth giving up a moveslot for. Since the goal is to make sure that you set up Rain Dance, Swift Swimmers, such as Kabutops and Kingdra, can take advantage of the rain and blast through teams thanks to the boost to their Speed and their Water STAB. Since Tornadus will be switching out a lot, Blastoise is a good partner as it can Rapid Spin Stealth Rock away and appreciates the boost to its Water STAB and potentially healing with Rain Dish. Electric-type Pokemon are tough for Tornadus to handle, so using Snorlax, Rhyperior, or Swampert will aid Tornadus in defeating these Pokemon. Due to how hard it can be to handle bulky Waters and Rhyperior, using Roserade or Shaymin's STAB Grass moves are useful as it will make quick work of them.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Tornadus has a somewhat barren movepool that leaves it without many other options. Focus Blast can be used for a special Fighting-type move, but Superpower will do more to Umbreon and Snorlax, and Focus Blast has an infuriatingly mediocre accuracy. Tornadus can hit Zapdos hard with Hidden Power Ice, but it generally isn't worth giving up a moveslot for. Air Slash is a more accurate alternative to Hurricane, but since Tornadus can easily set up Rain Dance to fix the accuracy issues and Air Slash is a lot less powerful, this isn't worth it. When rain isn't a factor, Heat Wave will help get past Bronzong, and even in the rain it will still hit it harder than any of Tornadus's other moves. Choice Specs may seem plausible due to its brutal Special Attack stat, but its most powerful moves, Focus Blast and Hurricane, only have 70% accuracy in this case, which is not enough to depend on. Finally, Tornadus can raise its Speed with Agility or Tailwind, but since Tornadus is fast enough already, this is usually a poor choice.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>With high mixed attacking stats, Tornadus is difficult to counter. However, Tornadus struggles against almost any Electric-type Pokemon, including Raikou, Zapdos, and Rotom-H. Raikou can outspeed and OHKO it, Zapdos resists its STAB and all of its common coverage moves, and Rotom-H is only hit hard by Superpower, which it can survive without a problem. Bronzong is one of the few Steel-type Pokemon that is hit neutrally by Superpower, and can wall Tornadus while doing massive damage back with Gyro Ball. Aerodactyl can take a Hurricane, outspeed Tornadus, and OHKO it with Stone Edge. If Tornadus doesn't have Grass Knot, Rhyperior is capable of taking a Superpower and then destroying it with its Rock STAB. Registeel may take quite a bit from Superpower, but it can still wear it down with Iron Head and paralyze it with Thunder Wave. Weavile cannot take a hit from Tornadus, but it can outspeed it and OHKO it with Ice Punch. Kingdra and Kabutops can outspeed Tornadus in the rain and proceed to OHKO it with a Rain-boosted Waterfall. Finally, while Snover will never survive a STAB hit from Tornadus, the Hail that it sets up cancels out Tornadus's Rain, and Choice Scarfed Ice-types, such as Rotom-F and Glaceon, can OHKO Tornadus and take advantage of the fact that it needs to take a turn setting up Rain Dance again, but these Pokemon must beware of Superpower.</p>