Raikou RMT

Here is my RMT based on Raikou. It is all about ensuring that Raikou obtains a awesome sweep.

Team Building Process
First we have our standard CM Raikou, not many changes, except I changed the HP to Ice. What counters Raikou? Anything faster than it, especially physically. Because almost nothing is faster, its usually scarfers. Common scarfers in OU include Heatran, Flygon, Jirachi, occaisonally Breloom and Machamp. I need scarfers which have good offensive synergy. I choose scarf Honchkrow and Gallade. Both decimate these pokemon, bar maybe Flygon and REALLY bulky versions of Machamp. I need another sweeper as backup. For this, I choose MixMence, because it has intimidate and has surprising wallbreaking abilities. Now I need a good, bulky switch in to common threats, like scizor or lucario. For this, I choose Rotom-H. Finally, I need a good, solid, reliable lead which can always get SR up. I choose Aerodactyl.

In-Depth

Aerodactyl @ Focus Sash
Ability: Pressure
EV's: 252 Atk/252 Spe/4 HP
Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Stealth Rock
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Taunt

Moveset is pretty self-explanatory. I chose rock slide over stone edge for the flinch chance. Stealth Rock ensures KO's for raikou and my other pokes, earthquake for some coverage, and taunt to stop other leads (e.g. azelf, swampert, zong) from setting up SR, or for stat boosters (e.g. curselax, DDmence, nite, gyarados). I choose this over, say azelf because it sets up SR more reliably, and has access to a faster taunt, shutting down azelf. Azelf can't really do much to aerodactly, the only thing that can truly take me on is lead gross or machamp.


Flygon @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EV's: 252 Atk/252 Spe/4 HP
Adamant Nature (+Spe, -SpA)
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- U-Turn
- Stone Edge

Standard ScarfGon set, from smogon. Outrage and Earthquake are my dual stabs, each ridiculously powerful, especially with their BP's. U-Turn is simply for some scouting, and some revenge-killing. Stone Edge completes the QuakeEdge combo, adding more coverage. This beast has great type coverage with Scizor. I choose flygon because it lures ice, as does mence, so i get a free switch-in with scizor. Also, it is immune to ground, though not weak to SR, like its predecessor Honchkrow was.


Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EV's: 252 Atk/248 HP/8 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SpA)
- Bullet Punch
- Pursuit
- Superpower
- U-Turn

Complete copy of CB scizor from smogon. I choose Scizor because I desperately needed some POWERFUL priority on my team, without Rotom, my team was getting almost massacred by opposing CB scizor. Bullet Punch for priority, its very powerful. Pursuit to catch fleeing psychics, superpower for those tanks like blissey or snorlax. It can also beat skarmory one on one if it uses roost. U-Turn is for scouting and revenge killing. Also, Scizor has great type synergy with flygon.


Heatran @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EV's: 4 Atk/252 Spe/252 Sp. Atk
Rash (+SpA, -SpD)
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power
- Dragon Pulse
- Explosion

Standard ScarfTran set from smogon. Choose this because it 4x resists Ice, which is a great plus for my team. Its Explosion takes out Blissey, or at least leaves it to the point where scizor can pick it off. It has great type synergy with the others on my team, and since scizor lures fire, it may gain a possible flash fire boost.


Rotom-H @ Light Clay
Ability: Levitate
EV's: 252 HP/168 Def/88 Spe
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Overheat
- Thunderbolt

My very own set, dual screener. Been working really, really well. It is insanely bulky, once surviving a +1 STAB Outrage from mence (not sure what set). I didn't use WoW because I have reflect. It helps raikou set up CM's, overheat is still guaranteed a OHKO on scizor and forretress, and t-bolt is for some more STAB and so that i'm not completely set-up fodder for, say, DD kingdra or gyarados, or LO CM suicune.


Raikou @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EV's: 252 SpA/252 Spe/4 HP
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power Ice

IMO, the best special sweeper in non-ubers. this thing is a BEAST. CM boosts it already above average base SpD stat of 100 to really high levels. Eventually, this thing destroys a team. HP ice covers dragons and grounds, like mence, flygon, dragonite, etc. aura sphere currently is not available on shoddy, so shadow ball covers that slot, getting rid of Rotom-A or gengar. t-bolt is just for stab.

credits to Arkeis.com for the pics :)

First you will need to expand descriptions or mods will lock this thread
umm.. no
This team is far too offensive for its own good, and would get completely crushed against any well structured team.

Lead is fine.
Honchkrow is completely outclassed by Flygon, who can run U-Turn effectively, and resists SR as well, honchkrow dies far too quickly.
Infernape > Gallade as a CS Sweeper, in that it has access to QuakeEdge and U-Turn, use the set from the analysis.

Running 2 LO Sweepers is never recommended, especially without Wish support or healing moves, if your opponent has Tyranitar/Hippodowon, its good game already.

I really cannot see a fix for this team without huge changes, try to explain why you chose each specific pokemon, I don't see much synergy either :(

The synergy for this team isn't terrible, but it has some nasty weaknesses to ice and rock attacks, which are both extremely common in the current metagame. Here's a table of your team's synergy, to give you the picture.



Honchkrow is /not/ self explanatory, please don't give up on your descriptions. I like the Pimpmaster too, but imo, to get better coverage against rock and ice types, I'd swap Honchkrow for something less... fragile. I'd highly recommend Curselax, he'd contrast with your Gallade whilst offering a good switch in to Ghost type attacks, and could fulfil a much different role. Essentially, Honchkrow and Gallade are doing the same thing in your set, except Honchkrow has glaring weaknesses. With thick fat, Snorlax is actually resistant to ice, as well as fire attacks, making him a good pokémon to switch in if things get rough. If you want to keep another Scarfed sweeper in Honchkrow's place, Infernape offers good typing and a good movepool.

@GTM, typing isn't all the synergy problems, bar Rotom, none of his pokemon can really take any hit, even with resistaces. An Ice hit to Salamence/Honchkrow will finish them, and you have nothing to take this, thats a typing issue. However how do you plan to take a blow like Choice Specs Starmie Surf? None of your guys can take that hit and survive with a good amount of HP, thats the other half of the Synergy issue.

rite now, taking shizzle's advice, i'm using scarfgon in place of krow and CB scizor in place of gallade, better type synergy. its really good right now.

also thinking of scarftran, for ice resists.

Not a bad team in general easily taken on by agiligross and DD dragonite. the team covers Raikou exelently if he gets a chance to Sweep but also ruined by speed boosted ground users. best idea would be to make rotom a stats inflictor paralizing scarfed pokemon and burning flygon would help alot

BUMP.

OK well I think I should give this a rate.

Firstly Aerodactyl is less of a great lead for your team since you have no members that are weak to Stealth Rock. I suggest a Stall breaker Gliscor with Stealth Rock in the last slot over Toxic. This is an excellent set for your team. For example with Taunt it compleatly shuts down Blissey meaning that it cannot wall as effectively.

Next with the addition of Gliscor your team lacks a viable switch into water attacks. I suggest a Gyarados or SUb + DD Kingdra who both resist water and are physically based, preventing Blissey from dominanting your team. Unfortuatly it would have to go over Rotom. I do not think this would be an issue since dual Screens are not essential to Raikou sweeping.

Lastly I think that a SUb Heatran could be very benficial. It allows you to weaken Tyranitar switcching in on Heatran expecting a Fire Blast. Instead the face a Heatran with a Sub up so that you can deal huge damage to them with Earthpower/HP Grass/ even Toxic.

The fact that they have to first break the sub can also give you infomation on what set Tyranitar is running. Therefore a SUb Heatra ncould fit very well on the team.

Have a Nice Day!

hmm.. i'll try out Gliscor for sure, but i'm not sure i should replace Aerodactyl, because Stealth Rocks are very important for Raikou, maybe Azelf? I'm not sure who to replace for Gliscor.

anyways, BUMP!

Umm, Gliscor is meant to set up rocks just so you know as a lead, not sure why you think that replacing Aero means no rocks for your team.

Celebi seems useful for this team in defeating Swampert and Hippowdon that can prove troublesome to your Raikou and provide Thunder Wave Support to your team.
Your team seems to have too many choice users for its own good. My suggestion is to replace Aerodactyl with Celebi and put Heatran in the lead slot instead.

Celebi @ Life Orb
232 HP / 244 SpA / 32 Spe Modest
Thunder Wave
Leaf Storm
Psychic / Hidden Power [Fire]/ U-Turn
Rest/ Recover

Heatran @ Shuca Berry
4 HP/ 252 SpA/ 252 Spe Naive/Timid
Stealth Rock
Fire Blast
Earth Power
Explosion/ Taunt/ Hidden Power [Grass]
You should probably make sure to try to save Heatran for late game if you want to use it to Explode on Blissey.