[OVERVIEW]
Possessing a fantastic Speed tier that allows it to outpace and KO common Pokemon such as Gengar and Latios and great mixed attacking stats allowing it to dish out heavy damage both physically and specially, Thundurus is one of the best attackers the metagame has to offer. Thundurus does well against both offensive and defensive teams alike, meaning it is never dead weight against any specific playstyle. In addition, Thundurus is very unpredictable, as it can opt to go for both physically and specially based sets, and it can run many moves effectively. However, a weakness to Stealth Rock means it can be worn down fairly easily, especially if it is taking Life Orb recoil, and its fairly poor bulk means it is picked off without much trouble by common priority users.
[SET]
name: Icy Genie
move 1: Return
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Superpower
item: Life Orb
ability: Refrigerate
nature: Naive
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Return provides Thundurus with an extremely strong Ice-type coverage move that outdamages even Thunderbolt in most situations courtesy of Thundurus's attack investment. Thunderbolt, while uninvested, still hits very hard due to Thundurus's great Special Attack stat and the boost provided by Life Orb. It also grants Thundurus the ability to inflict special damage and threaten physical walls such as Doublade that would have no problems taking on a fully physical set. Knock Off greatly hinders the few walls such as Diancie that can counter Thundurus by removing their item and allows Thundurus to beat Mew, which would otherwise be problematic to face. Motor Drive Manaphy does not particularly like switching into Knock Off either, as it relies on its Leftovers to heal passive damage. Superpower in tandem with Knock Off provides Thundurus with a means to dispose of Chansey, in addition to Steel-types such as Ferrothorn and Heatran.
Set Details
========
Refrigerate turns Return into an Ice-type move with an exceptionally high Base Power of 133. Maximum Speed investment alongside a Naive nature makes Thundurus as fast as possible, while the rest of Thundurus's EVs are dumped into Attack to increase its physical damage output. Life Orb provides Thundurus with much-needed power at the cost of some longevity, allowing it to score many additional 2HKOs and OHKOs.
Usage Tips
========
Strive to keep Stealth Rock off the field at all times, as the chip damage severely diminishes Thundurus's longevity. Against defensive teams, Thundurus should be used early on in the game to punch holes in the opponent's defensive cores, leaving its teammates with more room to sweep. Try not to directly switch Thundurus into any attack, as its poor bulk and Naive nature mean even resisted attacks will dent it quite a bit. Thundurus's low bulk also means you shouldn't leave it in on any priority move users other than Skarmory's unboosted Brave Bird, as it is KOed or severely weakened by most of them. As a result of Thundurus's inability to switch into most attacks, free switches should be exploited whenever possible. If the opposing team carries Motor Drive Manaphy, try to avoid using Thunderbolt as much as possible. Due to Thundurus's fantastic Speed tier, it should be used to revenge kill other speedy attackers such as Garchomp, Gengar, and weakened Mega Metagross.
Team Options
========
Drizzle Pokemon such as Zapdos and Swampert allow Thundurus to run Thunder instead of Thunderbolt as its Electric-type STAB move, greatly increasing its special damage output. Sweepers such as Doublade and Skarmory that can take advantage of the holes Thundurus leaves in teams pair very well with it. Pokemon that are able to remove Stealth Rock from your side of the field, such as Skarmory and Mew, are also great partners, as Stealth Rock and Life Orb wear down Thundurus very quickly. For the same reason, Pokemon with Magic Bounce like Mew also make for great partners, as they can prevent Stealth Rock from ever being set up on the field. Entry hazards of your own are also greatly recommended, as the additional damage makes Thundurus far more difficult to switch into. Due to Thundurus's vulnerability to revenge killing, Flash Fire Doublade makes for an excellent partner thanks to its ability to switch into most priority users. Finally, pivots such as Vaporeon and Zapdos that can help Thundurus come into play without taking any hits are very helpful because of its poor bulk.
[SET]
name: Sheer Force
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Dark Pulse / Sludge Wave / Taunt
item: Life Orb
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Nasty Plot increases Thundurus's power to frightening levels, bringing even the sturdiest of special walls into the 2HKO range. After the boosts provided by Sheer Force and Life Orb, Thunderbolt becomes an incredibly strong STAB move that heavily dents most Pokemon that don't resist it. Focus Blast is Thundurus's strongest option against Chansey and takes care of Steel-types such as Ferrothorn and Excadrill in addition to most Ground-types thanks to the move's high Base Power. Dark Pulse rounds off Thundurus's coverage nicely and allows Thundurus to score a neutral hit on frailer targets that it would rather not use Focus Blast on due to accuracy issues, in addition to allowing Thundurus to get around Meloetta more easily. Sludge Wave is another coverage option that is stronger than Dark Pulse but doesn't hit as many threats super effectively. It is also worth noting that Sludge Wave allows Thundurus to bypass Volt Absorb Azumarill, which is a rare but very effective Thundurus counter. Taunt allows Thundurus to better combat defensive teams by denying recovery and status moves.
Set Details
========
Sheer Force increases the power of Thunderbolt and Focus Blast in addition to negating the recoil from Life Orb, which also increases the power of its attacks, turning Thundurus into a powerful wallbreaker. Thundurus's EV spread and nature make it as fast as possible in order to exploit its great Speed tier, with the rest of the EVs dumped into Special Attack.
Usage Tips
========
Possessing formidable power after a Nasty Plot boost, Thundurus should be used to weaken special walls near the beginning of the game to provide other special sweepers with an opportunity to sweep. When using Sheer Force Thundurus, one should actively look for setup opportunities, such as against opposing Skarmory or Suicune. Try to keep Stealth Rock off the field before Thundurus sets up, as it's easier to find opportunities to set up at full health. For the same reasons, try not to unnecessarily switch Thundurus into any stray attacks. Against more offensive teams without defensive cores, Thundurus should instead exploit its great Speed tier by revenge killing Pokemon slower than it, usually claiming a KO every time it outspeeds the foe. If you expect the opponent to switch into Motor Drive Manaphy, Nasty Plot should be used, as Manaphy cannot survive a Nasty Plot-boosted Focus Blast.
Team Options
========
Heatran, Latios, and other special attackers pair very well alongside Thundurus, as they can exploit the damage caused by its wallbreaking capabilities. Latios is also notable for its ability to use Memento to give Thundurus a free setup opportunity. Defog, Rapin Spin, and Magic Bounce users, such as Skarmory, Blastoise, and Mew, respectively, that help keep Stealth Rock off the field, are great help to Thundurus and help it better accomplish its job. While your own entry hazards aren't necessary by any means for Thundurus to perform its job well, they benefit it. This means entry hazard setters such as Deoxys-S and Ferrothorn can be used. Reflect and Light Screen from Pokemon such as Deoxys-D and Cresselia very much facilitate Thundurus's task, which makes them excellent partners.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Magic Guard on a physical set is a possibility to evade both Stealth Rock and Life Orb damage and use a recoil-free Wild Charge, though Thundurus sorely misses the Ice-type coverage Refrigerate provides. Tough Claws is also an option on a physical set to increase the power of Knock Off and Superpower, but it is generally inferior for the same reason Magic Guard is. Thundurus can use additional boosted coverage moves such as Flash Cannon and Psychic on its Sheer Force set, though neither of them hits anything notable. Volt Switch may seem like a great option to preserve momentum, but Thundurus is far better off using opportunities it gets to strike on the field of battle than keeping momentum going, and Volt Switch can wear Thundurus down quickly due to entry hazard damage.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Priority Users**: While Thundurus is relatively difficult to wall, it is very easily revenge killed by most priority users, including Genesect, Lucario, and Entei. Pokemon with Gale Wings can also revenge kill Thundurus after it has been sufficiently weakened.
**Faster Pokemon**: Essentially following the same idea as priority users, Choice Scarf Pokemon such as Victini and Heatran and others that outspeed Thundurus naturally such as Starmie and Sneasel, can easily dispose of Thundurus before it can move.
**Motor Drive or Volt Absorb Water-types**: One of Thundurus's best checks, Motor Drive Manaphy, is capable of switching into Thunderbolt and effectively countersweep thanks to the Speed boost provided by Motor Drive. Volt Absorb Azumarill is a very solid counter to the Refrigerate set, capable of taking any attack thrown its way, and it can beat Sheer Force variants of Thundurus without Sludge Wave or Psychic as well.
**Diancie**: Regenerator Diancie can take pretty much anything the Refrigerate set can throw at it, bar the very rarely seen Iron Tail, and can threaten Thundurus with a super effective Diamond Storm in return. However, it cannot beat Thundurus's Sheer Force set after a Nasty Plot.
**Intimidate Users**: Intimidate Pokemon capable of taking Thunderbolt such as Cresselia make for excellent counters to Thundurus's Refrigerate set due to Intimidate weakening all of its moves other than its Electric-type STAB moves.
**RegenVest Pokemon**: RegenVest Pokemon such as Goodra and Meloetta can take any hit the Sheer Force set can throw at them after a Nasty Plot and fight back, but they cannot defeat Refrigerate sets.
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