Howdy. The recent tier shifts have been pretty big, with the departure of several potentially huge metagame-changing threats, as well as a few faithful faces. However, this largely resulted in the metagame reverting seemingly back to normal without much impact. Move tutors aside, ORAS NU starts out with four new Pokemon in the form of Megas being introduced.
One of them is Mega Glalie, which boasts incredible power and offensive presence due to its Refrigerated attacks and good coverage, able to keep most opponents on their toes. Its wallbreaking potential is great, but it does have some hard stops that can also respond with powerful attacks, and combined with Mega Glalie's poor defensive typing, being forced out and assuming the defensive isn't good news for it and its teammates, leading me to believe Mega Glalie should be used on a super offensive team that can easily punish opponents in various manners; those are also the best kind of teams to make use of Mega Glalie's holepunching prowess.
Some of Mega Glalie's stops include Mega Steelix, Piloswine, Torkoal, and Avalugg, all of which are easily cleaned by a powerful Water-type. I initially made note of Mega Glalie's access to Weather Ball and Rain Dance to catch them on the switch and improve its wallbreaking ability, but thought that since Rain Dance occupies a moveslot on Mega Glalie, why not have something else conveniently set the Rain up for it, like Ludicolo? Then I thought, why not test Mega Glalie on Rain altogether? The results are more than satisfying.
I know I wanted to use Mega Glalie, and started with an all-out attacker set that is dedicated to wallbreaking and holepunching.
Using Rain means that these two are pretty much staple members. They have great sweeping potential under Rain, and are easy win conditions by themselves. They can especially clean well if Glalie has softened up the opponent's team beforehand.
Seismitoad was chosen next as the Stealth Rocker of the team, and does not cost any offensive momentum in the process. Its bulk and lone weakness also makes it a great Rain starter for the team as well. Seismitoad also has good matchups against leads that Glalie struggles with.
A fast Rain setter is imperative to the team's success to prevent faster opponents from overrunning this team once the Rain wears out, as this team can lose a lot of steam quickly. Liepard, Volbeat, Meowstic, and even Murkrow are options for Prankster Rain Dance users, and all of them know Thunder Wave as a nice panic-button. I went with Liepard in the end since it has utility in Knock Off and, more importantly, priority in Sucker Punch.
Vivillon was kind of a last minute throw on, since I remember it pairing very well with Kabutops and generally helping Rain teams a lot. It definitely did not disappoint, serving as both a great lead and another win condition, especially after the carnage left behind by my Rain sweepers.
Glalie @ Glalitite
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Spikes
- Return
- Freeze-Dry
- Explosion
The showcase mon on my team. Basically, combine Accelgor's Spiking capabilities and Jynx's incredible offensive prowess; and it results in the glorious monster known as Mega Glalie. Mega Glalie does so much for my team in just one teamslot. First, it provides Spikes, and unlike Accelgor it can actually scare many Pokemon away so that it can set them up for free. Refrigerate Return and Freeze-Dry threaten so many hazard leads and hazard removers that it's not even funny how many favorable matchups Mega Glalie gets. Refrigerate Explosion is also leagues better than Accelgor's Final Gambit because it can actually kill shit, and doesn't lose any effectiveness as Mega Glalie's health depletes (if anything it becomes more effective). Secondly, it provides an important Freeze-Dry resistance that is both not too passive (Steel-types) and not hindered by Rain (Fire-types), just like Jynx, and can easily render the opponent's Cryogonal into a liability instead of an asset. Thirdly, the much more obvious comparison with Jynx would be their powerful Ice-type moves and solid coverage, easily holepunching teams. Mega Glalie can easily lure out the likes of Ferroseed, Qwilfish, Poliwrath, and Hariyama to try and sponge up its attacks, then proceed to Freeze-Dry or blow up, usually KOing them after a Return, which is amazing news for my Rain sweepers. Mega Glalie also doesn't fold over to Hariyama's Bullet Punch like Jynx does, and even survives shit like Mega Steelix's Heavy Slam and Ferroseed's Gyro Ball in case it needs to get an extra layer of Spikes up.
Spikes Mega Glalie is a huge contributor to the team's success, easily wearing down the opponent be it passively with Spikes or directly with Refrigerated attacks, clearing the path for my Rain sweepers to do serious work. Return is chosen over Double-Edge since the recoil can cut into Mega Glalie's longevity and actually affect certain lead matchups, such as surviving the aforementioned Steel-type moves. I don't need Earthquake on Mega Glalie as most of its targets aren't big threats to my team, plus it wants all of its moveslots to be a terrifyingly effective offensive hazard lead.
Ludicolo @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Giga Drain
- Ice Beam / Focus Blast
- Rain Dance / Focus Blast
The first of the Rain sweepers. Ludicolo has always registered itself as a large threat under the downpour, due to its powerful neutral coverage. Most offensive teams and even balance teams can find themselves struggling against Rain Ludicolo, with Rain Hydro Pump easily swamping most resists. If the opponent has numerous physically bulky tanks such as Seismitoad and Gurdurr, Ludicolo can come out to play and drown the foe. There isn't much to say about Ludicolo that isn't inherently obvious: when the rain pours, watch out.
The only oddity of this Ludicolo is the possible inclusion of Focus Blast on its set. Since Ferroseed cannot Leech Seed Ludicolo and can only go for resisted Gyro Balls, Focus Blast can be considered to quickly end Ferroseed, which relieves a huge burden off Ludicolo's shoulders. This is particularly tempting since Dragalge's departure reduces the need for Ice Beam. However, the presence of Grass-type foes such as Lilligant and Vileplume means that Ice Beam can't be so easily discarded yet, especially since Lilligant is likely to take Sceptile's place as NU's premier offensive Grass-type, while Vileplume usage is expected to rise to keep the increasingly popular Hariyama in check.
Gorebyss @ Leftovers
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Scald
- Substitute
- Shell Smash
- Psychic
Replacing Vivillon with Dodrio came with its own repercussions, mainly no longer having a boosting win condition and thus be at a heavy disadvantage against stall. SubSmash Gorebyss can make use of the opponent's more passive team members and cause all sorts of trouble. It threatens the likes of Ferroseed, Audino without Encore, and Weezing, setting up Substitute in their faces and evade their crippling moves. From there, boosting isn't always the safest option since it makes the Substitutes that much more fragile, but throwing out Scalds (occasionally Rain-boosted) and hoping for burns allows Gorebyss to further secure its position. Psychic is the main move of choice as it allows Gorebyss to nail the likes of Hariyama, Poliwrath, and Vileplume while maintaining great neutral coverage on the rest of the tier.
Kabutops @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Stone Edge
- Rapid Spin
- Aqua Jet
The next quintessential Rain sweeper. It's no secret that Kabutops becomes very fearsome under Rain, but it also performs certain support roles as fiercely as its offensive roles. Rapid Spin is important for clearing hazards, most notably Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, which can cripple most, if not all of my team members. Due to the fast paced nature of the team, Kabutops will most likely get KOed if it tries to do so without landing a strong hit on the opponent, but it can be very well worth it to secure a victory. Aqua Jet allows Kabutops to threaten faster attackers even outside of Rain and pick them off, as well as evading Sucker Punches from the likes of Kangaskhan, Pawniard, and Kecleon. Waterfall and Stone Edge are standard fare for STAB, and do massive damage to Pokemon that wall Ludicolo, such as Hariyama and Mantine.
The moveset is very solid, and Kabutops requires very little tweaking overall. It is clear of its goals and has no need to try and deviate from them.
Seismitoad @ Damp Rock
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Scald
- Earth Power / Rock Tomb
- Rain Dance
Seismitoad is not so much a Rain sweeper as much as it is a supporter, but can definitely chip in for the sweep if the situation calls for it. Seismitoad basically handles every potential lead that Glalie may have trouble with, such as Avalugg, Torkoal, Steelix, Crustle, Rhydon, and lead Archeops, making it even harder for my opponent to try and gain the lead advantage over me. Its bulk and typing means it often gets both Stealth Rock and the 8 turn Rain set up, plus it has just enough offensive presence to not be a sitting duck and waste Rain turns. Scald is chosen due to its burn chance, which cripples the likes of Ferroseed and Hariyama as well as weakening Grass-types for the eventual sweep. Rock Tomb may be a very odd choice, but it does a couple of things for Seismitoad. Firstly, it lowers the foe's speed, which is very handy against the likes of Taunt + Endeavor Archeops and sleep leads such as Vivillon and Jynx. It also nails the aforementioned sleep leads for a lot of damage. This change is considered mainly because Earth Power isn't used very much at all, but Rock Tomb becomes far less important should the team employ the Vivillon replacement.
A case can certainly be made for a more powerful Seismitoad build, starting with Hydro Pump over Scald or extra coverage moves such as Sludge Bomb or Focus Blast to weaken Rain checks. However, the lack of moveslots means that Seismitoad does not have much leeway for those moves, so Scald fills in as a catch-all move that still fulfills my purposes.
Liepard @ Damp Rock
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rain Dance
- Thunder Wave
- Knock Off
- Taunt / Encore / Play Rough
A Prankster weather setter is really important for any weather team without an auto-inducer. Liepard takes on the mantle of 'emergency Rain setter' on this team, mainly because it has several other panic buttons that the other Prankster users do not have, as well as the (marginally better) offensive presence. Thunder Wave is always helpful for an offensive team such as this, as it allows its teammates to immediately revenge kill the opponent. Knock Off is always useful for crippling foes and removing their items. Normally I am all over Encore in terms of usefulness, however Taunt is better on this Liepard as it outright prevents the opponent from taking advantage of Liepard with boosting moves, healing moves, entry hazards, Defog, status, etc... Encore only deters the use of those moves, but doesn't stop them like Taunt does; with a team like this, it is often better to halt the opponent instead of trying to snag free turns and force them out after they have executed their strategy. That said, Encore can force an opponent out if Liepard switches in on their boosting move, such as Shell Smash, Quiver Dance, and most importantly Substitute. The ubiquity of Pangoro and Hariyama means that I am very hesitant to leave any member of my team completely helpless to them. Play Rough allows Liepard to OHKO Pangoro with ease, and also serves as a very nice lure to Hariyama as well.
While Liepard has an extremely short lifespan in most battles, the little time it spends on the field can swing a whole game's favor. This is probably the teamslot most subject to change, as the combination of Prankster Rain Dance + Thunder Wave can be replicated by 3 others: Volbeat, Meowstic, and Murkrow. However, Volbeat and Meowstic do not carry Taunt which can cost the team precious momentum, while Murkrow needs to forgo Eviolite to hold Damp Rock, making it even frailer than Liepard as well as compounding the team's Electric weakness. Murkrow's access to Perish Song is interesting though.
Vivillon @ Leftovers
Ability: Compound Eyes
EVs: 12 Def / 244 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hurricane
- Sleep Powder
- Quiver Dance
- Substitute
Say hello to Vivillon, also known as Pokemon #666, and for good reason. Vivillon makes for both an excellent lead and win condition, and has just as much game-ending potential as the Rain sweepers themselves. Between Sleep Powder, Substitute, and the ocassional confusion from Hurricane, it can be the most annoying experience in the world to break through Vivillon if one does not have a good RestTalker or good sleep absorber + Flying resistance on hand. Flying is an absolutely marvelous STAB to pair alongside the Rain sweepers, and Vivillon serves as one of its best users. 'Devil Incarnate' indeed.
Dodrio @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Early Bird
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Return
- Knock Off
- Pursuit
Dodrio is a panic button in more ways than one. Firstly, it helps absorb sleep for the team in case I lead off horribly against those accursed sleep leads. Secondly, it helps me respond to the likes of fast Fire-types with Grass coverage such as Pyroar, Magmortar, and Ninetales, pivoting into their Grass moves and forcing them out so that they will no longer be an issue when the rain starts to pour. It also is a nice win condition, cleaning up the scraps my Rain sweepers leave behind, and gives me a solid revenge killer outside of Rain that can take down boosted threats such as Vivillon and Lilligant. Dual STABs are standard fare, Knock Off hits Rotom on the switch, and Pursuit catches fleeing Pokemon, particularly Jynx, so that they won't cause further problems.
To fit the criteria as Vivillon replacement, the Pokemon in question must be able to switch into sleep moves, have good power and speed, and retain Flying STAB. Between Dodrio and Swellow, I ended up sticking with Dodrio since it is more immediately effective; Swellow needs a free turn to activate its status immunity and its power, and my team does not employ any form of slow switching.
Current Threatlist:
Fast Sleep Inducers: One of the biggest problem this team faces is that it is very difficult to choose Sleep fodder as all of its members are incredibly valuable. The even bigger issue is that even if I do choose an appropriate Sleep fodder, responding to the sleep inducer is by no means an easy matter either.
Offense: One of Rain's easiest matchups, most offensive teams cannot hold out for very long against the onslaught of the Swift Swimmers. However, if the opponent leads with their Fire-type and I do not lead properly, I can find myself in a pickle, but otherwise it is pretty straightforward.
Balance / Bulky Offense: They have more appropriate switch-ins to my attackers and they can retaliate hard as well. This is where Mega Glalie starts to shine more, as it can lure out those bulky tanks then set up Spikes and/or Explode on them, paving the way for my sweepers to clean house. Vivillon does a good job at cracking them open too.
Trick Room: This can be a really tough matchup, especially since Pangoro and Exeggutor floor basically everything hard. Luckily, Damp Rock Rain outlasts Trick Room, so the moment Trick Room wears off, I can unload everything on the opponent's team and give them zero leeway. Leading off with Vivillon against them also works wonders.
Sun: This matchup can be tricky, as our priority weather inducers play a big role in deciding the matchups; preserving Liepard becomes very important as a result. Should it be raining, Kabutops tends to be the one to step up first as it is not hindered by the priority weather inducer (while Ludicolo is stuck with Ice Beam against the likes of Volbeat, or Giga Drain against Meowstic) and can even bowl through them with Aqua Jet before they can change the weather. Again, things can get complicated if the opponent leads with their Fire-type and I do not lead properly, so even with an inherent type advantage I must still play with care.
Sand: Mega Glalie and Vivillon are big players in this matchup. If I can get Glalie to heavily weaken Mega Steelix and get rid of Sand (even temporarily), Vivillon can start putting in some serious work against them. Alternatively, I could shift the focus to Mega Glalie, punishing the opponent each time they bring in their Hippopotas and Cradily, and set up Spikes to wear down Mega Steelix. Ludicolo's ability to change weather (nullifies Cradily's Sand boost) and threaten the opponent with its coverage will be very valuable as well.
Stall: Mega Glalie proves its fantastic worth yet again, with Spikes being invaluable at breaking their defenses down. For the most part, none of the hazard removers (or 'preventer', in Xatu) would dream of switching into Mega Glalie, allowing it to chip away at them. Mega Glalie can also proceed to literally blow a hole in their core, making it that much easier for my Rain sweepers to go to town on them. Vivillon also works wonders if their Flying resist is down/weakened.
There you go! My current Rain team, and it is working wonders atm.
One of them is Mega Glalie, which boasts incredible power and offensive presence due to its Refrigerated attacks and good coverage, able to keep most opponents on their toes. Its wallbreaking potential is great, but it does have some hard stops that can also respond with powerful attacks, and combined with Mega Glalie's poor defensive typing, being forced out and assuming the defensive isn't good news for it and its teammates, leading me to believe Mega Glalie should be used on a super offensive team that can easily punish opponents in various manners; those are also the best kind of teams to make use of Mega Glalie's holepunching prowess.
Some of Mega Glalie's stops include Mega Steelix, Piloswine, Torkoal, and Avalugg, all of which are easily cleaned by a powerful Water-type. I initially made note of Mega Glalie's access to Weather Ball and Rain Dance to catch them on the switch and improve its wallbreaking ability, but thought that since Rain Dance occupies a moveslot on Mega Glalie, why not have something else conveniently set the Rain up for it, like Ludicolo? Then I thought, why not test Mega Glalie on Rain altogether? The results are more than satisfying.
I know I wanted to use Mega Glalie, and started with an all-out attacker set that is dedicated to wallbreaking and holepunching.
Using Rain means that these two are pretty much staple members. They have great sweeping potential under Rain, and are easy win conditions by themselves. They can especially clean well if Glalie has softened up the opponent's team beforehand.
Seismitoad was chosen next as the Stealth Rocker of the team, and does not cost any offensive momentum in the process. Its bulk and lone weakness also makes it a great Rain starter for the team as well. Seismitoad also has good matchups against leads that Glalie struggles with.
A fast Rain setter is imperative to the team's success to prevent faster opponents from overrunning this team once the Rain wears out, as this team can lose a lot of steam quickly. Liepard, Volbeat, Meowstic, and even Murkrow are options for Prankster Rain Dance users, and all of them know Thunder Wave as a nice panic-button. I went with Liepard in the end since it has utility in Knock Off and, more importantly, priority in Sucker Punch.
Vivillon was kind of a last minute throw on, since I remember it pairing very well with Kabutops and generally helping Rain teams a lot. It definitely did not disappoint, serving as both a great lead and another win condition, especially after the carnage left behind by my Rain sweepers.
Glalie @ Glalitite
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Spikes
- Return
- Freeze-Dry
- Explosion
The showcase mon on my team. Basically, combine Accelgor's Spiking capabilities and Jynx's incredible offensive prowess; and it results in the glorious monster known as Mega Glalie. Mega Glalie does so much for my team in just one teamslot. First, it provides Spikes, and unlike Accelgor it can actually scare many Pokemon away so that it can set them up for free. Refrigerate Return and Freeze-Dry threaten so many hazard leads and hazard removers that it's not even funny how many favorable matchups Mega Glalie gets. Refrigerate Explosion is also leagues better than Accelgor's Final Gambit because it can actually kill shit, and doesn't lose any effectiveness as Mega Glalie's health depletes (if anything it becomes more effective). Secondly, it provides an important Freeze-Dry resistance that is both not too passive (Steel-types) and not hindered by Rain (Fire-types), just like Jynx, and can easily render the opponent's Cryogonal into a liability instead of an asset. Thirdly, the much more obvious comparison with Jynx would be their powerful Ice-type moves and solid coverage, easily holepunching teams. Mega Glalie can easily lure out the likes of Ferroseed, Qwilfish, Poliwrath, and Hariyama to try and sponge up its attacks, then proceed to Freeze-Dry or blow up, usually KOing them after a Return, which is amazing news for my Rain sweepers. Mega Glalie also doesn't fold over to Hariyama's Bullet Punch like Jynx does, and even survives shit like Mega Steelix's Heavy Slam and Ferroseed's Gyro Ball in case it needs to get an extra layer of Spikes up.
Spikes Mega Glalie is a huge contributor to the team's success, easily wearing down the opponent be it passively with Spikes or directly with Refrigerated attacks, clearing the path for my Rain sweepers to do serious work. Return is chosen over Double-Edge since the recoil can cut into Mega Glalie's longevity and actually affect certain lead matchups, such as surviving the aforementioned Steel-type moves. I don't need Earthquake on Mega Glalie as most of its targets aren't big threats to my team, plus it wants all of its moveslots to be a terrifyingly effective offensive hazard lead.
Ludicolo @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Giga Drain
- Ice Beam / Focus Blast
- Rain Dance / Focus Blast
The first of the Rain sweepers. Ludicolo has always registered itself as a large threat under the downpour, due to its powerful neutral coverage. Most offensive teams and even balance teams can find themselves struggling against Rain Ludicolo, with Rain Hydro Pump easily swamping most resists. If the opponent has numerous physically bulky tanks such as Seismitoad and Gurdurr, Ludicolo can come out to play and drown the foe. There isn't much to say about Ludicolo that isn't inherently obvious: when the rain pours, watch out.
The only oddity of this Ludicolo is the possible inclusion of Focus Blast on its set. Since Ferroseed cannot Leech Seed Ludicolo and can only go for resisted Gyro Balls, Focus Blast can be considered to quickly end Ferroseed, which relieves a huge burden off Ludicolo's shoulders. This is particularly tempting since Dragalge's departure reduces the need for Ice Beam. However, the presence of Grass-type foes such as Lilligant and Vileplume means that Ice Beam can't be so easily discarded yet, especially since Lilligant is likely to take Sceptile's place as NU's premier offensive Grass-type, while Vileplume usage is expected to rise to keep the increasingly popular Hariyama in check.
Gorebyss @ Leftovers
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Scald
- Substitute
- Shell Smash
- Psychic
Replacing Vivillon with Dodrio came with its own repercussions, mainly no longer having a boosting win condition and thus be at a heavy disadvantage against stall. SubSmash Gorebyss can make use of the opponent's more passive team members and cause all sorts of trouble. It threatens the likes of Ferroseed, Audino without Encore, and Weezing, setting up Substitute in their faces and evade their crippling moves. From there, boosting isn't always the safest option since it makes the Substitutes that much more fragile, but throwing out Scalds (occasionally Rain-boosted) and hoping for burns allows Gorebyss to further secure its position. Psychic is the main move of choice as it allows Gorebyss to nail the likes of Hariyama, Poliwrath, and Vileplume while maintaining great neutral coverage on the rest of the tier.
Kabutops @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Stone Edge
- Rapid Spin
- Aqua Jet
The next quintessential Rain sweeper. It's no secret that Kabutops becomes very fearsome under Rain, but it also performs certain support roles as fiercely as its offensive roles. Rapid Spin is important for clearing hazards, most notably Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, which can cripple most, if not all of my team members. Due to the fast paced nature of the team, Kabutops will most likely get KOed if it tries to do so without landing a strong hit on the opponent, but it can be very well worth it to secure a victory. Aqua Jet allows Kabutops to threaten faster attackers even outside of Rain and pick them off, as well as evading Sucker Punches from the likes of Kangaskhan, Pawniard, and Kecleon. Waterfall and Stone Edge are standard fare for STAB, and do massive damage to Pokemon that wall Ludicolo, such as Hariyama and Mantine.
The moveset is very solid, and Kabutops requires very little tweaking overall. It is clear of its goals and has no need to try and deviate from them.
Seismitoad @ Damp Rock
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Scald
- Earth Power / Rock Tomb
- Rain Dance
Seismitoad is not so much a Rain sweeper as much as it is a supporter, but can definitely chip in for the sweep if the situation calls for it. Seismitoad basically handles every potential lead that Glalie may have trouble with, such as Avalugg, Torkoal, Steelix, Crustle, Rhydon, and lead Archeops, making it even harder for my opponent to try and gain the lead advantage over me. Its bulk and typing means it often gets both Stealth Rock and the 8 turn Rain set up, plus it has just enough offensive presence to not be a sitting duck and waste Rain turns. Scald is chosen due to its burn chance, which cripples the likes of Ferroseed and Hariyama as well as weakening Grass-types for the eventual sweep. Rock Tomb may be a very odd choice, but it does a couple of things for Seismitoad. Firstly, it lowers the foe's speed, which is very handy against the likes of Taunt + Endeavor Archeops and sleep leads such as Vivillon and Jynx. It also nails the aforementioned sleep leads for a lot of damage. This change is considered mainly because Earth Power isn't used very much at all, but Rock Tomb becomes far less important should the team employ the Vivillon replacement.
A case can certainly be made for a more powerful Seismitoad build, starting with Hydro Pump over Scald or extra coverage moves such as Sludge Bomb or Focus Blast to weaken Rain checks. However, the lack of moveslots means that Seismitoad does not have much leeway for those moves, so Scald fills in as a catch-all move that still fulfills my purposes.
Liepard @ Damp Rock
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rain Dance
- Thunder Wave
- Knock Off
- Taunt / Encore / Play Rough
A Prankster weather setter is really important for any weather team without an auto-inducer. Liepard takes on the mantle of 'emergency Rain setter' on this team, mainly because it has several other panic buttons that the other Prankster users do not have, as well as the (marginally better) offensive presence. Thunder Wave is always helpful for an offensive team such as this, as it allows its teammates to immediately revenge kill the opponent. Knock Off is always useful for crippling foes and removing their items. Normally I am all over Encore in terms of usefulness, however Taunt is better on this Liepard as it outright prevents the opponent from taking advantage of Liepard with boosting moves, healing moves, entry hazards, Defog, status, etc... Encore only deters the use of those moves, but doesn't stop them like Taunt does; with a team like this, it is often better to halt the opponent instead of trying to snag free turns and force them out after they have executed their strategy. That said, Encore can force an opponent out if Liepard switches in on their boosting move, such as Shell Smash, Quiver Dance, and most importantly Substitute. The ubiquity of Pangoro and Hariyama means that I am very hesitant to leave any member of my team completely helpless to them. Play Rough allows Liepard to OHKO Pangoro with ease, and also serves as a very nice lure to Hariyama as well.
While Liepard has an extremely short lifespan in most battles, the little time it spends on the field can swing a whole game's favor. This is probably the teamslot most subject to change, as the combination of Prankster Rain Dance + Thunder Wave can be replicated by 3 others: Volbeat, Meowstic, and Murkrow. However, Volbeat and Meowstic do not carry Taunt which can cost the team precious momentum, while Murkrow needs to forgo Eviolite to hold Damp Rock, making it even frailer than Liepard as well as compounding the team's Electric weakness. Murkrow's access to Perish Song is interesting though.
Vivillon @ Leftovers
Ability: Compound Eyes
EVs: 12 Def / 244 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hurricane
- Sleep Powder
- Quiver Dance
- Substitute
Say hello to Vivillon, also known as Pokemon #666, and for good reason. Vivillon makes for both an excellent lead and win condition, and has just as much game-ending potential as the Rain sweepers themselves. Between Sleep Powder, Substitute, and the ocassional confusion from Hurricane, it can be the most annoying experience in the world to break through Vivillon if one does not have a good RestTalker or good sleep absorber + Flying resistance on hand. Flying is an absolutely marvelous STAB to pair alongside the Rain sweepers, and Vivillon serves as one of its best users. 'Devil Incarnate' indeed.
Dodrio @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Early Bird
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Return
- Knock Off
- Pursuit
Dodrio is a panic button in more ways than one. Firstly, it helps absorb sleep for the team in case I lead off horribly against those accursed sleep leads. Secondly, it helps me respond to the likes of fast Fire-types with Grass coverage such as Pyroar, Magmortar, and Ninetales, pivoting into their Grass moves and forcing them out so that they will no longer be an issue when the rain starts to pour. It also is a nice win condition, cleaning up the scraps my Rain sweepers leave behind, and gives me a solid revenge killer outside of Rain that can take down boosted threats such as Vivillon and Lilligant. Dual STABs are standard fare, Knock Off hits Rotom on the switch, and Pursuit catches fleeing Pokemon, particularly Jynx, so that they won't cause further problems.
To fit the criteria as Vivillon replacement, the Pokemon in question must be able to switch into sleep moves, have good power and speed, and retain Flying STAB. Between Dodrio and Swellow, I ended up sticking with Dodrio since it is more immediately effective; Swellow needs a free turn to activate its status immunity and its power, and my team does not employ any form of slow switching.
There you go! My current Rain team, and it is working wonders atm.
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