I haven't written one of these in a while so please critique away.
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/lanturn
[SET]
name: Rain Dance
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 3: Thunder
move 4: Ice Beam / Confuse Ray
item: Damp Rock
ability: Volt Absorb
nature: Calm
evs: 40 HP / 216 SpA / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Lanturn can fill a very special niche for rain teams in that it not only provides a valuable immunity to Electric attacks and can come in to set up Rain Dance on a wide range of special attackers, but can also use the rain to benefit itself as well as its teammates. In the rain, Lanturn can forego its weaker Electric-type attacks for a fully accurate STAB Thunder with a good 30% paralysis rate, while at the same time effectively gaining a second STAB boost on its Water-type attacks.</p>
<p>While Lanturn isn't often seen as an offensive threat, with the rain powering up both its STABs it can do a lot more damage than the average supporting Pokemon on a rain team. Surf is the reliable STAB attack, but Hydro Pump becomes a very appealing alternative when one considers the highly offensive nature of the teams this set would find itself on. With the added base power, Hydro Pump can force the opponent to bring their Water resists into play, giving Lanturn a great opportunity to soften them up for its more threatening rain sweeper teammates. Thunder is the obvious choice for Electric STAB since it provides power, reliability, and a nice paralysis chance in the rain. Ice Beam can go in the last slot to complete coverage and give Lanturn a weapon against Grass-types, but Confuse Ray is a viable support move as well. Confuse Ray can potentially give Lanturn many free turns to set up Rain Dance, while also working with Thunder's paralysis rate to create the dreaded ParaFusion combo.</p>
<p>One of the best things Lanturn brings to the table is some protection against opposing rain teams. Instead of the battle boiling down to the slugfest it often becomes when two hyper offensive rain teams face off, the Lanturn user has valuable resistances to Water, Ice, and Electric backed by high stats on their side. For example, a Gorebyss running Hidden Power Electric instead of Grass can hardly touch Lanturn, giving the Lanturn user a free shot with Thunder at a team that would consist mostly of Water-types, with the added paralysis chance thrown in to wreck any rain sweeper hit by it. Lanturn is also very light and Grass Knot hits it for only 40 BP, meaning that a max Special Attack Life Orb Ludicolo can only manage 35% to Lanturn with it.</p>
<p>Chances are that an offensive rain team won't have space to fit in a Wish passer to keep Lanturn's health up, but some clever playing with Volt Absorb can be just as effective. It's not that hard to pack some Pokemon to draw fire for Lanturn on a rain dance team - Kabutops, Omastar, Gorebyss, Azumarill - all attract Electric-type attacks for Lanturn to soak up. In terms of typing, Ludicolo provides a Ground resist for Lanturn, while in return Lanturn provides a resistance to Flying and the rain support Ludicolo needs to be effective. Altaria makes for a good partner as well for Lanturn, immune to or 4x resisting both of its weaknesses, and also with the ability to set up Rain Dance itself and provide further team support with Heal Bell if need be. While it does share a common weakness to Ground with Lanturn, Muk can be a very valuable teammate for Lanturn because of its ability to easily take on Roserade, Venusuar, and Leafeon, the threatening Grass-types Lanturn inevitably draws in. Muk can also set up Rain Dance as well, and soaks up hazardous Toxic Spikes that would slash the sweeping potential of the likes of Ludicolo and Kabutops.</p>
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/lanturn
[SET]
name: Rain Dance
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Surf / Hydro Pump
move 3: Thunder
move 4: Ice Beam / Confuse Ray
item: Damp Rock
ability: Volt Absorb
nature: Calm
evs: 40 HP / 216 SpA / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Lanturn can fill a very special niche for rain teams in that it not only provides a valuable immunity to Electric attacks and can come in to set up Rain Dance on a wide range of special attackers, but can also use the rain to benefit itself as well as its teammates. In the rain, Lanturn can forego its weaker Electric-type attacks for a fully accurate STAB Thunder with a good 30% paralysis rate, while at the same time effectively gaining a second STAB boost on its Water-type attacks.</p>
<p>While Lanturn isn't often seen as an offensive threat, with the rain powering up both its STABs it can do a lot more damage than the average supporting Pokemon on a rain team. Surf is the reliable STAB attack, but Hydro Pump becomes a very appealing alternative when one considers the highly offensive nature of the teams this set would find itself on. With the added base power, Hydro Pump can force the opponent to bring their Water resists into play, giving Lanturn a great opportunity to soften them up for its more threatening rain sweeper teammates. Thunder is the obvious choice for Electric STAB since it provides power, reliability, and a nice paralysis chance in the rain. Ice Beam can go in the last slot to complete coverage and give Lanturn a weapon against Grass-types, but Confuse Ray is a viable support move as well. Confuse Ray can potentially give Lanturn many free turns to set up Rain Dance, while also working with Thunder's paralysis rate to create the dreaded ParaFusion combo.</p>
<p>One of the best things Lanturn brings to the table is some protection against opposing rain teams. Instead of the battle boiling down to the slugfest it often becomes when two hyper offensive rain teams face off, the Lanturn user has valuable resistances to Water, Ice, and Electric backed by high stats on their side. For example, a Gorebyss running Hidden Power Electric instead of Grass can hardly touch Lanturn, giving the Lanturn user a free shot with Thunder at a team that would consist mostly of Water-types, with the added paralysis chance thrown in to wreck any rain sweeper hit by it. Lanturn is also very light and Grass Knot hits it for only 40 BP, meaning that a max Special Attack Life Orb Ludicolo can only manage 35% to Lanturn with it.</p>
<p>Chances are that an offensive rain team won't have space to fit in a Wish passer to keep Lanturn's health up, but some clever playing with Volt Absorb can be just as effective. It's not that hard to pack some Pokemon to draw fire for Lanturn on a rain dance team - Kabutops, Omastar, Gorebyss, Azumarill - all attract Electric-type attacks for Lanturn to soak up. In terms of typing, Ludicolo provides a Ground resist for Lanturn, while in return Lanturn provides a resistance to Flying and the rain support Ludicolo needs to be effective. Altaria makes for a good partner as well for Lanturn, immune to or 4x resisting both of its weaknesses, and also with the ability to set up Rain Dance itself and provide further team support with Heal Bell if need be. While it does share a common weakness to Ground with Lanturn, Muk can be a very valuable teammate for Lanturn because of its ability to easily take on Roserade, Venusuar, and Leafeon, the threatening Grass-types Lanturn inevitably draws in. Muk can also set up Rain Dance as well, and soaks up hazardous Toxic Spikes that would slash the sweeping potential of the likes of Ludicolo and Kabutops.</p>
