genies of the healthy meta, parte deux
[OVERVIEW]
Thundurus is a versatile Pokemon that can tailor its set to perform quite well in a variety of roles, both supportive and offensive, making it a premier threat in the metagame. First off, its three most common attacks can OHKO some of the most common Pokemon in the tier in Mega Diancie, Landorus-T, and Mega Charizard Y, if using an offensive set. Thundurus also has a great Speed tier to be able to take advantage of those offenses, just edging out the many base 110 Speed Pokemon such as Mega Diancie. In addition to that, Thundurus also has access to Prankster to further assure that its status moves will precede any other moves on the field. A more bulky Thundurus set that takes full advantage of Prankster is also quite viable, using priority Thunder Wave and Taunt to disrupt the opponent's strategy. However, this set needs significant investment to become sufficiently bulky, leaving its speed and power slightly disappointing. Also, Thundurus's typing isn't doing it many favors; although the secondary Flying typing does help in removing Thundurus's weakness to Ground-type moves, it also leaves Thundurus susceptible to the quite common Rock- and Ice-type attacks. Additionally, the Flying-typing doesn't help Thundurus at all offensively, as it lacks access to any reliable special Flying-type moves.
[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Flash Cannon
move 3: Thunder Wave / Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Protect
item: Life Orb
ability: Prankster
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Thundurus's main attack is Thunderbolt, due to its decent Base Power and perfect accuracy. Flash Cannon is almost exclusively to hit Mega Diancie, although it also deals a significant chunk of damage to other Fairy-types and Kyurem-B. Thunder Wave allows Thundurus to take advantage of Prankster by slowing down fast foes and potentially immobilizing them. Sometimes, Thundurus needs coverage more than speed control, so Hidden Power Ice can be used to defeat both Landorus formes and pick up the quick KO on Salamence. Taunt is also an option in the third slot if Thundurus's team is especially weak to Trick Room or already covers the potential targets of Thunder Wave and Hidden Power Ice. Protect is a staple move in the Doubles metagame, allowing Thundurus to stall out field conditions, shield itself while its partner deals with a threat, and scout incoming attacks.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment allows Thundurus to take full advantage of the offensive nature of this set, with a Timid nature chosen over a Modest one in order to outspeed base 110 Speed Pokemon such as Mega Diancie. Prankster grants Thunder Wave priority, allowing Thundurus to paralyze especially fast threats, including those under Tailwind. Life Orb boosts Thundurus's power, most notably to guarantee the OHKO on Azumarill with Thunderbolt. Alternatively, Thundurus may use a Magnet, which allows it to bluff the bulky set due to the lack of Life Orb recoil while still hitting the same offensive benchmarks. However, this comes at the cost of a fair amount of power behind Thundurus's other attacks.
Usage Tips
========
Offensive Thundurus is great at applying pressure to the opposing team with its high-powered moves while also providing support in the form of Prankster Thunder Wave. This set works decently well as a lead to threaten paralysis on the fast Pokemon that tend to be chosen as leads. Another common lead is Mega Diancie, which this set outspeeds and takes out using Flash Cannon. Without any defense investment, this set is incredibly frail, and it should avoid switching in on any attacks. As this is an offensively oriented set, Thundurus should only use Thunder Wave when facing an especially fast foe, and otherwise it should just attack.
Team Options
========
Teammates that struggle with Mega Diancie, such as Keldeo, Mega Charizard Y, and Volcarona, appreciate the presence of this Thundurus set in particular. Both Landorus formes fear the Water-types that this set can easily beat and remove Terrakion and Rhyperior to aid Thundurus. Especially for sets not carrying Hidden Power Ice, a teammate to handle Dragon-types is essential. Some common and solid choices include Mega Gardevoir, Mega Kangaskhan, and Azumarill. Fighting-types such as Terrakion and Infernape have particularly good synergy with Thundurus, as they take on Rock- and Ice-types and benefit from the removal of Flying-types. Weather-oriented teams can use Thundurus's strong matchup against Mega Charizard Y and Politoed, the two most common weather setters, to win the weather war and guarantee their desired field conditions.
[SET]
name: Bulky Thunder Wave
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Thunder Wave
move 4: Taunt
item: Sitrus Berry
ability: Prankster
nature: Modest
evs: 248 HP / 164 Def / 4 SpA / 72 SpD / 20 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Thunderbolt hits decently hard despite the minimal investment. Hidden Power Ice hits the Landorus formes that are immune to Thundurus's Electric-type moves. Thunder Wave is useful for speed control and general incapacitation, especially when paired with teammates that have setup moves such as Substitute, as a conveniently timed full paralysis can grant free turns to set up. Taunt prevents Trick Room, opposing Taunt, and any other shenanigans the foe might try, such as redirection and speed control. If Thundurus's team already has a Taunt user, there are a few more options it can consider in the fourth slot. Swagger greatly hinders special attackers and can come in handy as a last-ditch move before Thundurus is knocked out. Alternatively, Protect can be useful for catching the opponent off guard, as this set typically does not carry the move.
Set Details
========
The given spread guarantees that Thundurus will survive a Mega Diancie Diamond Storm or Latios's Life Orb-boosted Draco Meteor. 20 Speed EVs are used to guarantee that Thundurus will outspeed positive-natured base 70 Pokemon such as Breloom. The remaining 4 EVs and a Modest nature are used to prevent standard Azumarill from being able to use Belly Drum by guaranteeing that a Thunderbolt will do at least 75%. A Sitrus Berry is typically Thundurus's best choice for an item, as the added bulk is quite helpful for improving its average defensive stats. The burst recovery provided by a Sitrus Berry allows Thundurus to better stand up to double targets or Mega Kangaskhan.
A more offensive alternative to this set uses a spread of 160 HP / 96 SpA / 252 Spe, a Timid nature, and Flash Cannon over Thunder Wave or Taunt; this strikes a balance between the two most common sets, allowing Thundurus to get both the speed and some of the bulk. The spread maximizes Speed and, using a Sitrus Berry, guarantees that Thundurus can withstand a Mega Kangaskhan's Return.
Usage Tips
========
This Thundurus set is a disruptor and should be used as such, only attacking when necessary or against a foe that will be hit super effectively. Thundurus's access to Prankster Thunder Wave and Taunt makes it a solid lead, able to put a damper on whatever the opponent's initial strategy may be. Unlike the offensive set, this set may act as a more direct counter to threats such as Landorus-T and Talonflame, as it can safely switch in on them due to its added bulk. If a fast attacker is likely to take Thundurus out and there are no safe switch-ins available, Thundurus should use Thunder Wave or Taunt to outprioritize most attacks.
Team Options
========
Due to its supportive nature, this Thundurus set works on a variety of teams and does not require much support of its own to shine. Substitute users such as Heatran and Kyurem-B can take advantage of a fully paralyzed opponent by setting up and appreciate being able to move first. Thundurus also helps out hard hitters with mediocre Speed tiers, including Mega Kangaskhan, Hoopa-U, and Volcanion. Landorus-T is a particularly good teammate, as it grants Thundurus more physical bulk due to Intimidate and enjoys the removal of Water-types. Fighting-types such as Keldeo or Terrakion beat Steel-, Rock-, and Ice-types for Thundurus and appreciate it dealing with Flying-types. They also defeat Mega Kangaskhan, which is a large threat to this set as a bulky Pokemon that Thundurus cannot hit super effectively. Rain teams appreciate Thundurus's removal of Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y, as well as its access to Taunt to prevent Trick Room.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Thundurus has a vast movepool, so its set can be tailored to a team's specific needs with a variety of other options. Swagger is a decent choice on either set, with its priority due to Prankster granting Thundurus a last-ditch move as it is about to be taken out. Focus Blast, typically used on the offensive set, is Thundurus's best method of dealing with Ferrothorn and also deals significant damage to threats such as Kyurem-B and Mega Kangaskhan. On rain teams that need the extra weather support, Thundurus makes a decent Rain Dance user. Rain Dance also allows Thundurus to use Thunder in place of Thunderbolt, as Thunder gains perfect accuracy in the rain. Lastly, Hidden Power Flying is Thundurus's only reliable secondary STAB move and may be used to hit Amoonguss harder as well as nail threats such as Mega Venusaur and Volcarona. The offensive set has a few other options for its item; Safety Goggles may be used over a Life Orb on sets without Taunt, which allows Thundurus to ignore the effects of Rage Powder (usually to hit an Azumarill) and become a sleep switch-in. Alternatively, Charti Berry allows Thundurus to fare even better against Landorus-T, taking either a Rock Slide or Stone Edge with ease and retaliating with Hidden Power Ice. Equipping Choice Specs boosts Thundurus's power even higher than if it used a Life Orb, and such sets also get the bonus of being able to run Volt Switch to pivot out of bad matchups. Although Thundurus-T has a higher Special Attack stat, Thundurus has a far better Speed tier, outpacing Keldeo and Mega Diancie. Finally, a Focus Sash may be used to help Thundurus take at least one hit from fast attackers that would otherwise take it out, such as Deoxys-A and Weavile. As Thundurus also has access to Defiant, a physical set can surprise the opponent. This set uses a moveset of Wild Charge / Superpower / Knock Off or Sky Drop / Protect and a Life Orb for an item. However, such sets miss out of priority Thunder Wave and are forced to rely on Thundurus's lower Attack stat.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-type Pokemon**: Ground-type Pokemon such as Landorus-T and Mega Swampert are immune to Thunderbolt and Thunder Wave and commonly have ways to hit Flying-types super effectively.
**Rock-type Pokemon**: Thundurus is weak to Rock-type STAB-moves from Pokemon such as Mega Diancie and Terrakion and doesn't have ways to hit them super effectively unless it is running Flash Cannon. Mega Diancie has the added bonus of Magic Bounce preventing Thundurus from using Thunder Wave or Taunt, and Terrakion commonly runs a Lum Berry to shield it from Thundurus's attempts to paralyze it. Rhydon and Rhyperior even have Lightning Rod to prevent Thundurus from hitting their teammates.
**Ice-type Pokemon**: Ice-type Pokemon are quite threatening to either Thundurus set, as it is weak to their STAB moves and only has Flash Cannon to hit them back. Each even has additional benefits that allow them to perform well against Thundurus: Kyurem-B has access to Substitute to prevent Thundurus from paralyzing it, Weavile outspeeds the fast set and OHKOes it with Icicle Crash, and Mega Abomasnow doesn't mind being hit by any of Thundurus's moves due to its already low Speed and Grass typing.
**Electric-type Pokemon**: Thunder Wave is unable to paralyze the many Electric-types in the metagame, and some, including Rotom-H and Raikou, also resist Thunderbolt while being able to hit Thundurus with a neutrally effective STAB move of their own due to Thundurus's secondary Flying typing.
**Grass-type Pokemon**: Grass-types resist Thunderbolt and typically have a way to hit Thundurus hard. Mega Venusaur and Ferrothorn are especially notable, as they do not mind the Speed drop accompanied by Thunder Wave and are not hit super effectively by Hidden Power Ice.
**Taunt**: Taunt users are especially problematic for the bulky set, although if the move is predicted, Thundurus can counter with a Taunt of its own before it is hit due to Prankster and a high base Speed.
**Quick Guard**: The only downside of Prankster is that Thundurus's status moves are blocked by Quick Guard. One of the more common users of the move is Terrakion, which can hit Thundurus hard with its Rock-type STAB moves.
**Substitute**: If a foe has a Substitute, it is impervious to Thunder Wave, although Taunt can bypass it to prevent them from setting another Substitute. The main threat here is Substitute Kyurem-B, as Heatran's Substitute is easily broken by a Thunderbolt.
[OVERVIEW]
Thundurus is a versatile Pokemon that can tailor its set to perform quite well in a variety of roles, both supportive and offensive, making it a premier threat in the metagame. First off, its three most common attacks can OHKO some of the most common Pokemon in the tier in Mega Diancie, Landorus-T, and Mega Charizard Y, if using an offensive set. Thundurus also has a great Speed tier to be able to take advantage of those offenses, just edging out the many base 110 Speed Pokemon such as Mega Diancie. In addition to that, Thundurus also has access to Prankster to further assure that its status moves will precede any other moves on the field. A more bulky Thundurus set that takes full advantage of Prankster is also quite viable, using priority Thunder Wave and Taunt to disrupt the opponent's strategy. However, this set needs significant investment to become sufficiently bulky, leaving its speed and power slightly disappointing. Also, Thundurus's typing isn't doing it many favors; although the secondary Flying typing does help in removing Thundurus's weakness to Ground-type moves, it also leaves Thundurus susceptible to the quite common Rock- and Ice-type attacks. Additionally, the Flying-typing doesn't help Thundurus at all offensively, as it lacks access to any reliable special Flying-type moves.
[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Flash Cannon
move 3: Thunder Wave / Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Protect
item: Life Orb
ability: Prankster
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Thundurus's main attack is Thunderbolt, due to its decent Base Power and perfect accuracy. Flash Cannon is almost exclusively to hit Mega Diancie, although it also deals a significant chunk of damage to other Fairy-types and Kyurem-B. Thunder Wave allows Thundurus to take advantage of Prankster by slowing down fast foes and potentially immobilizing them. Sometimes, Thundurus needs coverage more than speed control, so Hidden Power Ice can be used to defeat both Landorus formes and pick up the quick KO on Salamence. Taunt is also an option in the third slot if Thundurus's team is especially weak to Trick Room or already covers the potential targets of Thunder Wave and Hidden Power Ice. Protect is a staple move in the Doubles metagame, allowing Thundurus to stall out field conditions, shield itself while its partner deals with a threat, and scout incoming attacks.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment allows Thundurus to take full advantage of the offensive nature of this set, with a Timid nature chosen over a Modest one in order to outspeed base 110 Speed Pokemon such as Mega Diancie. Prankster grants Thunder Wave priority, allowing Thundurus to paralyze especially fast threats, including those under Tailwind. Life Orb boosts Thundurus's power, most notably to guarantee the OHKO on Azumarill with Thunderbolt. Alternatively, Thundurus may use a Magnet, which allows it to bluff the bulky set due to the lack of Life Orb recoil while still hitting the same offensive benchmarks. However, this comes at the cost of a fair amount of power behind Thundurus's other attacks.
Usage Tips
========
Offensive Thundurus is great at applying pressure to the opposing team with its high-powered moves while also providing support in the form of Prankster Thunder Wave. This set works decently well as a lead to threaten paralysis on the fast Pokemon that tend to be chosen as leads. Another common lead is Mega Diancie, which this set outspeeds and takes out using Flash Cannon. Without any defense investment, this set is incredibly frail, and it should avoid switching in on any attacks. As this is an offensively oriented set, Thundurus should only use Thunder Wave when facing an especially fast foe, and otherwise it should just attack.
Team Options
========
Teammates that struggle with Mega Diancie, such as Keldeo, Mega Charizard Y, and Volcarona, appreciate the presence of this Thundurus set in particular. Both Landorus formes fear the Water-types that this set can easily beat and remove Terrakion and Rhyperior to aid Thundurus. Especially for sets not carrying Hidden Power Ice, a teammate to handle Dragon-types is essential. Some common and solid choices include Mega Gardevoir, Mega Kangaskhan, and Azumarill. Fighting-types such as Terrakion and Infernape have particularly good synergy with Thundurus, as they take on Rock- and Ice-types and benefit from the removal of Flying-types. Weather-oriented teams can use Thundurus's strong matchup against Mega Charizard Y and Politoed, the two most common weather setters, to win the weather war and guarantee their desired field conditions.
[SET]
name: Bulky Thunder Wave
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Thunder Wave
move 4: Taunt
item: Sitrus Berry
ability: Prankster
nature: Modest
evs: 248 HP / 164 Def / 4 SpA / 72 SpD / 20 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Thunderbolt hits decently hard despite the minimal investment. Hidden Power Ice hits the Landorus formes that are immune to Thundurus's Electric-type moves. Thunder Wave is useful for speed control and general incapacitation, especially when paired with teammates that have setup moves such as Substitute, as a conveniently timed full paralysis can grant free turns to set up. Taunt prevents Trick Room, opposing Taunt, and any other shenanigans the foe might try, such as redirection and speed control. If Thundurus's team already has a Taunt user, there are a few more options it can consider in the fourth slot. Swagger greatly hinders special attackers and can come in handy as a last-ditch move before Thundurus is knocked out. Alternatively, Protect can be useful for catching the opponent off guard, as this set typically does not carry the move.
Set Details
========
The given spread guarantees that Thundurus will survive a Mega Diancie Diamond Storm or Latios's Life Orb-boosted Draco Meteor. 20 Speed EVs are used to guarantee that Thundurus will outspeed positive-natured base 70 Pokemon such as Breloom. The remaining 4 EVs and a Modest nature are used to prevent standard Azumarill from being able to use Belly Drum by guaranteeing that a Thunderbolt will do at least 75%. A Sitrus Berry is typically Thundurus's best choice for an item, as the added bulk is quite helpful for improving its average defensive stats. The burst recovery provided by a Sitrus Berry allows Thundurus to better stand up to double targets or Mega Kangaskhan.
A more offensive alternative to this set uses a spread of 160 HP / 96 SpA / 252 Spe, a Timid nature, and Flash Cannon over Thunder Wave or Taunt; this strikes a balance between the two most common sets, allowing Thundurus to get both the speed and some of the bulk. The spread maximizes Speed and, using a Sitrus Berry, guarantees that Thundurus can withstand a Mega Kangaskhan's Return.
Usage Tips
========
This Thundurus set is a disruptor and should be used as such, only attacking when necessary or against a foe that will be hit super effectively. Thundurus's access to Prankster Thunder Wave and Taunt makes it a solid lead, able to put a damper on whatever the opponent's initial strategy may be. Unlike the offensive set, this set may act as a more direct counter to threats such as Landorus-T and Talonflame, as it can safely switch in on them due to its added bulk. If a fast attacker is likely to take Thundurus out and there are no safe switch-ins available, Thundurus should use Thunder Wave or Taunt to outprioritize most attacks.
Team Options
========
Due to its supportive nature, this Thundurus set works on a variety of teams and does not require much support of its own to shine. Substitute users such as Heatran and Kyurem-B can take advantage of a fully paralyzed opponent by setting up and appreciate being able to move first. Thundurus also helps out hard hitters with mediocre Speed tiers, including Mega Kangaskhan, Hoopa-U, and Volcanion. Landorus-T is a particularly good teammate, as it grants Thundurus more physical bulk due to Intimidate and enjoys the removal of Water-types. Fighting-types such as Keldeo or Terrakion beat Steel-, Rock-, and Ice-types for Thundurus and appreciate it dealing with Flying-types. They also defeat Mega Kangaskhan, which is a large threat to this set as a bulky Pokemon that Thundurus cannot hit super effectively. Rain teams appreciate Thundurus's removal of Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y, as well as its access to Taunt to prevent Trick Room.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Thundurus has a vast movepool, so its set can be tailored to a team's specific needs with a variety of other options. Swagger is a decent choice on either set, with its priority due to Prankster granting Thundurus a last-ditch move as it is about to be taken out. Focus Blast, typically used on the offensive set, is Thundurus's best method of dealing with Ferrothorn and also deals significant damage to threats such as Kyurem-B and Mega Kangaskhan. On rain teams that need the extra weather support, Thundurus makes a decent Rain Dance user. Rain Dance also allows Thundurus to use Thunder in place of Thunderbolt, as Thunder gains perfect accuracy in the rain. Lastly, Hidden Power Flying is Thundurus's only reliable secondary STAB move and may be used to hit Amoonguss harder as well as nail threats such as Mega Venusaur and Volcarona. The offensive set has a few other options for its item; Safety Goggles may be used over a Life Orb on sets without Taunt, which allows Thundurus to ignore the effects of Rage Powder (usually to hit an Azumarill) and become a sleep switch-in. Alternatively, Charti Berry allows Thundurus to fare even better against Landorus-T, taking either a Rock Slide or Stone Edge with ease and retaliating with Hidden Power Ice. Equipping Choice Specs boosts Thundurus's power even higher than if it used a Life Orb, and such sets also get the bonus of being able to run Volt Switch to pivot out of bad matchups. Although Thundurus-T has a higher Special Attack stat, Thundurus has a far better Speed tier, outpacing Keldeo and Mega Diancie. Finally, a Focus Sash may be used to help Thundurus take at least one hit from fast attackers that would otherwise take it out, such as Deoxys-A and Weavile. As Thundurus also has access to Defiant, a physical set can surprise the opponent. This set uses a moveset of Wild Charge / Superpower / Knock Off or Sky Drop / Protect and a Life Orb for an item. However, such sets miss out of priority Thunder Wave and are forced to rely on Thundurus's lower Attack stat.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-type Pokemon**: Ground-type Pokemon such as Landorus-T and Mega Swampert are immune to Thunderbolt and Thunder Wave and commonly have ways to hit Flying-types super effectively.
**Rock-type Pokemon**: Thundurus is weak to Rock-type STAB-moves from Pokemon such as Mega Diancie and Terrakion and doesn't have ways to hit them super effectively unless it is running Flash Cannon. Mega Diancie has the added bonus of Magic Bounce preventing Thundurus from using Thunder Wave or Taunt, and Terrakion commonly runs a Lum Berry to shield it from Thundurus's attempts to paralyze it. Rhydon and Rhyperior even have Lightning Rod to prevent Thundurus from hitting their teammates.
**Ice-type Pokemon**: Ice-type Pokemon are quite threatening to either Thundurus set, as it is weak to their STAB moves and only has Flash Cannon to hit them back. Each even has additional benefits that allow them to perform well against Thundurus: Kyurem-B has access to Substitute to prevent Thundurus from paralyzing it, Weavile outspeeds the fast set and OHKOes it with Icicle Crash, and Mega Abomasnow doesn't mind being hit by any of Thundurus's moves due to its already low Speed and Grass typing.
**Electric-type Pokemon**: Thunder Wave is unable to paralyze the many Electric-types in the metagame, and some, including Rotom-H and Raikou, also resist Thunderbolt while being able to hit Thundurus with a neutrally effective STAB move of their own due to Thundurus's secondary Flying typing.
**Grass-type Pokemon**: Grass-types resist Thunderbolt and typically have a way to hit Thundurus hard. Mega Venusaur and Ferrothorn are especially notable, as they do not mind the Speed drop accompanied by Thunder Wave and are not hit super effectively by Hidden Power Ice.
**Taunt**: Taunt users are especially problematic for the bulky set, although if the move is predicted, Thundurus can counter with a Taunt of its own before it is hit due to Prankster and a high base Speed.
**Quick Guard**: The only downside of Prankster is that Thundurus's status moves are blocked by Quick Guard. One of the more common users of the move is Terrakion, which can hit Thundurus hard with its Rock-type STAB moves.
**Substitute**: If a foe has a Substitute, it is impervious to Thunder Wave, although Taunt can bypass it to prevent them from setting another Substitute. The main threat here is Substitute Kyurem-B, as Heatran's Substitute is easily broken by a Thunderbolt.
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