Isn't my title so funny and original for a Rain team? No? Ok fine. Anyways, this is a team I've been having a decent amount of success with thus far, but I'd love to get some input on it as there are a few things I think could be improved.
The Team
The Toad (Politoed) (M) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Drizzle
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 92 Def / 76 SpA / 84 SpD / 4 Spe
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Icy Wind
- Helping Hand
- Encore
After playing for a while with a different team on BS, I started noticing that teams were generally unprepared for Rain, and ones that were only had a few checks such as Thundurus and Amoonguss that could be beaten with a little team support, so I decided to start my team around rain. Politoed was an obvious first pick, it's the only automatic Rain setter in the format and generally provides good team support. I decided to use a bulky set because I often wanted to be able to set up Rain multiple times in a match, and the rest of the team provides enough offensive pressure as is.
Scald was my preferred STAB move, it is more reliable and generally better for a bulky set as opposed to Hydro Pump. I did spend quite a bit of time debating Ice Beam vs. Icy Wind, but I ultimately decided Icy Wind would be more useful overall and still did enough damage to Mega Salamence. Helping Hand is always nice on a support set and turns Ludicolo into an absolute monster. Encore is the last move I picked, I decided not to use Protect because Politoed was bulky enough to stick around, and switching out was easy enough due to the number of bulkier Pokemon on the team. Encore is great if my opponent decideds to Fake Out Poli's teammate or Protect when they are slower than me. Another fun thing with Encore (that has been so useful given the current meta) is that this Politoed underspeeds Mega Gardevoir, so if it sets up TR, I can Encore during the first turn to deactivate TR and proceed to KO or force Garde out the following turn.
For the EV spread, I had two attacks in mind: LO Thundurus's Thunderbolt and Mega Salamence's Double-Edge, because I knew if I built Poli to survive both of those attacks it would be able to take most of what the meta could throw at it. The Special Attack investment guarantees the KO onto Landorus-T with Scald. Here are the calcs:
252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 92 Def Politoed: 162-192 (82.2 - 97.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery
252 SpA Life Orb Thundurus Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 84+ SpD Politoed: 164-195 (83.2 - 98.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery
76 SpA Politoed Scald vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-T in Rain: 168-198 (101.8 - 120%) -- guaranteed OHKO
The Pineapple (Ludicolo) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
Level: 50
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Energy Ball
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Protect
The second part of my rain core, Ludciolo brings so much power it's scary. I never understood the point of AV on Ludicolo, in most situations the attacks aimed at Ludicolo are physical (mind you, because people expect AV) or from Pokemon that Ludicolo has no business staying in on in the first place (Mega Venusaur). I do understand its use if Ludicolo is being used as a Rain check, but not on a Rain team. LO on the other hand, gives Ludicolo soul-crushing power in rain, and lets it overwhelm some of its old checks like Amoonguss. It also allows Ludicolo to run Protect, which is very valuable on such a powerful sweeper.
Energy Ball gets past bulky Water-types like Suicune and Gastrodon that are otherwise troubling to the team. I used Energy Ball over Giga Drain because I needed the extra power far more often than the recovery provided by Giga Drain. Hydro Pump in Rain with a HH boost from Politoed can 1HKO nearly anything that doesn't resist it . Heck, even Cresselia is 2HKO'd after Sitrus recovery. That's mainly why I chose Hydro Pump, it's so powerful, although the accuracy sucks. Ice Beam is there for the Grass and Dragon types that resist both of Ludicolo's STABs, and is more reliable for knocking out Landorus-T (Hydro Pump misses too often). I decided to use Protect instead of Fake Out mainly because I was barely using Fake Out when I had it, whereas Protect has let me get out of many sticky situations and also helps to stall out TR turns.
The EV spread is very simple, I just wanted to maximize power and Speed. I suppose I could've aimed for a specific Speed tier and put the rest into bulk, but running LO kind of defeats the point of adding bulk, so I think 252/4/252 should be just fine. I spoke much of Ludicolo's immense power above, here are some calcs to illustrate that:
252+ SpA Life Orb Ludicolo Helping Hand Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Cresselia in Rain: 142-169 (62.5 - 74.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery
252+ SpA Life Orb Ludicolo Helping Hand Energy Ball vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Suicune: 172-203 (83 - 98%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery
252+ SpA Life Orb Ludicolo Helping Hand Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Amoonguss: 143-169 (64.7 - 76.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery
And these are all fairly bulky Pokemon. Other 1HKOs it gets include: Kangaskhan, Gardevoir, Hydreigon, Metagross, Some AV Conkeldurr, Thundurus, Zapdos, Aegislash, Sylveon, Rotom (all), Clefable, Clefairy, Togekiss and a whole lot of others. Needless to say, Ludicolo hits kind of hard.
The Dragon (Salamence) (M) @ Salamencite
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 44 Atk / 212 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Double-Edge
- Draco Meteor
- Protect
Ludicolo does a great job of KOing most of the meta, but it still struggles with Mega Venusaur, so I added Mega Venusaur's worst enemy, Mega Salamence. Mixed Salamence is by far the best in my opinion, it gives the player either the option to nuke stuff with Double-Edge or pick stuff off eith Hyper Voice. In addition, being mixed lets Salamence be unfazed by Intimidate and Burns, and allows it to stay on the field for most of the match spamming Hyper Voice.
Hyper Voice is the first Flying-type STAB, and it often surprises Intimidate Pokemon like Landorus that expect a physical set. Hyper Voice can be used to either weaken the opposing team for a sweep or sweep the opposing team once weakened, so it is generally my most used move. Double-Edge nukes a single target, and is usually used to clear a problematic Amoonguss or Venusaur on the opposing team so Ludicolo can sweep easier. Darco Meteor hits bulky Electric-types such as Thundurus and Zapdos for decent damage, and also eliminates opposing Salamence. I do try to avoid using my Salamence to knock out others however, because I tend to have bad luck with Speed ties. Protect is Protect, and Salamence needs it fairly often to avoid being paralyzed or knocked out.
I went with max Speed and a boosting nature to tie with other Salamence and outspeed opposing Thundurus, the Attack EVs guarantee the 1HKO onto Amoonguss and uninvested Charizard-Y, and the rest got dumped into Special Attack to give Hyper Voice some more punch. Some calcs:
44 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mega Venusaur: 158-188 (84.4 - 100.5%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO (nobody runs max/max though lol)
44 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Mega Charizard Y: 153-181 (100 - 118.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
44 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Amoonguss: 224-266 (101.3 - 120.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
The Bull (Terrakion) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Justified
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rock Slide
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- Protect
Terrakion gives me a solid answer to Charizard-Y as well as a strong offensive Fighting-type. Lum Berry lets Terrakion check Thundurus effectively, and also stops Smeargle/Liepard shenanigans decently.
Rock Slide is spread, STAB and flinches way more than it should. Close Combat KOs Kangaskhan and Hydreigon, and comes close to KOing some Ferrothorn. Stone Edge isn't all that common on Terrakion, but one of the most common support moves for Charizard-Y is Wide Guard, and Stone Edge allows me to bypass that and KO it (even after 4 Intimidates lol).
I suppose I could've gone all fancy with the EV spread, but there was no real reason to, so I just went with max Attack and Speed. Here are some Stone Edge calcs:
252 Atk Terrakion Stone Edge vs. 244 HP / 252 Def Thundurus: 168-200 (90.8 - 108.1%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Terrakion Stone Edge vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Salamence: 138-164 (80.7 - 95.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
The Oven (Rotom-Heat) @ Expert Belt
Ability: Levitate
Level: 50
EVs: 44 HP / 228 SpA / 236 Spe
Modest Nature
- Overheat
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Protect
I needed a Pokemon to hit Ferrothorn hard as well as another Fairy resist, so I added Rotom. Rotom also gave me another way to get rid of Charizard-Y, which is always a bonus for Rain teams. I chose a more offensive spread because I often need to get rid of Ferrothorn or Charizard-Y right away right away.
Oveheat is the main move I needed, it does huge damage to Ferrothorn in Rain and KOs it every time out of Rain. Thunderbolt is mostly for Charizard-Y, but it also can take a bite out of an opposing Suicune or Milotic. Hidden Power Ice is a fun surprise move, and it lets me beat Salamence very consistently and even Landorus-T in some cases. Protect is there because it is Protect.
The EV spread outspeeds positive-natured base 70s with a point of speed creep, the Special Attack guarantees the 1HKO onto uninvested Charizard-Y and the rest goes into HP. Some lovely calcs:
228+ SpA Expert Belt Rotom-H Thunderbolt vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Mega Charizard Y: 154-182 (100.6 - 118.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
228+ SpA Expert Belt Rotom-H Overheat vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Ferrothorn in Rain: 158-192 (87.2 - 106%) -- 25% chance to OHKO
228+ SpA Expert Belt Rotom-H Hidden Power Ice vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Salamence: 168-202 (98.2 - 118.1%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
The Sword (Aegislash) @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Stance Change
Level: 50
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 100 Def / 60 SpA / 92 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Shadow Sneak
- King's Shield
I can't seem to not include Aegislash on any of my teams. It's just so good, and it's only getting better with the rise in Gardevoir and Salamence usage. Bulky WP Aegislash is by far the best set in my opinion, it always manages to put it some kind of work and is incredibly tough to beat without activating the WP. On this team, Aegislash is mainly there to cover Cresselia, but the extra insurance against Gardevoir and Salamence is always great.
Shadow Ball is a given, it hits most things for decent damage unboosted, but after a WP boost it becomes really scary. Flash Cannon is another obvious choice, it gives me coverage against Fairies like Sylveon and Clefairy, and also against Tyranitar. Shadow Sneak is a less common choice, but it's great for picking off foes who don't expect it, particularly Gardevoir, who takes well over half from it unboosted. In addition, Aegislash is rather slow, and I often had it get KO'd right after WP activated before I could get an attack off, so Shadow Sneak helps with that issue. King's Shield is pretty much on every Aegislash, and rightfully so, it gives Aegislash the ability to make use of both its bulk and offensive power.
The EV spread is my personal favourite, it gives Aegislash just the right balance of power and bulk. The Special Defence EVs let Aegislash survive a Shadow Ball from LO Aegislash almost all the time, and the defence lets it survive a +1 Adamant Kangaskhan Sucker Punch in Shield form and a -1 Sucker Punch in Blade Form most of the time. The rest goes into Special Attack to give Aegislash some extra power. Some calcs, because why not:
-1 252+ Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Sucker Punch vs. 252 HP / 100 Def Aegislash-Blade: 142-170 (85 - 101.7%) -- 2% chance to OHKO
+1 252+ Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Sucker Punch vs. 252 HP / 100 Def Aegislash-Shield: 144-172 (86.2 - 102.9%) -- 5.1% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Life Orb Aegislash-Blade Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 92 SpD Aegislash-Shield: 143-172 (85.6 - 102.9%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
Leads
+
Politoed+Ludicolo
This one is fairly obvious, and my usual lead combination of choice. With Ludicolo being so powerful alongside Politoed, it isn't uncommon for these two to sweep through half or more of the opponent's team with little to no effort. I still often lead this if the opponent has a Thundurus, because even if Ludicolo gets Paralyzed, it will take Thundurus down in the process, making it much easier to sweep with Salamence. I try to avoid this lead if the opponent has weather of their own, because as I mentioned, I very much dislike weather wars and will avoid them whenever possible.
+
Politoed+Terrakion
This is my anti-Sand lead, and it's worked very well almost every time. Although I do dislike weather wars, this lead immediately gives me the weather advantage in most cases (most Tyranitar are Scarfed), preventing Excadrill from getting the Speed boost it depends on so much, and Terrakion puts on offensive pressure right away. This lead usually works but I have to play conservatively with Terrakion because it is so frail.
+
Thundurus+Mega Salamence
My usual leads against Sun. Thundurus and Salamence can both knock out Charizard-Y in one hit, so it puts pressure on the Charizard player right away. Salamence isn't always the Pokemon I bring alongside Thundurus, but most of the Sun teams I've faced have been running Venusaur, so Salamence puts pressure on that as well (Venusaur doesn't get the Speed boost turn 1 because Charizard has to Mega Evolve). Often if there is a Venusaur, I'll often switch Thundurus out to Politoed and Protect Salamence to avoid any attacks aimed at it, grabbing me more momentum. This lead isn't nearly as effective as I'd like however, because it is often dependant on what Charizard's partner is (Charizard+Raichu really threatens my team), but it can usually get me momentum early on.
+
or
Aegislash+Mega Salamence or Politoed
This lead is for dealing with TR teams, and it does so quite effectively. Aegislash puts offensive pressure on almost every TR user, and it being naturally slow is quite an asset. Whether I lead Salamence or Politoed depends on the opponents team and TR setter, if their TR setter is Gardevoir or Cresselia, I usually bring Politoed. I bring Politoed against Gardevoir because as previously mentioned, I can Encore Gardevoir's TR and knock it out in most cases before it gets a chance to set TR up again. In these cases, I sometimes don't lead Aegislash so Gardevoir doesn't feel threatened and switch out. I also don't bring Salamence against Cresselia, because it is often dead weight against it. I really only bring Salamence if the opponent isn't running a Fake Out, because Salamence and Aegislash combined can usually knock out the TR setter before it does anything.
Threats
Despite all my efforts, this team does have a few Pokemon that are problematic.
Mega Charizard-Y
I alluded to it above, but Charizard-Y is always tricky to deal with, and can be a real threat depending on team support. Thundurus and Salamence can KO it, but if Charizard is sitting next to a Raichu I have to win the weather war or I will likely lose. It's far from an instant loss but Charizard always keeps my team on edge.
+
Politoed+Ludicolo
Ironically enough, my team has very few ways to deal with opposing Politoed+Ludicolo. I usually need to try and use Thundurus to slow down Ludicolo but I often lose it in the process. I'm definitely looking to improve this matchup.
The Team
The Toad (Politoed) (M) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Drizzle
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 92 Def / 76 SpA / 84 SpD / 4 Spe
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Icy Wind
- Helping Hand
- Encore
After playing for a while with a different team on BS, I started noticing that teams were generally unprepared for Rain, and ones that were only had a few checks such as Thundurus and Amoonguss that could be beaten with a little team support, so I decided to start my team around rain. Politoed was an obvious first pick, it's the only automatic Rain setter in the format and generally provides good team support. I decided to use a bulky set because I often wanted to be able to set up Rain multiple times in a match, and the rest of the team provides enough offensive pressure as is.
Scald was my preferred STAB move, it is more reliable and generally better for a bulky set as opposed to Hydro Pump. I did spend quite a bit of time debating Ice Beam vs. Icy Wind, but I ultimately decided Icy Wind would be more useful overall and still did enough damage to Mega Salamence. Helping Hand is always nice on a support set and turns Ludicolo into an absolute monster. Encore is the last move I picked, I decided not to use Protect because Politoed was bulky enough to stick around, and switching out was easy enough due to the number of bulkier Pokemon on the team. Encore is great if my opponent decideds to Fake Out Poli's teammate or Protect when they are slower than me. Another fun thing with Encore (that has been so useful given the current meta) is that this Politoed underspeeds Mega Gardevoir, so if it sets up TR, I can Encore during the first turn to deactivate TR and proceed to KO or force Garde out the following turn.
For the EV spread, I had two attacks in mind: LO Thundurus's Thunderbolt and Mega Salamence's Double-Edge, because I knew if I built Poli to survive both of those attacks it would be able to take most of what the meta could throw at it. The Special Attack investment guarantees the KO onto Landorus-T with Scald. Here are the calcs:
252 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 92 Def Politoed: 162-192 (82.2 - 97.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery
252 SpA Life Orb Thundurus Thunderbolt vs. 252 HP / 84+ SpD Politoed: 164-195 (83.2 - 98.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery
76 SpA Politoed Scald vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-T in Rain: 168-198 (101.8 - 120%) -- guaranteed OHKO
The Pineapple (Ludicolo) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
Level: 50
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Energy Ball
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Protect
The second part of my rain core, Ludciolo brings so much power it's scary. I never understood the point of AV on Ludicolo, in most situations the attacks aimed at Ludicolo are physical (mind you, because people expect AV) or from Pokemon that Ludicolo has no business staying in on in the first place (Mega Venusaur). I do understand its use if Ludicolo is being used as a Rain check, but not on a Rain team. LO on the other hand, gives Ludicolo soul-crushing power in rain, and lets it overwhelm some of its old checks like Amoonguss. It also allows Ludicolo to run Protect, which is very valuable on such a powerful sweeper.
Energy Ball gets past bulky Water-types like Suicune and Gastrodon that are otherwise troubling to the team. I used Energy Ball over Giga Drain because I needed the extra power far more often than the recovery provided by Giga Drain. Hydro Pump in Rain with a HH boost from Politoed can 1HKO nearly anything that doesn't resist it . Heck, even Cresselia is 2HKO'd after Sitrus recovery. That's mainly why I chose Hydro Pump, it's so powerful, although the accuracy sucks. Ice Beam is there for the Grass and Dragon types that resist both of Ludicolo's STABs, and is more reliable for knocking out Landorus-T (Hydro Pump misses too often). I decided to use Protect instead of Fake Out mainly because I was barely using Fake Out when I had it, whereas Protect has let me get out of many sticky situations and also helps to stall out TR turns.
The EV spread is very simple, I just wanted to maximize power and Speed. I suppose I could've aimed for a specific Speed tier and put the rest into bulk, but running LO kind of defeats the point of adding bulk, so I think 252/4/252 should be just fine. I spoke much of Ludicolo's immense power above, here are some calcs to illustrate that:
252+ SpA Life Orb Ludicolo Helping Hand Hydro Pump vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Cresselia in Rain: 142-169 (62.5 - 74.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery
252+ SpA Life Orb Ludicolo Helping Hand Energy Ball vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Suicune: 172-203 (83 - 98%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery
252+ SpA Life Orb Ludicolo Helping Hand Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Amoonguss: 143-169 (64.7 - 76.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Sitrus Berry recovery
And these are all fairly bulky Pokemon. Other 1HKOs it gets include: Kangaskhan, Gardevoir, Hydreigon, Metagross, Some AV Conkeldurr, Thundurus, Zapdos, Aegislash, Sylveon, Rotom (all), Clefable, Clefairy, Togekiss and a whole lot of others. Needless to say, Ludicolo hits kind of hard.
The Dragon (Salamence) (M) @ Salamencite
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 44 Atk / 212 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Double-Edge
- Draco Meteor
- Protect
Ludicolo does a great job of KOing most of the meta, but it still struggles with Mega Venusaur, so I added Mega Venusaur's worst enemy, Mega Salamence. Mixed Salamence is by far the best in my opinion, it gives the player either the option to nuke stuff with Double-Edge or pick stuff off eith Hyper Voice. In addition, being mixed lets Salamence be unfazed by Intimidate and Burns, and allows it to stay on the field for most of the match spamming Hyper Voice.
Hyper Voice is the first Flying-type STAB, and it often surprises Intimidate Pokemon like Landorus that expect a physical set. Hyper Voice can be used to either weaken the opposing team for a sweep or sweep the opposing team once weakened, so it is generally my most used move. Double-Edge nukes a single target, and is usually used to clear a problematic Amoonguss or Venusaur on the opposing team so Ludicolo can sweep easier. Darco Meteor hits bulky Electric-types such as Thundurus and Zapdos for decent damage, and also eliminates opposing Salamence. I do try to avoid using my Salamence to knock out others however, because I tend to have bad luck with Speed ties. Protect is Protect, and Salamence needs it fairly often to avoid being paralyzed or knocked out.
I went with max Speed and a boosting nature to tie with other Salamence and outspeed opposing Thundurus, the Attack EVs guarantee the 1HKO onto Amoonguss and uninvested Charizard-Y, and the rest got dumped into Special Attack to give Hyper Voice some more punch. Some calcs:
44 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mega Venusaur: 158-188 (84.4 - 100.5%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO (nobody runs max/max though lol)
44 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Mega Charizard Y: 153-181 (100 - 118.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
44 Atk Aerilate Mega Salamence Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Amoonguss: 224-266 (101.3 - 120.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
The Bull (Terrakion) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Justified
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rock Slide
- Close Combat
- Stone Edge
- Protect
Terrakion gives me a solid answer to Charizard-Y as well as a strong offensive Fighting-type. Lum Berry lets Terrakion check Thundurus effectively, and also stops Smeargle/Liepard shenanigans decently.
Rock Slide is spread, STAB and flinches way more than it should. Close Combat KOs Kangaskhan and Hydreigon, and comes close to KOing some Ferrothorn. Stone Edge isn't all that common on Terrakion, but one of the most common support moves for Charizard-Y is Wide Guard, and Stone Edge allows me to bypass that and KO it (even after 4 Intimidates lol).
I suppose I could've gone all fancy with the EV spread, but there was no real reason to, so I just went with max Attack and Speed. Here are some Stone Edge calcs:
252 Atk Terrakion Stone Edge vs. 244 HP / 252 Def Thundurus: 168-200 (90.8 - 108.1%) -- 50% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Terrakion Stone Edge vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Salamence: 138-164 (80.7 - 95.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
The Oven (Rotom-Heat) @ Expert Belt
Ability: Levitate
Level: 50
EVs: 44 HP / 228 SpA / 236 Spe
Modest Nature
- Overheat
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Protect
I needed a Pokemon to hit Ferrothorn hard as well as another Fairy resist, so I added Rotom. Rotom also gave me another way to get rid of Charizard-Y, which is always a bonus for Rain teams. I chose a more offensive spread because I often need to get rid of Ferrothorn or Charizard-Y right away right away.
Oveheat is the main move I needed, it does huge damage to Ferrothorn in Rain and KOs it every time out of Rain. Thunderbolt is mostly for Charizard-Y, but it also can take a bite out of an opposing Suicune or Milotic. Hidden Power Ice is a fun surprise move, and it lets me beat Salamence very consistently and even Landorus-T in some cases. Protect is there because it is Protect.
The EV spread outspeeds positive-natured base 70s with a point of speed creep, the Special Attack guarantees the 1HKO onto uninvested Charizard-Y and the rest goes into HP. Some lovely calcs:
228+ SpA Expert Belt Rotom-H Thunderbolt vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Mega Charizard Y: 154-182 (100.6 - 118.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
228+ SpA Expert Belt Rotom-H Overheat vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Ferrothorn in Rain: 158-192 (87.2 - 106%) -- 25% chance to OHKO
228+ SpA Expert Belt Rotom-H Hidden Power Ice vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Salamence: 168-202 (98.2 - 118.1%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
The Sword (Aegislash) @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Stance Change
Level: 50
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 100 Def / 60 SpA / 92 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Shadow Sneak
- King's Shield
I can't seem to not include Aegislash on any of my teams. It's just so good, and it's only getting better with the rise in Gardevoir and Salamence usage. Bulky WP Aegislash is by far the best set in my opinion, it always manages to put it some kind of work and is incredibly tough to beat without activating the WP. On this team, Aegislash is mainly there to cover Cresselia, but the extra insurance against Gardevoir and Salamence is always great.
Shadow Ball is a given, it hits most things for decent damage unboosted, but after a WP boost it becomes really scary. Flash Cannon is another obvious choice, it gives me coverage against Fairies like Sylveon and Clefairy, and also against Tyranitar. Shadow Sneak is a less common choice, but it's great for picking off foes who don't expect it, particularly Gardevoir, who takes well over half from it unboosted. In addition, Aegislash is rather slow, and I often had it get KO'd right after WP activated before I could get an attack off, so Shadow Sneak helps with that issue. King's Shield is pretty much on every Aegislash, and rightfully so, it gives Aegislash the ability to make use of both its bulk and offensive power.
The EV spread is my personal favourite, it gives Aegislash just the right balance of power and bulk. The Special Defence EVs let Aegislash survive a Shadow Ball from LO Aegislash almost all the time, and the defence lets it survive a +1 Adamant Kangaskhan Sucker Punch in Shield form and a -1 Sucker Punch in Blade Form most of the time. The rest goes into Special Attack to give Aegislash some extra power. Some calcs, because why not:
-1 252+ Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Sucker Punch vs. 252 HP / 100 Def Aegislash-Blade: 142-170 (85 - 101.7%) -- 2% chance to OHKO
+1 252+ Atk Parental Bond Mega Kangaskhan Sucker Punch vs. 252 HP / 100 Def Aegislash-Shield: 144-172 (86.2 - 102.9%) -- 5.1% chance to OHKO
252+ SpA Life Orb Aegislash-Blade Shadow Ball vs. 252 HP / 92 SpD Aegislash-Shield: 143-172 (85.6 - 102.9%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
Leads
Politoed+Ludicolo
This one is fairly obvious, and my usual lead combination of choice. With Ludicolo being so powerful alongside Politoed, it isn't uncommon for these two to sweep through half or more of the opponent's team with little to no effort. I still often lead this if the opponent has a Thundurus, because even if Ludicolo gets Paralyzed, it will take Thundurus down in the process, making it much easier to sweep with Salamence. I try to avoid this lead if the opponent has weather of their own, because as I mentioned, I very much dislike weather wars and will avoid them whenever possible.
Politoed+Terrakion
This is my anti-Sand lead, and it's worked very well almost every time. Although I do dislike weather wars, this lead immediately gives me the weather advantage in most cases (most Tyranitar are Scarfed), preventing Excadrill from getting the Speed boost it depends on so much, and Terrakion puts on offensive pressure right away. This lead usually works but I have to play conservatively with Terrakion because it is so frail.
Thundurus+Mega Salamence
My usual leads against Sun. Thundurus and Salamence can both knock out Charizard-Y in one hit, so it puts pressure on the Charizard player right away. Salamence isn't always the Pokemon I bring alongside Thundurus, but most of the Sun teams I've faced have been running Venusaur, so Salamence puts pressure on that as well (Venusaur doesn't get the Speed boost turn 1 because Charizard has to Mega Evolve). Often if there is a Venusaur, I'll often switch Thundurus out to Politoed and Protect Salamence to avoid any attacks aimed at it, grabbing me more momentum. This lead isn't nearly as effective as I'd like however, because it is often dependant on what Charizard's partner is (Charizard+Raichu really threatens my team), but it can usually get me momentum early on.
Aegislash+Mega Salamence or Politoed
This lead is for dealing with TR teams, and it does so quite effectively. Aegislash puts offensive pressure on almost every TR user, and it being naturally slow is quite an asset. Whether I lead Salamence or Politoed depends on the opponents team and TR setter, if their TR setter is Gardevoir or Cresselia, I usually bring Politoed. I bring Politoed against Gardevoir because as previously mentioned, I can Encore Gardevoir's TR and knock it out in most cases before it gets a chance to set TR up again. In these cases, I sometimes don't lead Aegislash so Gardevoir doesn't feel threatened and switch out. I also don't bring Salamence against Cresselia, because it is often dead weight against it. I really only bring Salamence if the opponent isn't running a Fake Out, because Salamence and Aegislash combined can usually knock out the TR setter before it does anything.
Threats
Despite all my efforts, this team does have a few Pokemon that are problematic.
Mega Charizard-Y
I alluded to it above, but Charizard-Y is always tricky to deal with, and can be a real threat depending on team support. Thundurus and Salamence can KO it, but if Charizard is sitting next to a Raichu I have to win the weather war or I will likely lose. It's far from an instant loss but Charizard always keeps my team on edge.
Politoed+Ludicolo
Ironically enough, my team has very few ways to deal with opposing Politoed+Ludicolo. I usually need to try and use Thundurus to slow down Ludicolo but I often lose it in the process. I'm definitely looking to improve this matchup.
The Toad (Politoed) (M) @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Drizzle
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 92 Def / 76 SpA / 84 SpD / 4 Spe
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Icy Wind
- Helping Hand
- Encore
The Pineapple (Ludicolo) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
Level: 50
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Giga Drain
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Protect
The Dragon (Salamence) (M) @ Salamencite
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 44 Atk / 212 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Double-Edge
- Draco Meteor
- Protect
The Thing (Conkeldurr) (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Guts
Level: 50
EVs: 152 HP / 252 Atk / 68 Def / 36 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Knock Off
- Ice Punch
The Oven (Rotom-Heat) @ Expert Belt
Ability: Levitate
Level: 50
EVs: 44 HP / 228 SpA / 236 Spe
Modest Nature
- Overheat
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Protect
The Sword (Aegislash) (M) @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Stance Change
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 76 Def / 84 SpA / 92 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Shadow Sneak
- King's Shield
Ability: Drizzle
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 92 Def / 76 SpA / 84 SpD / 4 Spe
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Icy Wind
- Helping Hand
- Encore
The Pineapple (Ludicolo) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
Level: 50
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Giga Drain
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Protect
The Dragon (Salamence) (M) @ Salamencite
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 44 Atk / 212 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Double-Edge
- Draco Meteor
- Protect
The Thing (Conkeldurr) (M) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Guts
Level: 50
EVs: 152 HP / 252 Atk / 68 Def / 36 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Knock Off
- Ice Punch
The Oven (Rotom-Heat) @ Expert Belt
Ability: Levitate
Level: 50
EVs: 44 HP / 228 SpA / 236 Spe
Modest Nature
- Overheat
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Protect
The Sword (Aegislash) (M) @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Stance Change
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 76 Def / 84 SpA / 92 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Shadow Sneak
- King's Shield
Please note that this is an older version of the team, but these replays give a decent idea of how the team plays
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-248277438 (the finals of a PS tourney that I won)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-243624334
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-243539824
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-243376324
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-243081544 (feel free to ignore the conversation at the end)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-243045024 (ugh Perish Trap)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-247824432
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-248345718 (another tourney finals, I'm currently testing Scrafty instead of Conkeldurr)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-250115131 (vs Alex Ogloza <3)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-250978962 (no there is not anything in the last slot, I'm just testing the 5 I'm solid with to see what needs improvement)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-250980049
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-248277438 (the finals of a PS tourney that I won)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-243624334
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-243539824
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-243376324
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-243081544 (feel free to ignore the conversation at the end)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-243045024 (ugh Perish Trap)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-247824432
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-248345718 (another tourney finals, I'm currently testing Scrafty instead of Conkeldurr)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-250115131 (vs Alex Ogloza <3)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-250978962 (no there is not anything in the last slot, I'm just testing the 5 I'm solid with to see what needs improvement)
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/battlespotdoublesvgc2015-250980049
Thank you for taking the time to read all of this, if you have any suggestions please let me know. I would really like some advice on the Thundurus spot, as that is what's been the least effective overall. Thank you again for reading this, it was sort of long.
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