Hello everyone. I've been lurking around this site for a long time, and having just crash-landed into Gen V I've decided to make my first post here and post a new team to rate.
Rain hyper-offense has always been my favourite playstyle, and to start off the new generation I thought of making such a team for Gen V. Unfortunately while Drizzletoad was introduced, Swift Swim + Drizzle was banned some time ago. While that certainly makes my goals more difficult, I do believe that with proper preparation it can do just as well in this metagame. So, I looked back into my Gen IV beginnings and adapted the strategy to fit the Gen V metagame. Here's the team at a glance:
The lineup:
1. Auster/Tornelos (M) @Damp Rock
Ability: Mischievous Heart
Nature: Timid (+Spe -Atk)
EVs: 8 HP / 248 SAtk / 252 Spe
~Rain Dance
~Taunt
~Hurricane
~Focus Blast
I love MH leads, and in a Drizzle-less rain team it seems Tornelos fits almost perfectly. Priority Rain and Taunt means that not only that I have guaranteed rain on the field against anything that can't OHKO me, but other leads can't set up entry hazards that wear on my switch-heavy team. For his ability and typing he's probably my greatest asset against other weather teams, being able to shut down a Venusaur or Excadrill sweep in a single turn. It helps that Tornelos is so powerful on its own even without Specs, and being able to OHKO most Grass- and Fighting-types makes a great check to things like Roobushin and Virizion. Focus Blast is for coverage and does a number to Tyranitar and Ferrothorn, two huge threats to rain teams.
2. Mugen/Bronzong @Damp Rock
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Relaxed (+Def -Spe)
EVs: 252 HP / 80 Def / 176 SDef
~Rain Dance
~Stealth Rock
~Gyro Ball
~Hypnosis
My second, mid-game Rain Dancer, chosen its bulk and many resistances that allow it to switch in and set up on so many Pokemon. It can support the team with Stealth Rock, always a good thing to have in an offensive team. The rain supports it by removing its sole Fire weakness. Hypnosis can incapacitate a counter or an especially troublesome Pokemon and forces a switch, making set-up easier.
3. Nimbus/Scizor (M) @Damp Rock
Ability: Technician
Nature: Adamant (+Atk -SAtk)
EVs: 200 HP / 56 Atk / 252 SDef
~Rain Dance
~U-Turn
~Bullet Punch
~Roost
Rain Dancer No. 3. Swift Swim teams have always had trouble with Tyranitar and Abomasnow, and even more so now that auto-weather is everywhere, so Scizor makes a good RD-er being able to check both. After dancing, his slow U-Turn gets a sweeper in safe, and Roost makes it so that he can do this several times.
This set is essentially the same as the set from my Gen IV team. 56 Atk enables a 2HKO on a min HP Tyranitar (and the standard CBTar with Stealth Rock) with Bullet Punch, and the rest goes to HP and SDef to tank hits from monsters like Latios and Reuniclus.
4. Charybdis/Kingdra (F) @Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Mild (+SAtk -Def)
EVs: 204 Atk / 128 SAtk / 176 Spe
~Rain Dance
~Waterfall
~Hydro Pump
~Draco Meteor
My first rain sweeper. She outspeeds so many things once set up and hits hard with her dual STAB. She's also Rain Dancer No. 4: first because you really can't have enough, and second because RD-Kingdra surprisingly stands up well on its own, checking Sun and Sandstorm and being ready to sweep as soon as it sets up. Kingdra here does the additional benefit of supporting everyone else on this team, if only for 3 more turns.
This Mixdra is meant to come in early- to mid-game to weaken walls for the other sweepers, although she alternates this job with Ludicolo as she has Nattorei problems. 176 Spe EVs outspeed Scarfchomp. 204 Atk enables a likely 2HKO on 252 HP / 252 Def Blissey, guaranteed with Stealth Rock up, and the rest goes into SAtk with a boosting nature to power up the special attacks.
5. Reyong/Ludicolo (F) @Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Modest (+SAtk -Atk)
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
~Hydro Pump
~Giga Drain
~Ice Beam
~Focus Blast
Second swift swimmer. Ludicolo is an amazing special sweeper in the rain - and an important team player too, getting past the bulky waters, Nattorei and other Grass-types that plague rain teams. Because of her utility, she often gets to be used as a wall-breaker similarly to Kingdra, although she is effective at late-game sweeping as well.
Hydro Pump as usual hits everything brutally between rain, Life Orb and STAB. Giga Drain is my secondary STAB and helps to recover health from various residual damage. Ice Beam and Focus Blast are for coverage. Focus Blast, as mentioned, is mostly for breaking Nattorei, but it also can OHKO Empoleon and any careless Tyranitar trying to interrupt my sweep. Max HP and SAtk and Modest for obvious sweeping reasons.
6. Reaper/Kabutops (F) @Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Adamant (+Atk -SAtk)
EVs: 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe
~Swords Dance
~Waterfall
~Stone Edge
~Aqua Jet
The third rain sweeper, the only one that boosts Attack. Usually Kabutops plays as a late-game cleaner, when the opponent's counters are weakened or gone, though it can check various Pokemon like Gyarados earlier without setting up SD's. Aqua Jet is especially helpful for picking off Scarfers that outspeed even in rain, and with priority on so many Pokemon, it makes sure that Kabutops hits before they do. Should the rain run out, it also allows Kabutops to continue its sweep.
216 Spe with Adamant nature again outruns Scarfchomp. (I don't worry much about faster Scarfers, as +2 Aqua Jet OHKOs the vast majority of them)
Threats:
Kingdra: He gets a free speed boost from the rain and can make more with DD, so he's an obvious threat. The best thing I can do is lure him into Outrage or Draco Meteor somehow and wear him down with Bronzong, or play mind games with my own Kingdra and launch a surprise Draco Meteor.
Chansey: Very hard to kill and can stall out my 8 turns with Wish + Protect. I need Kabutops to beat her, preferably after Tornelos has Taunted her.
Tentacruel: Anything that sets up Toxic Spikes is bad news for my team, especially if it resists water and is specially bulky.
Reuniclus: Its Trick Room set basically overturns my whole strategy. Other sets are not as problematic but can still be hard to kill, especially with a Calm Mind boost.
Any auto-weather inducer other than Politoed (who gives me free infinite rain. Cheers!) The Pokemon themselves aren't that difficult, but their abilities are what really make them big obstacles. Sun teams are especially scary if Tornelos isn't still there to put a stop to them.
Mischievous Heart users in general with their priority status moves. Voltolos especially as my team is electric-weak.
Endnotes:
So there's my new, Drizzle-less rain team. Overall, it's not much changed from Gen IV, though it is admittedly a more difficult playstyle than Drizzle; with every turn on a ticking clock, every move I make matters that much more, and one slip-up can lose my match - and then there's the constant threat of ugly auto-weather. Even so, it's quite a fun, if challenging team for me to play. Any criticisms, changes, or other help, please suggest any you can think of. (I do wish to stay true to my basic strategy though, if it's possible.) Thanks!
Rain hyper-offense has always been my favourite playstyle, and to start off the new generation I thought of making such a team for Gen V. Unfortunately while Drizzletoad was introduced, Swift Swim + Drizzle was banned some time ago. While that certainly makes my goals more difficult, I do believe that with proper preparation it can do just as well in this metagame. So, I looked back into my Gen IV beginnings and adapted the strategy to fit the Gen V metagame. Here's the team at a glance:
The lineup:
1. Auster/Tornelos (M) @Damp Rock
Ability: Mischievous Heart
Nature: Timid (+Spe -Atk)
EVs: 8 HP / 248 SAtk / 252 Spe
~Rain Dance
~Taunt
~Hurricane
~Focus Blast
I love MH leads, and in a Drizzle-less rain team it seems Tornelos fits almost perfectly. Priority Rain and Taunt means that not only that I have guaranteed rain on the field against anything that can't OHKO me, but other leads can't set up entry hazards that wear on my switch-heavy team. For his ability and typing he's probably my greatest asset against other weather teams, being able to shut down a Venusaur or Excadrill sweep in a single turn. It helps that Tornelos is so powerful on its own even without Specs, and being able to OHKO most Grass- and Fighting-types makes a great check to things like Roobushin and Virizion. Focus Blast is for coverage and does a number to Tyranitar and Ferrothorn, two huge threats to rain teams.
2. Mugen/Bronzong @Damp Rock
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Relaxed (+Def -Spe)
EVs: 252 HP / 80 Def / 176 SDef
~Rain Dance
~Stealth Rock
~Gyro Ball
~Hypnosis
My second, mid-game Rain Dancer, chosen its bulk and many resistances that allow it to switch in and set up on so many Pokemon. It can support the team with Stealth Rock, always a good thing to have in an offensive team. The rain supports it by removing its sole Fire weakness. Hypnosis can incapacitate a counter or an especially troublesome Pokemon and forces a switch, making set-up easier.
3. Nimbus/Scizor (M) @Damp Rock
Ability: Technician
Nature: Adamant (+Atk -SAtk)
EVs: 200 HP / 56 Atk / 252 SDef
~Rain Dance
~U-Turn
~Bullet Punch
~Roost
Rain Dancer No. 3. Swift Swim teams have always had trouble with Tyranitar and Abomasnow, and even more so now that auto-weather is everywhere, so Scizor makes a good RD-er being able to check both. After dancing, his slow U-Turn gets a sweeper in safe, and Roost makes it so that he can do this several times.
This set is essentially the same as the set from my Gen IV team. 56 Atk enables a 2HKO on a min HP Tyranitar (and the standard CBTar with Stealth Rock) with Bullet Punch, and the rest goes to HP and SDef to tank hits from monsters like Latios and Reuniclus.
4. Charybdis/Kingdra (F) @Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Mild (+SAtk -Def)
EVs: 204 Atk / 128 SAtk / 176 Spe
~Rain Dance
~Waterfall
~Hydro Pump
~Draco Meteor
My first rain sweeper. She outspeeds so many things once set up and hits hard with her dual STAB. She's also Rain Dancer No. 4: first because you really can't have enough, and second because RD-Kingdra surprisingly stands up well on its own, checking Sun and Sandstorm and being ready to sweep as soon as it sets up. Kingdra here does the additional benefit of supporting everyone else on this team, if only for 3 more turns.
This Mixdra is meant to come in early- to mid-game to weaken walls for the other sweepers, although she alternates this job with Ludicolo as she has Nattorei problems. 176 Spe EVs outspeed Scarfchomp. 204 Atk enables a likely 2HKO on 252 HP / 252 Def Blissey, guaranteed with Stealth Rock up, and the rest goes into SAtk with a boosting nature to power up the special attacks.
5. Reyong/Ludicolo (F) @Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Modest (+SAtk -Atk)
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
~Hydro Pump
~Giga Drain
~Ice Beam
~Focus Blast
Second swift swimmer. Ludicolo is an amazing special sweeper in the rain - and an important team player too, getting past the bulky waters, Nattorei and other Grass-types that plague rain teams. Because of her utility, she often gets to be used as a wall-breaker similarly to Kingdra, although she is effective at late-game sweeping as well.
Hydro Pump as usual hits everything brutally between rain, Life Orb and STAB. Giga Drain is my secondary STAB and helps to recover health from various residual damage. Ice Beam and Focus Blast are for coverage. Focus Blast, as mentioned, is mostly for breaking Nattorei, but it also can OHKO Empoleon and any careless Tyranitar trying to interrupt my sweep. Max HP and SAtk and Modest for obvious sweeping reasons.
6. Reaper/Kabutops (F) @Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Adamant (+Atk -SAtk)
EVs: 40 HP / 252 Atk / 216 Spe
~Swords Dance
~Waterfall
~Stone Edge
~Aqua Jet
The third rain sweeper, the only one that boosts Attack. Usually Kabutops plays as a late-game cleaner, when the opponent's counters are weakened or gone, though it can check various Pokemon like Gyarados earlier without setting up SD's. Aqua Jet is especially helpful for picking off Scarfers that outspeed even in rain, and with priority on so many Pokemon, it makes sure that Kabutops hits before they do. Should the rain run out, it also allows Kabutops to continue its sweep.
216 Spe with Adamant nature again outruns Scarfchomp. (I don't worry much about faster Scarfers, as +2 Aqua Jet OHKOs the vast majority of them)
Threats:
Endnotes:
So there's my new, Drizzle-less rain team. Overall, it's not much changed from Gen IV, though it is admittedly a more difficult playstyle than Drizzle; with every turn on a ticking clock, every move I make matters that much more, and one slip-up can lose my match - and then there's the constant threat of ugly auto-weather. Even so, it's quite a fun, if challenging team for me to play. Any criticisms, changes, or other help, please suggest any you can think of. (I do wish to stay true to my basic strategy though, if it's possible.) Thanks!
