Its my first time really getting into anywhere near comptetive pokemon, so could anybody help rate my first rain team and pick out any weaknesses that I need to adress? Im going for a hyper offensive fire-water-grass core. One of my key needs is that my team needs to be viable without rain, just better with it, and I think this team accomplishes that
Swampert-Mega @ Swampertite
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Waterfall
- Ice Punch
- Rain Dance
Mega Swampert is a staple on most rain teams because of its amazing physical attack, monster speed in the rain and good defenses. It fills the role as my primary physical sweeper in the rain, although I do have a backup in Talonflame and Bisharp in case somthing goes horribly wrong.
I chose to add a little more bulk here, because in the rain, Mega Swampert still outspeeds the entire unboosted (or unscarfed) metagame with only 176 Speed EVs and the 80 EVs in HP means he isn't getting taken down by somthing like a draco from a scarfed Lati@s or Kingdra. Rain dance is essentially so I don't have to rely soley on Politoed to set up rain, just in case
Bisharp @ Focus Sash
Ability: Defiant
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Knock Off
- Swords Dance
Essentially a counter to faries and psychic mons. Bisharp is here to deal with stall as well, as forcing a switch will allow a free knock off on whatever is switched in, potentially taking off a leftovers, evolite, toxic orb or assault vest if the opponet switches in somthing intended to wall Bisharp. Sucker Punch is also effective at revenge killing unsuspecting mons
Politoed @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic
- Ice Beam
- Scald
- Encore
Its the Toed on a rain team, do I really have to explain? The Toed has been the must have on 99% of rain teams sense gen V. Drizzle gives it the amazing ability to set up rain instantly just by passively being there
Damp rock is here to extend the rain because I feel its more essential to have prolonged rain than leftovers heals. Toxic is there to counter stall and encore is to stop mons like (for example) Cloyster setting up on me. I chose to run it bulky rather than offensive specs because If I needed to switch in multiple times it should be able to do so without being KO'ed and I don't really need the role of special sweeper, which Ludicolo fills. It also fills the role as physical wall on my team and has decent enough offence with STAB, rain boosted Scald
Ludicolo @ Assault Vest
Ability: Swift Swim
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Fake Out
- Giga Drain
- Ice Beam
- Hydro Pump
Swift swim SpA sweeper. I chose this over things like Kabutops and Kingdra because of its resistances to electric and grass. Although Kingdra also resists these things, he sports key weaknesses to both Fairy and Dragon types, whereas Ludicolo only has weaknesses to Flying, Poison and Bug, two of which are fairly rare types and and one of which Lucicolo can potentially OHKO with Ice Beam. Fairy and Dragon are fairly commonplace where Bug and Poison are not, and U-Turns can usually be predicted. Ludicolo also has the ability to gain back large chunks of HP with STAB Giga Drain
I chose Fake Out so that sashes and sturdy don't stop Ludicolo from sweeping. Even with its low attack stat, it still accomplishes that. It also scouts Leftovers and Black Sludge
Assault vested to add extra special bulk so it can survive to do its thing in the rain. Ive found its suprsingly bulky with Assault vest, even with its lack of defensive investment, and it isn't really hindered by the assault vest either
Talonflame @ Life Orb
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Brave Bird
- Swords Dance
- Roost
Physical sweeper. Not much to explain here. Talonflame is one of the best physicals sweepers in the OU metagame that hits insanely hard and insanely fast with its Gale Wings ability and finishes off my fire/water/grass trio
Tailwind is just so that nothing even dreams of outspeeding my swift swimmers. Life Orb will provide that extra damage if I am forced to flare blitz in the rain and not many mons want to take a life orbed Brave Bird. Talonflame also presents a good counter to Ferrothorn, Scizor, Mega Scizor and Amoongus, all of which are very prevalent in OU
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunder
- Defog
- Heat Wave
- Roost
Special wall/Defogger. Thunder instead of thunderbolt to abuse the 100% accuracy in the rain and higher paralyze chance. Unfortunatlly as my only means of clearing hazards, boasting a weakness to stealth rocks isn't all that great, but the bulk and roost is there to make up for it. Heat wave is to clear out any Scizors or Ferrothorns I might come across, because my team in general is bad at dealing with Ferrothorns if Talonflame goes down
I have also substituted Zapdos for Tornadus-T, and find both work reasonably well. It mostly depends on what team I am facing, but bulky Zapdos tends to be the most useful
Swampert-Mega @ Swampertite
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Waterfall
- Ice Punch
- Rain Dance
Mega Swampert is a staple on most rain teams because of its amazing physical attack, monster speed in the rain and good defenses. It fills the role as my primary physical sweeper in the rain, although I do have a backup in Talonflame and Bisharp in case somthing goes horribly wrong.
I chose to add a little more bulk here, because in the rain, Mega Swampert still outspeeds the entire unboosted (or unscarfed) metagame with only 176 Speed EVs and the 80 EVs in HP means he isn't getting taken down by somthing like a draco from a scarfed Lati@s or Kingdra. Rain dance is essentially so I don't have to rely soley on Politoed to set up rain, just in case
Bisharp @ Focus Sash
Ability: Defiant
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Knock Off
- Swords Dance
Essentially a counter to faries and psychic mons. Bisharp is here to deal with stall as well, as forcing a switch will allow a free knock off on whatever is switched in, potentially taking off a leftovers, evolite, toxic orb or assault vest if the opponet switches in somthing intended to wall Bisharp. Sucker Punch is also effective at revenge killing unsuspecting mons
Politoed @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic
- Ice Beam
- Scald
- Encore
Its the Toed on a rain team, do I really have to explain? The Toed has been the must have on 99% of rain teams sense gen V. Drizzle gives it the amazing ability to set up rain instantly just by passively being there
Damp rock is here to extend the rain because I feel its more essential to have prolonged rain than leftovers heals. Toxic is there to counter stall and encore is to stop mons like (for example) Cloyster setting up on me. I chose to run it bulky rather than offensive specs because If I needed to switch in multiple times it should be able to do so without being KO'ed and I don't really need the role of special sweeper, which Ludicolo fills. It also fills the role as physical wall on my team and has decent enough offence with STAB, rain boosted Scald
Ludicolo @ Assault Vest
Ability: Swift Swim
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Fake Out
- Giga Drain
- Ice Beam
- Hydro Pump
Swift swim SpA sweeper. I chose this over things like Kabutops and Kingdra because of its resistances to electric and grass. Although Kingdra also resists these things, he sports key weaknesses to both Fairy and Dragon types, whereas Ludicolo only has weaknesses to Flying, Poison and Bug, two of which are fairly rare types and and one of which Lucicolo can potentially OHKO with Ice Beam. Fairy and Dragon are fairly commonplace where Bug and Poison are not, and U-Turns can usually be predicted. Ludicolo also has the ability to gain back large chunks of HP with STAB Giga Drain
I chose Fake Out so that sashes and sturdy don't stop Ludicolo from sweeping. Even with its low attack stat, it still accomplishes that. It also scouts Leftovers and Black Sludge
Assault vested to add extra special bulk so it can survive to do its thing in the rain. Ive found its suprsingly bulky with Assault vest, even with its lack of defensive investment, and it isn't really hindered by the assault vest either
Talonflame @ Life Orb
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Flare Blitz
- Brave Bird
- Swords Dance
- Roost
Physical sweeper. Not much to explain here. Talonflame is one of the best physicals sweepers in the OU metagame that hits insanely hard and insanely fast with its Gale Wings ability and finishes off my fire/water/grass trio
Tailwind is just so that nothing even dreams of outspeeding my swift swimmers. Life Orb will provide that extra damage if I am forced to flare blitz in the rain and not many mons want to take a life orbed Brave Bird. Talonflame also presents a good counter to Ferrothorn, Scizor, Mega Scizor and Amoongus, all of which are very prevalent in OU
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunder
- Defog
- Heat Wave
- Roost
Special wall/Defogger. Thunder instead of thunderbolt to abuse the 100% accuracy in the rain and higher paralyze chance. Unfortunatlly as my only means of clearing hazards, boasting a weakness to stealth rocks isn't all that great, but the bulk and roost is there to make up for it. Heat wave is to clear out any Scizors or Ferrothorns I might come across, because my team in general is bad at dealing with Ferrothorns if Talonflame goes down
I have also substituted Zapdos for Tornadus-T, and find both work reasonably well. It mostly depends on what team I am facing, but bulky Zapdos tends to be the most useful
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