After playing around a bit with rain, I realized that Mega Swampert seems to be a major threat to many teams, so I decided to attempt to make a team around it. I kept a voltturnpass (or whatever you want to call it) core to keep up momentum and make the best use of rain turns. I'm currently hovering around 1550 on the ladder, the highest I've ever been (I'm bad). This is by far the most consistent version of the team out of the 3-4 I've made. I'm looking for suggestions because I'm by no means an expert builder.
Celebi @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 156 Def / 84 SpD / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
- Giga Drain
- Recover
- Baton Pass
- Stealth Rock
Fills a lot of holes in the team. Celebi is a great status absorber, rocker, and counter to opposing water types (Rotom-W, Keldeo, Manaphy), as well as grass types (most notably Breloom) something that I don't have on the rest of the team and is badly needed. I picked it over something like Ferrothorn because of its access to baton pass and because it doesn't mind being burned. It's great against the common tail glow Manaphy, which is even more terrifying in the rain, because I can switch Celebi in and then baton pass out into Raikou to OHKO it. It also provides a much needed ground resist, though it's not the best.
Politoed @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 164 SpD / 96 Spe
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Toxic
- Encore
- Rest
With it's main roll being rain setting, Politoed still hits pretty hard with rain boosted scald as well as disrupts setup mons with moves like encore. Toxic is useful against most walls that want to set up rocks on it (garchomp for example). It can switch into special attacks some, but I generally don't try to leave it in battle too long, especially since people target it.
(couldn't find a mega sprite :()
Swampert @ Swampertite
Ability: Damp
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Power-Up Punch
With an attack higher than Azumarill and great coverage options, Swampert dents walls heavily under rain. It also hits 478 speed, meaning it can be an absolute menace to other HO teams, outspeeding and KOing scarf Excadrill, scarf Jirachi, and scarf Lando. It's also a very handy electric immunity/twave switch-in, which is very helpful in a team that relies heavily on speed. It also has super effective coverage vs other common weather setters like Hippowdon and Tyrannitar. Respectable 100/110/110 bulk and a resistance to stealth rocks also increases its switch-in opportunities. Instead of power-up punch, I'm tempted to run superpower or low kick (for Ferro/Kyurem), but I'm not sure if its worth losing out on the boost potential.
Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Pursuit
Has an extremely hard hitting priority move in bullet punch, which is handy against fast frail pokemon like Mega Alakazam (especially if it has traced swift swim) and others like Hoopa-U, Weavile and Gengar if my weather is down. It can also do very heavy damage to Ferrothorn, a common switch in and something that my team struggles with. It also lures other defensive walls so I can get a safe U-turn off into Kingdra so it can destroy something. Scizor is basically my only way of dealing with Mega Venusaur, though it has a difficult healing anyway with rain up. It can also pursuit trap the Lati twins, something my team has a hard time dealing with.
Raikou @ Zap Plate
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Thunder
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Volt Switch
Zap Plate boosted Thunder hits opposing water types very hard, something that is important because they are benefited by the rain as well. It can also clean up late game with a single calm mind. Volt-switch is important for making use of rain turns and keeping momentum. It's also basically my only answer to Talonflame, though it really surprises people who try to roost of the volt switch when thunder does 80%. The extra paralysis chance going with thunder often comes in handy as well, but Raikou has always seemed to be the weakest member on the team.
Kingdra @ Choice Specs
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 28 HP / 252 SpA / 228 Spe
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Draco Meteor
- Scald
- Ice Beam
The King of special rain wallbreakers. With its good typing, it finds switch-in opportunities relatively often (especially 4x water), and it can outspeed essentially all scarfers at 526 speed as well as DD users. Ice Beam is helpful against the Lati twins, but it can be a pain being locked into ice beam because it gives a lot of offensive pokemon the opportunity to kill something on my team. Scald also cripples switch-ins with burn, and it's good for consistent late game sweeping. However, it can't do much against uberfat walls like Chansey.
Replays (to be expanded maybe?):
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-322179486 Swampert vs offense
I definitely want to keep Mega-Swampert on the team, but I'm up for changes otherwise. Celebi should probably be kept as well because it's the main difference from the other rain teams I've made and partly why this one does so much better.
Celebi @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 156 Def / 84 SpD / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
- Giga Drain
- Recover
- Baton Pass
- Stealth Rock
Fills a lot of holes in the team. Celebi is a great status absorber, rocker, and counter to opposing water types (Rotom-W, Keldeo, Manaphy), as well as grass types (most notably Breloom) something that I don't have on the rest of the team and is badly needed. I picked it over something like Ferrothorn because of its access to baton pass and because it doesn't mind being burned. It's great against the common tail glow Manaphy, which is even more terrifying in the rain, because I can switch Celebi in and then baton pass out into Raikou to OHKO it. It also provides a much needed ground resist, though it's not the best.
Politoed @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 164 SpD / 96 Spe
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Toxic
- Encore
- Rest
With it's main roll being rain setting, Politoed still hits pretty hard with rain boosted scald as well as disrupts setup mons with moves like encore. Toxic is useful against most walls that want to set up rocks on it (garchomp for example). It can switch into special attacks some, but I generally don't try to leave it in battle too long, especially since people target it.
Swampert @ Swampertite
Ability: Damp
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Power-Up Punch
With an attack higher than Azumarill and great coverage options, Swampert dents walls heavily under rain. It also hits 478 speed, meaning it can be an absolute menace to other HO teams, outspeeding and KOing scarf Excadrill, scarf Jirachi, and scarf Lando. It's also a very handy electric immunity/twave switch-in, which is very helpful in a team that relies heavily on speed. It also has super effective coverage vs other common weather setters like Hippowdon and Tyrannitar. Respectable 100/110/110 bulk and a resistance to stealth rocks also increases its switch-in opportunities. Instead of power-up punch, I'm tempted to run superpower or low kick (for Ferro/Kyurem), but I'm not sure if its worth losing out on the boost potential.
Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Pursuit
Has an extremely hard hitting priority move in bullet punch, which is handy against fast frail pokemon like Mega Alakazam (especially if it has traced swift swim) and others like Hoopa-U, Weavile and Gengar if my weather is down. It can also do very heavy damage to Ferrothorn, a common switch in and something that my team struggles with. It also lures other defensive walls so I can get a safe U-turn off into Kingdra so it can destroy something. Scizor is basically my only way of dealing with Mega Venusaur, though it has a difficult healing anyway with rain up. It can also pursuit trap the Lati twins, something my team has a hard time dealing with.
Raikou @ Zap Plate
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Calm Mind
- Thunder
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Volt Switch
Zap Plate boosted Thunder hits opposing water types very hard, something that is important because they are benefited by the rain as well. It can also clean up late game with a single calm mind. Volt-switch is important for making use of rain turns and keeping momentum. It's also basically my only answer to Talonflame, though it really surprises people who try to roost of the volt switch when thunder does 80%. The extra paralysis chance going with thunder often comes in handy as well, but Raikou has always seemed to be the weakest member on the team.
Kingdra @ Choice Specs
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 28 HP / 252 SpA / 228 Spe
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Draco Meteor
- Scald
- Ice Beam
The King of special rain wallbreakers. With its good typing, it finds switch-in opportunities relatively often (especially 4x water), and it can outspeed essentially all scarfers at 526 speed as well as DD users. Ice Beam is helpful against the Lati twins, but it can be a pain being locked into ice beam because it gives a lot of offensive pokemon the opportunity to kill something on my team. Scald also cripples switch-ins with burn, and it's good for consistent late game sweeping. However, it can't do much against uberfat walls like Chansey.
Replays (to be expanded maybe?):
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ou-322179486 Swampert vs offense
I definitely want to keep Mega-Swampert on the team, but I'm up for changes otherwise. Celebi should probably be kept as well because it's the main difference from the other rain teams I've made and partly why this one does so much better.
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