MEXICAN RAIN
( "ew this formatting is horrible" yeah i know i tried my best sorry :P )
In more detail:
Walls? (Ludicolo) @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Focus Blast
Let's start with the main focus of the team and the reason behind its creation. Looking at the current state of OU i realised offence is behind every corner, and Ludicolo happens to have an amazing matchup against it. Under rain its speed is boosted to 524, meaning it outspeeds everything slower than scarf Lati@s. Its LO boosted attacks allow it to break balance and offence cores (e.g. tran/lando/fini) very easily, and it works as a solid revenge killer too, outspeeding and OHKOing Zard X after little prior damage.
Its natural bulk and solid defensive typing allow it to comfortably tank one or two neutral hits should it have to, as well as giving it resistance to the most common forms of priority (aqua jet, bullet punch).
Giga drain > Energy Ball because the extra power doesnt really change any crucial 2HKOs, and the extra longevity is always nice. HP Electric can be run over Focus Blast for mantine and pelipper, but i like having a way to deal with steels should Mag not be enough. EVs maximise offensive power and timid is chosen as it allows Ludicolo to outspeed pheromosa.
"My walls couldn't stop him" - D. Trump, 2017
Pelipper @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spe
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Hurricane
- Roost
- U-turn
A rain abuser needs a rain setter, and thus Pelipper came into play. Despite being a somewhat forced choice, it definitely fits the team well, offering a slow u-turn and a solid switch in to some common threats these days like lando and pheromosa. Most of the time it's the lead of choice as it can set up rain and bring in Ludicolo safely with a slow u-turn. Roost is there to allow Pelipper to be played less conservatively and to mitigate stealth rock weakness. Hurricane and Scald hit hard even uninvested and can hax so that's always nice.
Damp Rock is chosen over leftovers because this team is at a great advantage under rain, boosting ludicolo's attacks and making fire types less threatening to the 3 steel types and Pinsir, so I feel the extra turns can come in handier than extra HP, especially considering that, unlike Politoed, Pelipper has access to reliable recovery anyway.
The EV spread makes Pelipper as tanky as possible, while still retaining enough speed to outspeed uninvested Skarm and Celesteela to u-turn out without getting t-bolted/toxic'd and trap with magnezone. The spread can definitely be changed to fit preferences. A more SpD set can be chosed to better handle Ash-Gren and Zard-Y, and the Spe EVs are something I like to have but definitely not something it can't live without.
Ferrothorn (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 152 Def / 104 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock
- Power Whip
- Gyro Ball
Ferrothorn's synergy with rain based teams has always been amazing, and it's no different this time. It's the rocks setter of this team, and with the weakened HP Fire it becomes a safer switch in to fast special threats (Latios, Tapu Koko).
Thunder Wave is still an amazing move despite its nerf, and it prevents ferro from being set up fodder from zard x and volcarona, as well as being able to cripple anything but grounds. Spikes are sorely wanted on this set, but power whip is chosen to be a way other than Ludicolo to handle some threats that otherwise the team struggles to take care of (Rotom-w, Tapu Fini, Quagsire). Gyro Ball is a staple because of its high power and reliability against faster mons.
The EV spread intends to maximise bulk on both sides of the spectrum, and leftovers is necessary as the set lacks other options for recovery. 0 Spe IVs for stronger Gyro Balls but yall already know that.
Magnezone @ Choice Specs
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 76 HP / 252 SpA / 180 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Magnezone is a mon that isn't usually seen on rain teams, but it was chosen for this one to get rid of Skarm, Celesteela and Scizor for Pinsir and Driller. This is the main way for the team to beat stall: get rid of the main steel type and start breaking with Pinsir to clean up with ludicolo. If it wasn't for mag, Pinsir would be walled to no end and this team would auto lose to chansey+skarm or cores along those lines.
The Specs set is the one chosen here. With base 130 SpA, its STAB hit incredibly hard and can be very difficult to switch into. Tbolt for power and Volt Switch for initiative (creating a slow volt turn core with Pelipper), Flash Cannon for secondary STAB and HP Fire to kill what it traps.
The EVs give it maximum offensive power and enough speed to outspeed most defensive mons and either score a KO or volt switch out safely. The rest is dumped into HP to make it a more reliable switch in to tapu lele, tapu koko and other fast electrics. More HP would be nice but I find the speed helpful in countless situations.
Pinsir-Mega @ Pinsirite
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Return
- Quick Attack
- Earthquake
Pinsir is the main breaker of the team. It received both a buff and a nerf in this new gen, but overall it's still as effective as during ORAS. The new Megaevolution mechanics means that it no longer has to worry about finding a safe turn to mega evolve, as it gets the speed buff instantly, and the reduction in its power output is only really felt when trying to score KOs with +2 quick attack. Hyper cutter is the ability of choice because of the stupid amount of Lando-t and other intimidators around.
The set is very standard and has no hidden surprises, but that doesn't make it any less threatening. +2 return demolishes the entire tier with help from magnezone, and EQ takes care of normal flying switch ins like Tran and Ttar. Jolly > Adamant to outspeed and OHKO (68% of the times) Zard-y which is otherwise a huge threat to this team. EVs maximise speed and power like they should on such a mon.
Excadrill @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide
- Rapid Spin
So yeah I realised during the making of this RMT that i was running max SpA jolly Excadrill for all the games I've played with this team, and it definitely cost me a couple games so I'm glad i caught that lol. Funny fact, turn out I was also running Adamant Magnezone so yay for careful teambuilding :(
Either way, rapid spin support and a revenge killer outside of rain were crucially needed, and Driller fills these roles extremely well. It's also a great way to stop tapu koko and other electric types from volt switching all over the place, and either weakens lando-t for Pinsir or takes advantage of Pinsir weakening it. It's definitely another win condition for this team too, as fairies and ground weak mons are everywhere in this meta.
The set is very standard here too. Mold breaker prevents levitators from switching into EQ and STAB + rock coverage are staples. Plus, for some reason people convince themselves its bulky Drill (why would you) and like to leave in their zard-y to die to rock slide. Rapid spin is the only way of this team of getting rid of hazards so it's obligatory on this set. Max Atk and Spe + Jolly nature because Adamant scarf is bad lol.
Playstyle + Conclusion
Like I mentioned earlier, the main goal of this team is to beat down walls with drill + magnezone, to later clean up with Ludicolo. Their roles can however alternate depending on the opposing team. When I play with this I like to lead Pelipper and u-turn out to set up rocks, and proceed breaking from there. I've had a very good amount of success even despite the mistakes in teambuilding which I only just found out :P
Feel free to suggest alternatives in sets and mons, but try not to change the asset doing so e.g. removing rain, making it into stall or something (?)
Threat List:
Zard-Y: Can remove rain from the field and OHKOs/2HKOs every mon on the team. Easily revenge killed but hard to switch into.
Zard-X: I can stop it at up to +1. If it goes beyond that, it has to die through flare blitz recoil.
Lando-t: It's S ranked for a reason. The defensive set is hard to break through and the offensive one is hard to revenge kill. It doesnt set up on much but after a rock polish the only thing i can do to stop it is gyro ball it with ferro or hope it misses an edge.
Magearna (AV): It switches in and threatens 4/6 members of this team. I pretty much have to let zone die to get rid of this. T-bolt is a 3HKO and I get blown back by aura sphere in return.
Rotom-W: Very VERY hard to switch in for me. Nothing enjoys a will-o-wisp and it can volt switch all over the place and i can't do anything about it. Thank god it's way less popular than during ORAS.
Heliolisk (leftovers): Never thought I'd say this but wtf this thing walls my entire team. Gets recovery with rain, walls my water types and Magnezone, outspeeds and KOs pinsir and ferro just sits there while it gets recovery and volt switches around. I have only seen this once but it had such great matchup vs me that I had to include it. (It's bad don't ever use it ever please)
Replays:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7oususpecttest-534037899 Ludicolo 6-0d from turn 1 but i didnt want to risk a focus blast on Kyu-B
~
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Giga Drain
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Focus Blast
Let's start with the main focus of the team and the reason behind its creation. Looking at the current state of OU i realised offence is behind every corner, and Ludicolo happens to have an amazing matchup against it. Under rain its speed is boosted to 524, meaning it outspeeds everything slower than scarf Lati@s. Its LO boosted attacks allow it to break balance and offence cores (e.g. tran/lando/fini) very easily, and it works as a solid revenge killer too, outspeeding and OHKOing Zard X after little prior damage.
Its natural bulk and solid defensive typing allow it to comfortably tank one or two neutral hits should it have to, as well as giving it resistance to the most common forms of priority (aqua jet, bullet punch).
Giga drain > Energy Ball because the extra power doesnt really change any crucial 2HKOs, and the extra longevity is always nice. HP Electric can be run over Focus Blast for mantine and pelipper, but i like having a way to deal with steels should Mag not be enough. EVs maximise offensive power and timid is chosen as it allows Ludicolo to outspeed pheromosa.
"My walls couldn't stop him" - D. Trump, 2017
Pelipper @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 216 Def / 44 Spe
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Hurricane
- Roost
- U-turn
A rain abuser needs a rain setter, and thus Pelipper came into play. Despite being a somewhat forced choice, it definitely fits the team well, offering a slow u-turn and a solid switch in to some common threats these days like lando and pheromosa. Most of the time it's the lead of choice as it can set up rain and bring in Ludicolo safely with a slow u-turn. Roost is there to allow Pelipper to be played less conservatively and to mitigate stealth rock weakness. Hurricane and Scald hit hard even uninvested and can hax so that's always nice.
Damp Rock is chosen over leftovers because this team is at a great advantage under rain, boosting ludicolo's attacks and making fire types less threatening to the 3 steel types and Pinsir, so I feel the extra turns can come in handier than extra HP, especially considering that, unlike Politoed, Pelipper has access to reliable recovery anyway.
The EV spread makes Pelipper as tanky as possible, while still retaining enough speed to outspeed uninvested Skarm and Celesteela to u-turn out without getting t-bolted/toxic'd and trap with magnezone. The spread can definitely be changed to fit preferences. A more SpD set can be chosed to better handle Ash-Gren and Zard-Y, and the Spe EVs are something I like to have but definitely not something it can't live without.
Ferrothorn (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 152 Def / 104 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock
- Power Whip
- Gyro Ball
Ferrothorn's synergy with rain based teams has always been amazing, and it's no different this time. It's the rocks setter of this team, and with the weakened HP Fire it becomes a safer switch in to fast special threats (Latios, Tapu Koko).
Thunder Wave is still an amazing move despite its nerf, and it prevents ferro from being set up fodder from zard x and volcarona, as well as being able to cripple anything but grounds. Spikes are sorely wanted on this set, but power whip is chosen to be a way other than Ludicolo to handle some threats that otherwise the team struggles to take care of (Rotom-w, Tapu Fini, Quagsire). Gyro Ball is a staple because of its high power and reliability against faster mons.
The EV spread intends to maximise bulk on both sides of the spectrum, and leftovers is necessary as the set lacks other options for recovery. 0 Spe IVs for stronger Gyro Balls but yall already know that.
Magnezone @ Choice Specs
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 76 HP / 252 SpA / 180 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Magnezone is a mon that isn't usually seen on rain teams, but it was chosen for this one to get rid of Skarm, Celesteela and Scizor for Pinsir and Driller. This is the main way for the team to beat stall: get rid of the main steel type and start breaking with Pinsir to clean up with ludicolo. If it wasn't for mag, Pinsir would be walled to no end and this team would auto lose to chansey+skarm or cores along those lines.
The Specs set is the one chosen here. With base 130 SpA, its STAB hit incredibly hard and can be very difficult to switch into. Tbolt for power and Volt Switch for initiative (creating a slow volt turn core with Pelipper), Flash Cannon for secondary STAB and HP Fire to kill what it traps.
The EVs give it maximum offensive power and enough speed to outspeed most defensive mons and either score a KO or volt switch out safely. The rest is dumped into HP to make it a more reliable switch in to tapu lele, tapu koko and other fast electrics. More HP would be nice but I find the speed helpful in countless situations.
Pinsir-Mega @ Pinsirite
Ability: Hyper Cutter
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Return
- Quick Attack
- Earthquake
Pinsir is the main breaker of the team. It received both a buff and a nerf in this new gen, but overall it's still as effective as during ORAS. The new Megaevolution mechanics means that it no longer has to worry about finding a safe turn to mega evolve, as it gets the speed buff instantly, and the reduction in its power output is only really felt when trying to score KOs with +2 quick attack. Hyper cutter is the ability of choice because of the stupid amount of Lando-t and other intimidators around.
The set is very standard and has no hidden surprises, but that doesn't make it any less threatening. +2 return demolishes the entire tier with help from magnezone, and EQ takes care of normal flying switch ins like Tran and Ttar. Jolly > Adamant to outspeed and OHKO (68% of the times) Zard-y which is otherwise a huge threat to this team. EVs maximise speed and power like they should on such a mon.
Excadrill @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide
- Rapid Spin
So yeah I realised during the making of this RMT that i was running max SpA jolly Excadrill for all the games I've played with this team, and it definitely cost me a couple games so I'm glad i caught that lol. Funny fact, turn out I was also running Adamant Magnezone so yay for careful teambuilding :(
Either way, rapid spin support and a revenge killer outside of rain were crucially needed, and Driller fills these roles extremely well. It's also a great way to stop tapu koko and other electric types from volt switching all over the place, and either weakens lando-t for Pinsir or takes advantage of Pinsir weakening it. It's definitely another win condition for this team too, as fairies and ground weak mons are everywhere in this meta.
The set is very standard here too. Mold breaker prevents levitators from switching into EQ and STAB + rock coverage are staples. Plus, for some reason people convince themselves its bulky Drill (why would you) and like to leave in their zard-y to die to rock slide. Rapid spin is the only way of this team of getting rid of hazards so it's obligatory on this set. Max Atk and Spe + Jolly nature because Adamant scarf is bad lol.
Playstyle + Conclusion
Like I mentioned earlier, the main goal of this team is to beat down walls with drill + magnezone, to later clean up with Ludicolo. Their roles can however alternate depending on the opposing team. When I play with this I like to lead Pelipper and u-turn out to set up rocks, and proceed breaking from there. I've had a very good amount of success even despite the mistakes in teambuilding which I only just found out :P
Feel free to suggest alternatives in sets and mons, but try not to change the asset doing so e.g. removing rain, making it into stall or something (?)
Threat List:
Zard-Y: Can remove rain from the field and OHKOs/2HKOs every mon on the team. Easily revenge killed but hard to switch into.
Zard-X: I can stop it at up to +1. If it goes beyond that, it has to die through flare blitz recoil.
Lando-t: It's S ranked for a reason. The defensive set is hard to break through and the offensive one is hard to revenge kill. It doesnt set up on much but after a rock polish the only thing i can do to stop it is gyro ball it with ferro or hope it misses an edge.
Magearna (AV): It switches in and threatens 4/6 members of this team. I pretty much have to let zone die to get rid of this. T-bolt is a 3HKO and I get blown back by aura sphere in return.
Rotom-W: Very VERY hard to switch in for me. Nothing enjoys a will-o-wisp and it can volt switch all over the place and i can't do anything about it. Thank god it's way less popular than during ORAS.
Heliolisk (leftovers): Never thought I'd say this but wtf this thing walls my entire team. Gets recovery with rain, walls my water types and Magnezone, outspeeds and KOs pinsir and ferro just sits there while it gets recovery and volt switches around. I have only seen this once but it had such great matchup vs me that I had to include it. (It's bad don't ever use it ever please)
Replays:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7oususpecttest-534037899 Ludicolo 6-0d from turn 1 but i didnt want to risk a focus blast on Kyu-B
~
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