Rain has always been my favorite theme when it comes to making teams, and that hasn't changed with this gen. Recently, I got back into battling because a few of us over at the NeoGAF forum decided to do a Gym Leader type event, and I volunteered to be the Water Gym. After it petered out like most gym leagues do, I found that I really liked the team I had made, and wanted to try and tweak it a bit so it could stand a chance against your average team. So here I am now, presenting the work I have done with the hopes that I can get some advice to really make this team shine.
NOTE: I don't have most of the notes on my EV spreads anymore sadly, so I'll try to be as accurate as I can in regards to numbers (thanks in-game display!)
Politoed / Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
Nature: Bold
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
- Scald
- Hypnosis
- Ice Beam
- Rain Dance
My default lead. My game plan in most cases is to send him out and, depending on the opponent, aim for Sleep or a Burn. Ice Beam is there for a stronger hit than Scald can deliver, and Rain Dance is there to combat weather switching. I always get people asking why I bring it instead of a different move, and it's mainly because of my old habit of making Drizzle-less Rain Dance teams. It's also a handy backup in the few cases where the rain has ran out while Politoed was in play, so I can bring it back out.
The EVs are for defensive purposes (clearly), and I don't have a problem with how Toed has performed already. It's Hypnosis that truly bugs me, since the awful accuracy alone has cost me several games. And my natural stubbornness makes me keep using it until it hits.
Kabutops / Wide Lens
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Adamant
4 Def / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Aqua Jet
- Waterfall
- Stone Edge
- Swords Dance
My main physical sweeper, and my answer to Talonflame. Aqua Jet in the rain let's me outspeed anything that isn't naturally faster with a priority move. Waterfall is the main attack in every other situation, hitting like a mach truck in the rain. Stone Edge is for coverage, but the shaky accuracy always wrecks me. Hence the Wide Lens. It's clearly not the preferred item for the average Kabutops, but this is why I'm making this thread in the first place! Swords Dance is for the usual switch, since nobody but the most dangerous rain threats will stay in on him.
The only times I've ever had trouble with Kabutops is when I'd haphazardly send him out early and let him die after he kills a few things, only for Talonflame to come out after he dies and tip the scales. Patience is something that I lack in Pokemon (for whatever reason, since I'm normally patient in every other game I play), and that's the thing that ends up hurting Kabutops more than anything else.
Ludicolo / Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Timid
252 SpA / 252 Spe/ 4 SpD
- Ice Beam
- Giga Drain
- Hydro Pump
- Rain Dance
Kabutops is my main physical sweeper, and Ludicolo is my main special sweeper. He's the 2nd Pokemon on my team that has Rain Dance as a 4th move, and he has the natural stats to be able to take a hit and go back to doing what he does best. Everything about the moveset is self-explanatory at this point, however I chose Timid over Modest because at the time I was making the team I was paranoid over speed. Life Orb helps compensate for the speed increase, and Giga Drain helps lap up the self-inflicted damage.
Luda's main nemesis is Talonflame, who completely laughs at his existence. Kabutops is a great partner, but because of dumb decisions Kabutops will get worn down early. In games where I'm not being absent-minded, Luda is normally the one who decides games.
Kingdra / Mystic Water
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Mild
220(?) Atk / 120(?) SpA / 160(?) Spe
- Waterfall
- Hydro Pump
- Rain Dance
- Draco Meteor
First off, I want to apologize for not knowing the exact numbers of the EV spread, but this is as accurate as I can be, thanks to stat calculators. Secondly, feel free to laugh at Mystic Water. I decided to go for a mixed set since mixed Kingdra has always been my favorite. It still gets the job done too, but I've been finding myself wanting to actually pick a stat and stick with it. Kingdra is a monster in the rain, but I feel like I'm not using it to it's full potential here. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. And yes, Rain Dance is a mainstay from my older battling days. It's probably the one move that hasn't let me down. :P
The rest of the moveset is plucked from sets I've experimented with over the years. Waterfall/Hydro Pump for full effectiveness in the rain and max damage, with Draco Meteor to deal with dragons and for ending fights. Lately I've found that Azumarill will sit back and prepare to OHKO, so clearly something has to change here.
Starmie / Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
Nature: Timid
252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Thunder
- Ice Beam
- Hydro Pump
- Rapid Spin
I've always been skeptical of Starmie, but after a long set of games with one of the gym challengers, I was proven wrong. Starmie is on the team because it's one of the best spinners around. Add it's outstanding movepool, and I can't imagine making another team without it. Thunder and Hydro Pump work wonders in the rain, with Ice Beam putting a dent into anything that isn't already severely wounded by the first two moves. Rapid Spin is for any hazards and Sticky Web. Leftovers makes sure Starmie has some form of recovery, and unless I'm fighting the rare Gengar with Starmie, will usually hit.
The only time Starmie has any sort of problems is when I decide to save it for last and the rest of the team falls. Starmie is fantastic, but in the games I've played, it's not geared for comebacks. Still, I wouldn't change a thing about it.
Tentacruel / Black Sludge
Ability: Rain Dish
Nature: Timid
248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe
- Scald
- Rain Dance
- Sludge Bomb
- Toxic Spikes
My hazard setter, and one of my personal favorite Pokemon in the rain. Rain Dish and Sludge work awesomely in the rain, allowing Tenta to set Toxic Spikes against almost any opponent. Scald becomes even better in the rain, and Sludge Bomb is for a secondary attack. The main goal with using TSpikes and Scald is to get SOMETHING going, preferably poison. Tenta's job isn't to finish off the opponent, which is why I invested in its bulk. The job is to set TSpikes, make it rain again if necessary, and go about its day.
========================
And that's the team I used for months. The main culprits that come to mind are Talonflame, Ferrothorn (which has been a pin to me for an eternity), and Mega Tyranitar. Azumarill stops some of my team, but Ludicolo can wipe it out. Any other potential threats to the team are things that I simply haven't encountered yet, so please let me know of them.
I'd like to add that although I'm submitting this mono-type team, I'm not at ALL against swapping Pokemon out. Mono-type is just how it started, and it certainly doesn't need to stay that way. Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for any advice!
NOTE: I don't have most of the notes on my EV spreads anymore sadly, so I'll try to be as accurate as I can in regards to numbers (thanks in-game display!)
Politoed / Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
Nature: Bold
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
- Scald
- Hypnosis
- Ice Beam
- Rain Dance
My default lead. My game plan in most cases is to send him out and, depending on the opponent, aim for Sleep or a Burn. Ice Beam is there for a stronger hit than Scald can deliver, and Rain Dance is there to combat weather switching. I always get people asking why I bring it instead of a different move, and it's mainly because of my old habit of making Drizzle-less Rain Dance teams. It's also a handy backup in the few cases where the rain has ran out while Politoed was in play, so I can bring it back out.
The EVs are for defensive purposes (clearly), and I don't have a problem with how Toed has performed already. It's Hypnosis that truly bugs me, since the awful accuracy alone has cost me several games. And my natural stubbornness makes me keep using it until it hits.
Kabutops / Wide Lens
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Adamant
4 Def / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Aqua Jet
- Waterfall
- Stone Edge
- Swords Dance
My main physical sweeper, and my answer to Talonflame. Aqua Jet in the rain let's me outspeed anything that isn't naturally faster with a priority move. Waterfall is the main attack in every other situation, hitting like a mach truck in the rain. Stone Edge is for coverage, but the shaky accuracy always wrecks me. Hence the Wide Lens. It's clearly not the preferred item for the average Kabutops, but this is why I'm making this thread in the first place! Swords Dance is for the usual switch, since nobody but the most dangerous rain threats will stay in on him.
The only times I've ever had trouble with Kabutops is when I'd haphazardly send him out early and let him die after he kills a few things, only for Talonflame to come out after he dies and tip the scales. Patience is something that I lack in Pokemon (for whatever reason, since I'm normally patient in every other game I play), and that's the thing that ends up hurting Kabutops more than anything else.
Ludicolo / Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Timid
252 SpA / 252 Spe/ 4 SpD
- Ice Beam
- Giga Drain
- Hydro Pump
- Rain Dance
Kabutops is my main physical sweeper, and Ludicolo is my main special sweeper. He's the 2nd Pokemon on my team that has Rain Dance as a 4th move, and he has the natural stats to be able to take a hit and go back to doing what he does best. Everything about the moveset is self-explanatory at this point, however I chose Timid over Modest because at the time I was making the team I was paranoid over speed. Life Orb helps compensate for the speed increase, and Giga Drain helps lap up the self-inflicted damage.
Luda's main nemesis is Talonflame, who completely laughs at his existence. Kabutops is a great partner, but because of dumb decisions Kabutops will get worn down early. In games where I'm not being absent-minded, Luda is normally the one who decides games.
Kingdra / Mystic Water
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Mild
220(?) Atk / 120(?) SpA / 160(?) Spe
- Waterfall
- Hydro Pump
- Rain Dance
- Draco Meteor
First off, I want to apologize for not knowing the exact numbers of the EV spread, but this is as accurate as I can be, thanks to stat calculators. Secondly, feel free to laugh at Mystic Water. I decided to go for a mixed set since mixed Kingdra has always been my favorite. It still gets the job done too, but I've been finding myself wanting to actually pick a stat and stick with it. Kingdra is a monster in the rain, but I feel like I'm not using it to it's full potential here. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. And yes, Rain Dance is a mainstay from my older battling days. It's probably the one move that hasn't let me down. :P
The rest of the moveset is plucked from sets I've experimented with over the years. Waterfall/Hydro Pump for full effectiveness in the rain and max damage, with Draco Meteor to deal with dragons and for ending fights. Lately I've found that Azumarill will sit back and prepare to OHKO, so clearly something has to change here.
Starmie / Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
Nature: Timid
252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Thunder
- Ice Beam
- Hydro Pump
- Rapid Spin
I've always been skeptical of Starmie, but after a long set of games with one of the gym challengers, I was proven wrong. Starmie is on the team because it's one of the best spinners around. Add it's outstanding movepool, and I can't imagine making another team without it. Thunder and Hydro Pump work wonders in the rain, with Ice Beam putting a dent into anything that isn't already severely wounded by the first two moves. Rapid Spin is for any hazards and Sticky Web. Leftovers makes sure Starmie has some form of recovery, and unless I'm fighting the rare Gengar with Starmie, will usually hit.
The only time Starmie has any sort of problems is when I decide to save it for last and the rest of the team falls. Starmie is fantastic, but in the games I've played, it's not geared for comebacks. Still, I wouldn't change a thing about it.
Tentacruel / Black Sludge
Ability: Rain Dish
Nature: Timid
248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe
- Scald
- Rain Dance
- Sludge Bomb
- Toxic Spikes
My hazard setter, and one of my personal favorite Pokemon in the rain. Rain Dish and Sludge work awesomely in the rain, allowing Tenta to set Toxic Spikes against almost any opponent. Scald becomes even better in the rain, and Sludge Bomb is for a secondary attack. The main goal with using TSpikes and Scald is to get SOMETHING going, preferably poison. Tenta's job isn't to finish off the opponent, which is why I invested in its bulk. The job is to set TSpikes, make it rain again if necessary, and go about its day.
========================
And that's the team I used for months. The main culprits that come to mind are Talonflame, Ferrothorn (which has been a pin to me for an eternity), and Mega Tyranitar. Azumarill stops some of my team, but Ludicolo can wipe it out. Any other potential threats to the team are things that I simply haven't encountered yet, so please let me know of them.
I'd like to add that although I'm submitting this mono-type team, I'm not at ALL against swapping Pokemon out. Mono-type is just how it started, and it certainly doesn't need to stay that way. Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for any advice!
