OLD Team

[Dinosaurs]

This is my rain dance team that I posted a while back, and it went though some big changes both on the forum and with me. I never posted the final line up so I'm doing it now.

I started with crobat because he has great speed and I feel is an underated lead. Especially good for my rain dance team.

Next I was looking for a physical sweeper that could take advantage of the rain. Being an amateur fossil collector and also realizing that kabutops is one of the best physical sweepers with rain in the game he became an obvious choice.

Now I needed something to bring back the rain. Incase Crobat was killed off. It also sets up stealth rock for me which is why I would uturn crobat and bring in bronzorg.

My special sweeper is ludicolo. This guy can run though many teams once rain dance is up. Taking on many of the annoying water types like gyarados or vaporeon my oponent may have.

Though he doesnt benefit from the rain like the other 2 sweepers there may come a time where scizor is by himself. I put him in to take care of anything my team can't handle. he is one of the hardest hitters in the game.

My second favorite poke. Kingdra is my mix sweeper. She's my wall killer and with its set even bulky water types are 2HKO.

Vlad@ Damp Rock
Jolly/Inner Focus
31/31/31/X/31/31
252 SPE/ 252 ATK/ 4 DEF

1. Rain Dance
2. U-Turn
3. Taunt
4. Hypnosis/Toxic

Crobat is my lead because of its high speed and ability to set up rain dance, steal rock, and can even poison the opposition with toxic. U-turn is used to allow an easy switch in to one of my sweepers such as kingdra or Kabutops. An because it has decent defenses it can make a return to set up rain dance again.

Bones@ Life Orb
Adamant/Swift Swim
31/31/31/X/31/31
4 HP/ 252 ATK/ 252 SPE

1. Rapid Spin
2. Stone Edge
3. Aqua Jet
4. Swords Dance

This girl will take you out. STAB stone edge can deal damage to ghost types and swords dance will allow for saving PP from the pressure ability. Aqua Jet is a great priority move that lets me take on weakened pokes or also get the first hit on some pokes that are weak to water, but are faster. Rapid Spin is here to get rid of the opposing SR or other hazards and since their lead hopefully won't make it through the first 2-3 turns mine can be brought back assuming crobat makes it.

Maya@ Damp Rock
Impish/Levitate
31/31/31/X/31/X
252 HP/ 152 Atk/ 8 Def/ 96 SpD

1. Rain Dance
2. Stealth Rock
3. Earthquake
4. Explosion

Physical bulk needed here. Rain Dance protects it from fire attacks and sets up stealth rock. Explosion takes on a 252 HP 0 Def Snorlax with ease, and also is an easy switch on counters.

Alzheimer@ Life Orb
Modest/Swift Swim
31/X/31/31/31/31/31
4 HP/ 252 SPATK/ 252 SPE

1. Rain Dance
2. Surf
3. Ice Beam
4. Energy Ball

It has relatively good coverage with it's two STAB attacks, and is a fine counter to bulky waters such as Suicune and Vaporeon which screw over a lot of rain teams. Focus Punch is a brilliant choice should you predict a switch to Tyranitar or Blissey. Gyarados' role is kinda taken by Kingdra here, who has Swift Swim, STAB Dragon-type attacks and only 1 weakness.

Ruby@ Choice Band
Adamant/Technician
31/31/31/X/31/31
240 HP/ 252 ATK/ 16 SPE


1. Bullet Punch
2. U-Turn
3. Super Power
4. Roost

Choice Band Scizor is more hit and run, which is brilliant for a rain team, as it is only ever really needed when the occasional Tyranitar or Latias shows up.

Poseidon@ Life Orb
Naive/Swift Swim
31/31/31/31/31/31
252 ATK/ 56 SPATK/ 200 SPE

1. Hydro Pump
2. Draco Meteor
3. Outrage
4. Ice Beam

Draco Meteor is the superior option over Dragon Pulse, doing significantly more damage to Swampert, Latias and other Bulky Pokemon which cause the team trouble. Outrage gets good STAB coverage, only resisted by Empoleon. Draco Meteor deals much more damage to physical walls such as Skarmory, who can just whirlwind you around.

 

[ShinyAzelf]

I think you should use Grass Knot over Energy Ball, because Grass Knot hits heavier foes and though you may say it isn't as reliable, you have Surf as a reliable STAB option, so you can forgo Energy Ball for Grass Knot.

If you use Choice Band, don't use Roost. Either switch the item to Life Orb, or get rid of Roost and put in Quick Attack or Pursuit.

I think you should run max Special Attack on Kingdra instead of maxing out Attack, because you have 3 Special Attacks, and you will be using those attacks more often.

Lastly, I think Waterfall should go over Rapid Spin on Kabutops. You don't have any Stealth Rock weak Pokemon bar Crobat and it doesn't look like they harm your team too much.

Good luck!

 

[Siegrin]

Don't use CB roost, just so you can get stuck on it? Energy ball is so weak, and Grass Knot would just be a better option... Why are you running such high attack stats when you only have one attack move. You'd be better off adding SpA

 

[aVocado]

I really like this team, i can't find any shared weakness, Infernape might be a little threatening, but with your Swift Swimming Pokemon you'll get rid of it easily, and you have Kabutops to revenge kill it using Aqua Jet as well. Tyranitar isn't a problem at all to this team, your Kabutops to revenge and Scizor as well, so that's covered.

On Kingdra, i suggest using this:

Kingdra @ Life orb
Naughty
Swift swim
252 Atk / 240 SpA / 16 Spe

- Draco Meteor
- Waterfall
- Hydro Pump
- Outrage

In rain Hydro Pump can 2HKO (OHKO with rocks) specially defensive Skarmory (Careful nature) doing 82.6% - 97.3% and flat out OHKOing physically defensive Skarmory. (121.6% - 143.1%)

While Waterfall takes care of +252/252 Bold Blissey doing 56.9% - 66.9% which is a 2HKO no matter what. [beware of Thunder Wave]

Edit: @ ShinyAzelf: Disagree, Energy Ball should be used to get rid of Vaporeon. [who is light.]

Edit 2: I just noticed you're using max attack on Crobat which is redundant, i suggest changing it to Jolly 104 HP / 152 Atk / 252 Spe Jolly with U-turn | Rain Dance | Brave Bird | Roost / Taunt @ Damp Rock.

 

[The Grand Babido]

I don't quite understand why using Max Atk on Crobat is redundant although in my rate I plan to replace Crobat anyway.

While I have never really been one for Rain Teams, they can work. However, I think yours does need a bit of improvement. With Rain Dance, you want Stealth Rock up as early as possible. Stealth Rock is really integral for Rain Dance. Firstly, it lessens the amount of appearances Gyarados and Zapdos can make - who are both huge threats to Rain. Secondly, your sweepers are often barely managing to KO Pokemon with a boosted Surf, so Stealth Rock really ensure they can pull it off. To fit Stealth Rock onto your team, I would suggest using Azelf:

Azelf @ Damp Rock
Timid | Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Stealth Rock / Rain Dance / Taunt / Explosion

Now, you may want to replace one of the moves, but they are all pretty important. Stealth Rock and Rain Dance are obvious. Taunt makes sure Roserade never sets up Toxic Spikes [unless it is scarf], as Toxic Spikes are a huge problem to your team. Toxic Spikes put your sweepers on an even shorter timer than the general 8/5 turns of Rain, although really techincally 6/3. Explosion gives one of your Rain sweepers an easy opportunity to come in.

Scizor wants a more supportive role and Choice Band + Roost is ?_?. You mention its useful for when Latias comes up.... Anyway, a Damp Rock and Rain Dance on Scizor would make things much easier for your sweepers. You can keep your current EV spread, but Rain Dance should replace Superpower.

With Azelf using Stealth Rock, Bronzong has an empty moveslot. I don't think running Gyro Ball over that is the best option [although it can work]. I would like to suggest a defensive Jirachi with Rain Dance over the Bronzong.

Jirachi @ Damp Rock
Sassy | Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 80 Def / 176 SpDef [0 Spe IV]
Wish / U-turn / Rain Dance / Iron Head

This is honestly a beautiful Jirachi set and my favourite thing on Rain Teams when I used to use them. With Sassy and 0 Spe, Jirachi becomes slower than stuff like 68 Spe Vaporeon, which is pretty awesome. The beauty in this is that you can set up Rain, use Wish and then U-turn out to a Rain sweeper. Giving them a free switch-in against all but the slowest opponents, 50% of their HP recovered and a few turns of Rain to absolutely cause havoc.

Good luck!

[edit:] I agree with Arikado's suggestion of the Kingdra change.

 

[Dinosaurs]

Ok, before putting this in the main post this is what im doing:

In place of Crobat:

Shiva@ Damp Rock
Jolly/Levitate
252 Speed/ 4 ATK/ 252 HP

1. Rain Dance
2. Taunt
3. Stealth Rock
4. U-Turn/Explosion

IDK which is best for last slot. U-Turn makes it able to set up get outa dodge quickly and set up RD later, but explosion also deals a nice amount of damage. Help with this decision please.

Next, as for bronzorg I was thinking just trading SR for gyro ball or:

Angus@ Life Orb
Modest/Volt Absorb

252 SPA/ 200 Speed/ 52 HP

1. Rain Dance
2. Thunder
3. Fake Tears
4. Charge Beam