[OVERVIEW]
On paper, Thundurus-T is one of the tier's apex predators, boasting an absurd Special Attack stat and the coveted Nasty Plot to soup up its STAB and coverage options to the next level. It doesn't have an overly difficult time finding that opportunity either, with its defensive typing + ability combo giving it a superb matchup against common defensive pieces like Landorus-T, Zapdos, and Tornadus-T. Its defensive answers are very few and far between and finds a vast amount of matchups where it just can't be stopped defensively. It isn't just limited to a wallbreaker role, either, as it can also find success with significant bulk investment on hyper offensive teams as a pivot and progress maker. Unfortunately, its Speed stat, while not horrible, forces it into a pure wallbreaker role, as there are droves of faster offensive Pokemon that can chase it out. Even worse are the faster Pokemon that can switch directly in, including the common Mega Latias and Mega Alakazam, which has a lot of fun tracing Volt Absorb for safe entry. Thundurus-T's Stealth Rock weakness is the cherry on top of the ways it can be offensively outplayed and overwhelmed.
[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Hidden Power [Ice]
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Nasty Plot
item: Fightinium Z / Electrium Z / Leftovers / Iapapa Berry
ability: Volt Absorb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Thunderbolt may be Thundurus-T's main STAB option, but practically it serves as a complement to Fightinium Z-boosted Focus Blast, making short work of opposing Flying-types like Mega Charizard Y and Hawlucha. Hidden Power Ice is crucial for Landorus-T and Gliscor and has additional use for chipping the likes of Tapu Bulu and Mega Latias if needed. Focus Blast is the main weapon in Thundurus-T's arsenal, bulldozing past Ferrothorn and Kyurem-B and acting as a great neutral hit when powered up by its Z-Crystal. Another reason it's such a good primary breaking option is Thundurus-T's naturally incredible matchup against common Fighting-resistant Pokemon like Tornadus-T, Landorus-T, and Zapdos. Nasty Plot lets Thundurus-T squeeze the most out of free turns and its Z-Move and is instrumental to its breaking power.
Set Details
========
Fightinium Z is the main option for Z-Crystals, turning an otherwise disappointing Focus Blast into a consistent, key part of its wallbreaking kit, able to overcome common Electric-type checks like Ferrothorn and Kyurem-B and special walls like Mega Tyranitar and Chansey, additionally acting as an incredibly versatile neutral option. Electrium Z is a more uncommon mixup that allows Thundurus-T to swipe surprise unboosted KOs against offensive Pokemon like Tapu Lele, Mega Medicham, and Volcarona trying to trade from full health, additionally blowing through Magearna after a boost and preventing it from trading itself favorably. Leftovers is a less offensively potent that makes it harder for Thundurus-T to be chipped over time by weak attacks. Iapapa Berry is a similar idea but is more focused on reducing the efficiency of trades for the opponent against mid-strength Pokemon like Choice Specs Tapu Koko; additionally, it can help out while Stealth Rock is up, as it can self-trigger and give itself some late-game breathing room.
Usage Tips
========
Thundurus-T excels early-game at finding an opening. Typically, the opposing counterplay to Thundurus-T will be revenge killers and chip damage, especially while facing offense teams. Aim to get Thundurus-T on the field before opposing Stealth Rock goes up, as Thundurus-T wants to enter one-on-ones with full health to create safe setup opportunities out of its typing and ability. Allowing opposing bulky Magearna to trade can be a fine decision against highly offensive teams where Thundurus-T has little breathing room, but in favorable matchups with plenty of foes slower than Thundurus-T, it can be better to attack and switch out or save it for the mid- or late-game. Volt Absorb gives Thundurus-T an X-factor against Volt Switch users like Zapdos, Tapu Koko, and Rotom-W, though switching directly in can often not be worth the risk. One notable downside of Volt Absorb, however, is that Mega Alakazam can copy it with Trace, making it a deceptively safe switch-in, factoring in its resistance to Fighting.
Team Options
========
Thundurus-T fits best on hyper offense, offense, and bulky offense teams, which don't mind how naturally short-term it is and can reap the most benefit from its early wallbreaking. Mega Tyranitar can make great use of Pursuit to negate Thundurus-T's most irritating matchups against bulky Psychic-types like Mega Latias and Mega Latios and limit revenge killers like Choice Scarf Victini and Tapu Lele. Flying-type attackers like Dragonite and Mega Pinsir are very interesting strike partners, as their checks, such as Zapdos, Skarmory, and Tapu Koko, are handled and even preyed on by Thundurus-T, opening it to further wallbreak or clean up. Pivots like Landorus-T and Victini will give Thundurus-T more setup opportunities; Choice Scarf variants of the two can help against Mega Alakazam, which is typically a very difficult Pokemon for Thundurus-T teams to handle. Fairy-types like Tapu Fini and Magearna can provide a much-needed defensive backbone against the likes of Ash-Greninja and Kommo-o; the former offers additional Defog support, while the latter helps against Psychic-types like Mega Alakazam defensively. Mega Mawile is a great wallbreaking partner, seeking out opposing Mega Latias and Chansey and immediately opening up Thundurus-T via Knock Off against the likes of Assault Vest Magearna and Choice Scarf Landorus-T. Mega Scizor feasts on Mega Latias and Mega Latios and Grass-types like Tapu Bulu for Thundurus-T, able to switch directly in on them and build momentum, use them for setup, or even trap them with Pursuit. On hyper offense teams, Thundurus-T pairs well with dedicated leads like Mew and Mega Diancie, which can prevent opposing Stealth Rock; this alleviates the rush to get Thundurus-T in early-game while also benefitting it with their own Stealth Rock. In the same vein, Serperior's very forceful combination of Taunt + Defog can be exactly what Thundurus-T needs in fast-paced hyper offense matches.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Hidden Power Flying allows Thundurus-T to break through bulky Grass-types like Mega Venusaur and Tapu Bulu as well as Kommo-o and allows it to hit Mega Alakazam hard neutrally, but dropping Hidden Power Ice makes it much harder for Thundurus-T to deal with Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Garchomp. U-turn + Thunderbolt can be used on the support set rather than Volt Switch to soothe horror matchups like Excadrill, Seismitoad, and Gastrodon. Agility could potentially be used alongside Nasty Plot to give Thundurus-T a surprise cleaning option, though it has to drop Focus Blast, making it much less of a threat. Substitute allows Thundurus-T to generate free setup opportunities against status users like Gliscor, though it has the same issue as Agility in that it cuts into Thundurus-T's moveslots in a way it can barely afford.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Threats and Priority**: Mega Alakazam is one of the toughest threats to face, utilizing its ability to copy Volt Absorb and its resistance to Fighting to get reasonably safe entry and threaten huge damage with Psychic. Fast threats like Weavile, Mega Lopunny, and both Protean and Ash-Greninja have no issue chasing out Thundurus-T if they are able to get in through pivoting, a revenge kill, or even a highly risky Nasty Plot prediction, though they have absolutely no business switching in normally. Garchomp deserves a mention for using its 1 point of extra Speed to the fullest, forcing Thundurus-T to make a difficult Hidden Power Ice callout to avoid letting Garchomp switch in and threaten it with Stone Edge or Devastating Drake.
**Passive Damage**: Thundurus-T is significantly limited by the presence of Stealth Rock on the field. Considering a lot of Thundurus-T's appeal comes from it being able to just calmly switch its move and dare the opponent to handle it directly, taking Toxic or even poison and burn to put it on a timer makes Thundurus-T half the threat it once was.
**Bulky Dragon-types**: Mega Latias and Mega Latios are the strongest answers to Thundurus-T, able to switch into and heal off all of its attacks and threaten it out with Ice Beam. Specially defensive Kommo-o can trade health for Toxic and severely limit Thundurus-T, though it needs to outplay Fightinium Z either with Protect or by switching out to avoid getting OHKOed after Thundurus-T sets up. Although niche, Mega Altaria's Dragon / Fairy typing and reasonable bulk equips it nicely to handle Thundurus-T, and it can either threaten Thundurus-T back with attacks and Toxic or phaze it out with Roar.
**Specially Defensive Walls**: Defensive sets of Magearna, especially but not exclusively Assault Vest, can come into Thundurus-T and force a trade with Ice Beam or Fleur Cannon, limiting its effectiveness. Tapu Bulu and Mega Venusaur shrug off Thundurus-T's Electric- and Fighting-type coverage and take an acceptable amount from Hidden Power Ice, able to hit back with boosted Wood Hammer or Stone Edge and Sludge Bomb, respectively. Gastrodon can take a +2 All-Out Pummeling and hit back with Toxic and becomes even better when Fightinium Z isn't available.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/diyusi.519886/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/skypenguin.462413/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sunny004.197240/
On paper, Thundurus-T is one of the tier's apex predators, boasting an absurd Special Attack stat and the coveted Nasty Plot to soup up its STAB and coverage options to the next level. It doesn't have an overly difficult time finding that opportunity either, with its defensive typing + ability combo giving it a superb matchup against common defensive pieces like Landorus-T, Zapdos, and Tornadus-T. Its defensive answers are very few and far between and finds a vast amount of matchups where it just can't be stopped defensively. It isn't just limited to a wallbreaker role, either, as it can also find success with significant bulk investment on hyper offensive teams as a pivot and progress maker. Unfortunately, its Speed stat, while not horrible, forces it into a pure wallbreaker role, as there are droves of faster offensive Pokemon that can chase it out. Even worse are the faster Pokemon that can switch directly in, including the common Mega Latias and Mega Alakazam, which has a lot of fun tracing Volt Absorb for safe entry. Thundurus-T's Stealth Rock weakness is the cherry on top of the ways it can be offensively outplayed and overwhelmed.
[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Hidden Power [Ice]
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Nasty Plot
item: Fightinium Z / Electrium Z / Leftovers / Iapapa Berry
ability: Volt Absorb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Thunderbolt may be Thundurus-T's main STAB option, but practically it serves as a complement to Fightinium Z-boosted Focus Blast, making short work of opposing Flying-types like Mega Charizard Y and Hawlucha. Hidden Power Ice is crucial for Landorus-T and Gliscor and has additional use for chipping the likes of Tapu Bulu and Mega Latias if needed. Focus Blast is the main weapon in Thundurus-T's arsenal, bulldozing past Ferrothorn and Kyurem-B and acting as a great neutral hit when powered up by its Z-Crystal. Another reason it's such a good primary breaking option is Thundurus-T's naturally incredible matchup against common Fighting-resistant Pokemon like Tornadus-T, Landorus-T, and Zapdos. Nasty Plot lets Thundurus-T squeeze the most out of free turns and its Z-Move and is instrumental to its breaking power.
Set Details
========
Fightinium Z is the main option for Z-Crystals, turning an otherwise disappointing Focus Blast into a consistent, key part of its wallbreaking kit, able to overcome common Electric-type checks like Ferrothorn and Kyurem-B and special walls like Mega Tyranitar and Chansey, additionally acting as an incredibly versatile neutral option. Electrium Z is a more uncommon mixup that allows Thundurus-T to swipe surprise unboosted KOs against offensive Pokemon like Tapu Lele, Mega Medicham, and Volcarona trying to trade from full health, additionally blowing through Magearna after a boost and preventing it from trading itself favorably. Leftovers is a less offensively potent that makes it harder for Thundurus-T to be chipped over time by weak attacks. Iapapa Berry is a similar idea but is more focused on reducing the efficiency of trades for the opponent against mid-strength Pokemon like Choice Specs Tapu Koko; additionally, it can help out while Stealth Rock is up, as it can self-trigger and give itself some late-game breathing room.
Usage Tips
========
Thundurus-T excels early-game at finding an opening. Typically, the opposing counterplay to Thundurus-T will be revenge killers and chip damage, especially while facing offense teams. Aim to get Thundurus-T on the field before opposing Stealth Rock goes up, as Thundurus-T wants to enter one-on-ones with full health to create safe setup opportunities out of its typing and ability. Allowing opposing bulky Magearna to trade can be a fine decision against highly offensive teams where Thundurus-T has little breathing room, but in favorable matchups with plenty of foes slower than Thundurus-T, it can be better to attack and switch out or save it for the mid- or late-game. Volt Absorb gives Thundurus-T an X-factor against Volt Switch users like Zapdos, Tapu Koko, and Rotom-W, though switching directly in can often not be worth the risk. One notable downside of Volt Absorb, however, is that Mega Alakazam can copy it with Trace, making it a deceptively safe switch-in, factoring in its resistance to Fighting.
Team Options
========
Thundurus-T fits best on hyper offense, offense, and bulky offense teams, which don't mind how naturally short-term it is and can reap the most benefit from its early wallbreaking. Mega Tyranitar can make great use of Pursuit to negate Thundurus-T's most irritating matchups against bulky Psychic-types like Mega Latias and Mega Latios and limit revenge killers like Choice Scarf Victini and Tapu Lele. Flying-type attackers like Dragonite and Mega Pinsir are very interesting strike partners, as their checks, such as Zapdos, Skarmory, and Tapu Koko, are handled and even preyed on by Thundurus-T, opening it to further wallbreak or clean up. Pivots like Landorus-T and Victini will give Thundurus-T more setup opportunities; Choice Scarf variants of the two can help against Mega Alakazam, which is typically a very difficult Pokemon for Thundurus-T teams to handle. Fairy-types like Tapu Fini and Magearna can provide a much-needed defensive backbone against the likes of Ash-Greninja and Kommo-o; the former offers additional Defog support, while the latter helps against Psychic-types like Mega Alakazam defensively. Mega Mawile is a great wallbreaking partner, seeking out opposing Mega Latias and Chansey and immediately opening up Thundurus-T via Knock Off against the likes of Assault Vest Magearna and Choice Scarf Landorus-T. Mega Scizor feasts on Mega Latias and Mega Latios and Grass-types like Tapu Bulu for Thundurus-T, able to switch directly in on them and build momentum, use them for setup, or even trap them with Pursuit. On hyper offense teams, Thundurus-T pairs well with dedicated leads like Mew and Mega Diancie, which can prevent opposing Stealth Rock; this alleviates the rush to get Thundurus-T in early-game while also benefitting it with their own Stealth Rock. In the same vein, Serperior's very forceful combination of Taunt + Defog can be exactly what Thundurus-T needs in fast-paced hyper offense matches.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Hidden Power Flying allows Thundurus-T to break through bulky Grass-types like Mega Venusaur and Tapu Bulu as well as Kommo-o and allows it to hit Mega Alakazam hard neutrally, but dropping Hidden Power Ice makes it much harder for Thundurus-T to deal with Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Garchomp. U-turn + Thunderbolt can be used on the support set rather than Volt Switch to soothe horror matchups like Excadrill, Seismitoad, and Gastrodon. Agility could potentially be used alongside Nasty Plot to give Thundurus-T a surprise cleaning option, though it has to drop Focus Blast, making it much less of a threat. Substitute allows Thundurus-T to generate free setup opportunities against status users like Gliscor, though it has the same issue as Agility in that it cuts into Thundurus-T's moveslots in a way it can barely afford.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Threats and Priority**: Mega Alakazam is one of the toughest threats to face, utilizing its ability to copy Volt Absorb and its resistance to Fighting to get reasonably safe entry and threaten huge damage with Psychic. Fast threats like Weavile, Mega Lopunny, and both Protean and Ash-Greninja have no issue chasing out Thundurus-T if they are able to get in through pivoting, a revenge kill, or even a highly risky Nasty Plot prediction, though they have absolutely no business switching in normally. Garchomp deserves a mention for using its 1 point of extra Speed to the fullest, forcing Thundurus-T to make a difficult Hidden Power Ice callout to avoid letting Garchomp switch in and threaten it with Stone Edge or Devastating Drake.
**Passive Damage**: Thundurus-T is significantly limited by the presence of Stealth Rock on the field. Considering a lot of Thundurus-T's appeal comes from it being able to just calmly switch its move and dare the opponent to handle it directly, taking Toxic or even poison and burn to put it on a timer makes Thundurus-T half the threat it once was.
**Bulky Dragon-types**: Mega Latias and Mega Latios are the strongest answers to Thundurus-T, able to switch into and heal off all of its attacks and threaten it out with Ice Beam. Specially defensive Kommo-o can trade health for Toxic and severely limit Thundurus-T, though it needs to outplay Fightinium Z either with Protect or by switching out to avoid getting OHKOed after Thundurus-T sets up. Although niche, Mega Altaria's Dragon / Fairy typing and reasonable bulk equips it nicely to handle Thundurus-T, and it can either threaten Thundurus-T back with attacks and Toxic or phaze it out with Roar.
**Specially Defensive Walls**: Defensive sets of Magearna, especially but not exclusively Assault Vest, can come into Thundurus-T and force a trade with Ice Beam or Fleur Cannon, limiting its effectiveness. Tapu Bulu and Mega Venusaur shrug off Thundurus-T's Electric- and Fighting-type coverage and take an acceptable amount from Hidden Power Ice, able to hit back with boosted Wood Hammer or Stone Edge and Sludge Bomb, respectively. Gastrodon can take a +2 All-Out Pummeling and hit back with Toxic and becomes even better when Fightinium Z isn't available.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zinnias.569291/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/diyusi.519886/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/skypenguin.462413/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sunny004.197240/
Last edited:
