Purple Rain

[baf]

Importable Team

https://pokepast.es/5110dd26f459b678

Pelipper @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Scald/Weather Ball
- Hurricane
- Defog
- Roost

Standard bird. He sets rain, sometimes clears hazards. It's a pelican, you know how it works. Max defence can allow it tank some moves, this can also work hand in hand with Mantine's large special defence. Weather Ball is potentially better than Scald for this set, but I do like the utility of a potential burn.

Scizor @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Knock Off

I usually lead with Scizor, and either Bullet Punch my way to a KO, or upset an opponent with Knock Off, or Superpower. It's a pretty good lead and can often last the whole game and rack up hits. Rain gives it some protection from fire, and also baits fire types coming in.

Scizor scouts, brings in Fire Pokemon, and is kind of a glue for the team.

Excadrill @ Focus Sash
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Swords Dance

Mr. Resetti here spins rocks, dances and attacks. Textbook Excadrill. I think it could be swapped for something, but it does put in work. It's an inessential part of the team, but it is pretty handy to have. My team doesn't like rocks.

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Leech Seed
- Stealth Rock
- Knock Off
- Gyro Ball

Very standard Thorn. It's pretty much the same set everyone runs. Does fairly often get a kill with Gyro Ball on fairies, Knock Offs or even Leech Seed. Tanks a significant portion of attacks, and dissuades most physical attackers coming in. Setting up Stealth Rock isn't vital to the success of this team, but it's always handy.

Thundurus-Therian (M) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunder
- Weather Ball
- Rain Dance /Focus Blast
- Nasty Plot

Finally something with a bit of individuality. This one of the main attacks under rain, Thunder/Weather Ball are prime hitters. Nasty Plot to set up, Rain Dance, is definitely an iffy inclusion, but with my playstyle tendency of losing Pelipper too early, it's came in clutch. Focus Blast is an alternative, and is arguably the better move, but I really hate missing with it. My mum used to always say to me "Don't talk to strangers, look both ways, and never trust a Focus Blast."


Mantine @ Choice Specs
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hurricane
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam/Blizzard
- Haze

Mantine is the man. Easily clears teams under rain, and with a bit of help getting rid of Water Absorbers, as uncommon as they are. Specs Hydro Pump is a thing of beauty, unless it misses. Ice Beam is occasionally good, really only used against dragons. Hurricane is probably the best move in most scenarios. Haze is there because Mantine has a fairly shallow movepool. Psybeam for Toxapex isn't at all worth running. Blizzard is a better Ice Beam, but is inaccurate, and Ice just isn't as useful, so I can afford to have the lower powered Ice Beam.


Team Weaknesses;

Half of my team doesn't appreciate Stealth Rocks, or indeed a Stone Edge. Excadrill can mitigate that, but a correct prediction from the opponent can easily kill any of my non-Steels.

Slowking, Slowking-G and Slowbro. They are chunky, resist Water and have regenerator. My team can easily struggle against them. Best solution I have is Scizor Knocking Off.

Kyurem. It can easily tear me a new one with Freeze Dry. If it lands on Mantine, Pelliper or Thundurus, they're gone. However, it can be dealt with fairly easily with Scizor's Bullet Punch or two.

How This Team Wins;

Pelliper sets up rain, this leaves it an open target to Volt Switches and Thunders, so Thundurus-T is a good switch in here. If I'm predicting a Rock attack, Ferrothorn can move in. Mantine is a late-game sweeper, but it needs Rain. Mantine's rain-boosted Specs Hydro Pump and Hurricane deal with most Pokemon late game. Excadrill keeps stealth rocks off, and can prove a threat to slower Rock-attackers.

 

[Fc]

This is a pretty cool team imo, it reminds me of old meta rain with the Mantine pick but much more modernized. I just have a few changes that I think will be better for the team overall.

Major Changes:
-->
You already have a hazard setter in Ferrothorn, and on a team where Pelipper is likely gonna have to Defog for itself a few times already in a game running a sash set that only can set up like once then die isn't a great role to play imo. To make up for that loss of Physical pressure and another loss later on, I think CB Barraskewda is a great fit here. It makes up for the slow overall speed especially out of rain, and hits everything really hard while providing momentum to the rest of the team.

Minor Changes:


--> Sp.def
One of the big issues with rain imo is that Kyurem can just lead against Pelipper and get a kill every single time. Ferrothorn is 2HKO'd and the rest of the team is as well, so I think going with the midground SD Sp.def set on Scizor is the way to go for covering this mu. You still have U-turn for momentum which is really helpful, it just defensively adds to the team while also providing that Kyurem check. Roost lets it also take on Rillaboom better long term.

Set

Safety Scissors (Scizor) @ Leftovers
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Swords Dance
- Roost

Rain Dance --> Focus Blast

Simple change, this set is walled by opposing Ferrothorn and doesn't have coverage for things like AV Melmetal, so removing Rain Dance is fine. Manual rain is so much worse than just preserving Pelipper and setting it up again that it's almost never worth running, so it's a small change but effective.


Hurricane --> U-turn

The reason to run min speed Pelipper is for U-turn, and it's a great support move here. You have a ton of pivoting already with Barraskewda and Scizor so I think it's a much better pick and is also the standard that the set uses. Mantine is already a strong Hurricane user so Pelipper doesn't really have to be one.
Optional Minor Change:

-->
Hydro Pump --> Surf
Ice Beam --> Substitute
Haze --> Roost

Like I mentioned this is reminiscent of old rain styles when Mantine was trending. This was before Blissey though so it may be quite a bit harder to use now but you have a lot of pressure to put on Blissey with the other mons. This set is probably the best way to get a use out of Mantine imo. You just set up on things like Toxapex and sit behind a sub while your attacks slowly get powered up. I could still see Chioce Specs working with Surf > Haze so this isn't 100% required but a change I quite like.

Set

DEATH RAY (Mantine) @ Metronome
Ability: Swift Swim
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hurricane
- Surf
- Substitute
- Roost

Updated RMT (pokepast.es)
Here's the updated paste, I hope the changes work well for you! I do really like the structure around Mantine and think this set is a little better, and I tried just patching up a few areas for the team to succeed a bit more overall and with the Barraskewda pick it became a bit more standard of a rain structure.

 

[baf]

Thanks for your tips Fc