Hello Smogon! I recently decided to create a rain team as I noticed that their usage was going up, and I can see why. They completely destroy. I usually try to attempt to make teams that are balanced, so I decided to try to go a bit on the offensive side this time. I know this team probably won't be perfect, or anything near it. That's why I'm asking you, the community of smogon to help me capitalize on a team that I've been trying to build for quite some time now. I only make it around the 1200 mark on the smogon ladder on the Pokemon Online server, and I'm hoping that with your help I'll be able to break that, maybe even hit 1300! Well, without further ado, let's take a look at the team!
(M) @
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 152 Def / 104 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
Scald
Perish Song
Protect
Toxic
So, when creating this team, I thought I wanted to do a rain team. Politoed is the staple of all rain teams, and I picked him for obvious reasons. Drizzle, blah blah blah. The EV's are more on the defensive side so Politoed can survive longer than the other weather inducers. He already has the edge over them hitting 3/4 of the weather inducers with super effective damage with scald + the boost from the rain + STAB. Perish song is so that I don't become set up fodder. Protect for scouting and to increase damage from toxic. I use leftovers for obvious reasons. Protect also is used to help me gain a little HP so that I Politoed can survive a bit longer. Politoed isn't very much to the team other than the weather inducer, but from time to time he wins me some games. I think he's pulling his weight nicely as the weather inducer and revenge sometimes, believe it or not.
(F) @
Trait: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 116 Atk / 140 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
Swords Dance
Bullet Punch
Bug Bite
Pursuit
Ah, Scizor, I used to hate this thing because everybody used it and I always thought he always was just hype. Well, I was mistaken, this is the first ever team that I've ever built that features Scizor, and I must say he's pulling his weight. I chose to use Life Orb because I don't like being locked into a move, on a pokemon such as Scizor which has an artillery to kill almost anything. I come in on a locked in dragon on outrage, set up a few swords dances and bullet punch away. I'm thinking about changing pursuit to roost for longevity because there isn't much that can just flat out destroy Scizor. In the rain Scizor is no longer 4x weak to fire, but 2x. This helps him on tremendous levels. I chose to go with a somewhat bulky set, but at the same time be able to pack a punch. Bug bite is for another STAB type move that will hurt anything that doesn't resist it. Pursuit is to trap pokes that would otherwise switch out on such a monster.
(M) @
Trait: Volt Absorb
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
Thunder
Volt Switch
Shadow Ball
Hidden Power [Ice]
When I was building this team, I noticed that 3 of my Pokes were weak to thunder. I wanted something to wall thunder moves and be able to abuse the rain as much as possible. I tried Raikou, although he packed a punch, he wasn't fast enough to do it. That's when a friend recommended Jolteon to me. He takes in thunder moves and even gets a boost of HP when hit by them. Whenever I see a Rotom-W, and I have Skarm, Politoed, or Starmie out, I know to switch to Jolteon. He's an amazing late game sweeper, having 100% thunder in the rain + STAB + his amazing speed and SpA stat. I've even gotten 6-0's with this guy. Choice specs is used to boost his already high special attack stat to levels unbeatable.
(F) @
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 232 SDef / 24 Spd
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
Stealth Rock
Roost
Whirlwind
Brave Bird
I went with a Special defense set on skarmory because he already has a monstrous defense stat. He's my guy that sets up stealth rocks, which is a must if you ask me. Whirlwind is for phasing the opposing team and not allowing them to set up. Brave bird for an attack so I don't become completely useless when it comes to taunt. I like to use roost and whirlwind in a combo. Keep whirlwinding til you get something that most definitely won't hit hard, and roost. Then continue to whirlwind. I've won many games because of skarmory's ability to phase the shit out of the team with whirlwind. Leftovers are there for obvious recovery.
@
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
Rapid Spin
Thunder
Ice Beam
Hydro Pump
Starmie is something you don't want to mess with. When building the team I noticed that I needed a spinner. I wanted a spinner who could still pack a punch, and who does that better than starmie? He's amazingly fast so he'll usually blow away the rocks. Thunder is there for Jellicent and flying types that seem to annoy my team such as that genie. Ice beam for ground types that get completely wrecked by it. Hydro pump for that double stab. Usually when I send starmie out, something dies. I use LO because I need that extra damage. EV's are obvious, I want to out speed the opponent and hit him hard.
@
Trait: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
X-Scissor
Stone Edge
http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-dp/type/ground.gif[img] Earthquake
[img]http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-dp/type/normal.gifSwords Dance[/CENTER]
Terrakion is just someone that I slapped on my team because I couldn't think of anything else. He holds up his part in the team, completely raping everything. At first I tried a choiceband variant, and it wasn't working really well for me. I'd hit something with EQ kill it, and they'd send out a flying type and start to set up. So I went with a swords dance variant and I must say it's working out nicely. After a swords dance there's nothing that will easily tank a hit from this guy. X-Scissor for those annoying psychic types that are expecting a fighting type move to come at them. Stone Edge for stab + rock gem to ruin some Gliscors who would otherwise wall Terrakion. Earthquake is the best move in the game, in my opinion so I just had to add it. I'm thinking of changing Terrakion to something else, but I can't seem to put my finger on what would work well with this team, as it is a sloppy mess already.
Well, that's the team. Clearly it's not the best, and I'm hoping with the help of you guys I'll be able to make this team a lot stronger and be able to break my peak of 1252 points (Yes, I'm a noob.)
Rain Demolition
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 152 Def / 104 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
So, when creating this team, I thought I wanted to do a rain team. Politoed is the staple of all rain teams, and I picked him for obvious reasons. Drizzle, blah blah blah. The EV's are more on the defensive side so Politoed can survive longer than the other weather inducers. He already has the edge over them hitting 3/4 of the weather inducers with super effective damage with scald + the boost from the rain + STAB. Perish song is so that I don't become set up fodder. Protect for scouting and to increase damage from toxic. I use leftovers for obvious reasons. Protect also is used to help me gain a little HP so that I Politoed can survive a bit longer. Politoed isn't very much to the team other than the weather inducer, but from time to time he wins me some games. I think he's pulling his weight nicely as the weather inducer and revenge sometimes, believe it or not.
Trait: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 116 Atk / 140 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
Ah, Scizor, I used to hate this thing because everybody used it and I always thought he always was just hype. Well, I was mistaken, this is the first ever team that I've ever built that features Scizor, and I must say he's pulling his weight. I chose to use Life Orb because I don't like being locked into a move, on a pokemon such as Scizor which has an artillery to kill almost anything. I come in on a locked in dragon on outrage, set up a few swords dances and bullet punch away. I'm thinking about changing pursuit to roost for longevity because there isn't much that can just flat out destroy Scizor. In the rain Scizor is no longer 4x weak to fire, but 2x. This helps him on tremendous levels. I chose to go with a somewhat bulky set, but at the same time be able to pack a punch. Bug bite is for another STAB type move that will hurt anything that doesn't resist it. Pursuit is to trap pokes that would otherwise switch out on such a monster.
Trait: Volt Absorb
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
When I was building this team, I noticed that 3 of my Pokes were weak to thunder. I wanted something to wall thunder moves and be able to abuse the rain as much as possible. I tried Raikou, although he packed a punch, he wasn't fast enough to do it. That's when a friend recommended Jolteon to me. He takes in thunder moves and even gets a boost of HP when hit by them. Whenever I see a Rotom-W, and I have Skarm, Politoed, or Starmie out, I know to switch to Jolteon. He's an amazing late game sweeper, having 100% thunder in the rain + STAB + his amazing speed and SpA stat. I've even gotten 6-0's with this guy. Choice specs is used to boost his already high special attack stat to levels unbeatable.
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 232 SDef / 24 Spd
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
I went with a Special defense set on skarmory because he already has a monstrous defense stat. He's my guy that sets up stealth rocks, which is a must if you ask me. Whirlwind is for phasing the opposing team and not allowing them to set up. Brave bird for an attack so I don't become completely useless when it comes to taunt. I like to use roost and whirlwind in a combo. Keep whirlwinding til you get something that most definitely won't hit hard, and roost. Then continue to whirlwind. I've won many games because of skarmory's ability to phase the shit out of the team with whirlwind. Leftovers are there for obvious recovery.
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
Starmie is something you don't want to mess with. When building the team I noticed that I needed a spinner. I wanted a spinner who could still pack a punch, and who does that better than starmie? He's amazingly fast so he'll usually blow away the rocks. Thunder is there for Jellicent and flying types that seem to annoy my team such as that genie. Ice beam for ground types that get completely wrecked by it. Hydro pump for that double stab. Usually when I send starmie out, something dies. I use LO because I need that extra damage. EV's are obvious, I want to out speed the opponent and hit him hard.
Trait: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-dp/type/ground.gif[img] Earthquake
[img]http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-dp/type/normal.gifSwords Dance[/CENTER]
Terrakion is just someone that I slapped on my team because I couldn't think of anything else. He holds up his part in the team, completely raping everything. At first I tried a choiceband variant, and it wasn't working really well for me. I'd hit something with EQ kill it, and they'd send out a flying type and start to set up. So I went with a swords dance variant and I must say it's working out nicely. After a swords dance there's nothing that will easily tank a hit from this guy. X-Scissor for those annoying psychic types that are expecting a fighting type move to come at them. Stone Edge for stab + rock gem to ruin some Gliscors who would otherwise wall Terrakion. Earthquake is the best move in the game, in my opinion so I just had to add it. I'm thinking of changing Terrakion to something else, but I can't seem to put my finger on what would work well with this team, as it is a sloppy mess already.
Well, that's the team. Clearly it's not the best, and I'm hoping with the help of you guys I'll be able to make this team a lot stronger and be able to break my peak of 1252 points (Yes, I'm a noob.)
