Rain Redux (#1)

Posting as requested. Too tired to go into detail. WIll do it later :D

Team At A Glance
..........



In Depth Analysis
..........



Politoed (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 8 SAtk / 244 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)

- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Hypnosis
- Perish Song

Politoed likes to spread burns with Scald. Scald receives STAB and Rain boost so it does alright damage. The burn makes it a better choice over Hydro Pump, even though Specs Hydro Pump from Politoed is stronger than Specs Draco Meteor from Latios. Ice Beam lets me hit Dragon's who love to set up on the vulnerable Politoed. Also gives a means of hitting Water Absorb abusers. Hypnosis allows me to stop sweeps and start my own. Perish SOng for Baton Pass teams and stuff that I want to stop setting up but have no way to counter without something with boosts. Also gets rid of the last Pokemon :D, so no Reuniclus sweeps, CM Suicune etc.



Latios (M) @ Soul Dew
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)

- Calm Mind
- Draco Meteor
- Surf
- Recover

Latios is my only Electric resist, and because of that I heavily rely on him to take Thunderbolt's aimed towards Keldeo. Latios is renowned for his amazing special attack, but his defenses are to be feared aswell. With defenses of 80/80/110 and resistances to the common Fighting and Water types Latios is able to sponge attacks like nothing. Switching into Scald is probably your best bet at getting the status you want, a burn. It may seen idiotic to let the opponent burn you, but you'll learn the hard way that you don't want Toxic or Thunder Wave. I chose Latios over Latias simply because of the sheer surprise when they discover that I'm not running Choice Specs or Life Orb. This can really throw the opponent off and give me an easier time in setting up. I also chose him for his raw power that could nab me some rather important kills.

Recently discovering that Soul Dew was acceptable in Dream World, Latios became an easy addition to the team. Soul Dew gives Latios a free Calm Mind boost, and functions better than a Choice Specs. This with the help of Calm Mind gives Latios a fighting chance against fellow Calm Minder's. Latios usually wins the Calm Mind war simply due to that amazing speed statistic and power behind his moves. After just 2 Calm Mind's, which isn't hard to achieve, your attack will succeed 1000. This coupled with a specially crafted moveset to abuse Rain means nothing outside of Chansey can stop you (+2 Draco Meteor does around 70% to Ferrothorn, easily KO'ed on the next turn). Latios has the perfect moves for causing havoc under Rain. Access to Draco Meteor, Surf and Thunder gives me a hard time deciding on which moves to keep and which to trash. In the end, with the surplus usage of Thunder, I decided that Latios carrying it would give me rather redundant coverage. Draco Meteor was chosen over Dragon Pulse simply because I needed that upfront power, and with Soul Dew I already have the boost of a Choice Specs set. Also Latios doesn't mind setting up some more boosts with his increased defenses.



Genesect @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Download
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)

- U-turn
- Thunder
- Bug Buzz
- Ice Beam

Genesect forces switches and is in a U-Turn tandem with Scizor, racking up damage and destroying Tyranitar. With Rain up it only makes sense running THunder and Bug Buzz instead of Thunderbolt and Flamethrower. If I don't know what they are going to switch to and I have a special attack boost I usually just stick with Bug Buzz, to get the STAB +1 move. It is practically the same as any Genesect, except that it was altered for Rain purposes.



Gliscor (M) @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 252 HP / 8 Atk / 248 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)

- Swords Dance
- Taunt
- Ice Fang
- Earthquake

Gliscor is here mainly to patch up a couple of weaknesses. The first and most vital one is my Electric weakness. Once Latios is gone, Electric teams run rampant around here. He also patches up my Fighting weakness, although he doesn't run Acrobatics he can still handle most Fighting types. But the most important thing he takes care of is Ferrothorn. While not the best counter, he can prevent hazards and Leech Seed as well as boost his attack in order to take him down. Ice Fang and Earthquake get great coverage. I have contemplated running an AcroFling set, but haven't gotten around to doing so yet.



Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 224 Def / 32 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)

- Wish
- Calm Mind
- Thunder
- Psychic

Jirachi sees a lot of use on Rain teams, but not as Superachi!, which is kind of odd seeing as how well it fits in. Jirachi was blessed with a 600 base statistic distribution which was evenly divided. Not only does this mean that Jirachi could pull off being a wall, but it also lets Jirachi become a fearsome attacker. With great typing with offers only one weakness under Rain and amazing defenses which means that It can survive a Haxorus' Earthquake, its no wonder why Jirachi is so good at cleaning up late game. With the ban of Garchomp there is a slump in physical Ground move abusers, which only really helps Jirachi out.

While Jirachi wasn't offered the form of recovery I would have liked, he still is able to heal himself and teammates. Wish can really benefit the team, giving Genesect more chances to switch in and scout and even prolong Politoed's death. Calm Mind once again sees usage on this team and for a good reason too. It boosts two vital statistics for Jirachi, his special attack and defense. Thunder under Rain with Serene Grace is what makes Jirachi so amazing. A 120 BP 100% accurate move with a 60% chance to paralyse? What more could you want. It also burns Gyarados and bulky waters who think they can switch in with imputy. I run Psychic because this team does have its troubles with Fighting types and it also gets a nice STAB. It also catches Toxicroak off guard which is really nice seeing as how it is a threat to this team.



Keldeo @ Leftovers
Trait: Justified
EVs: 52 HP / 252 SAtk / 204 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)

- Calm Mind
- Surf
- Secret Sword
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Keldeo's amazing ability to break those defensive cores is why it sees usage on this team. That and the fact that he becomes a powerhouse under Rain, with an amazing special attack and speed statistic. His excellent typing which is only shared with Poliwrath offers him great coverage in just two moves. His acceptable defenses also make him an easy choice for my team.

I decided to once again abuse Calm Mind, which I believe is one of the best boosting moves to be created. Again boosting Keldeo's attack to obscene levels makes it easier for him to tear holes through opponent's teams. Surf was chosen over Hydro Pump because I needed that security that it would hit. He also becomes crazy strong after one boost so I see it unnecessary to run Hydro Pump. Secret Sword allows him to mix his sweeping capabilities, easily disposing of Blissey and Chansey at +1. Hidden Power Ice hits Dragon's who would otherwise plague Keldeo and my team. It also gives nice coverage and helps in the long run.

Threats
..........



Ferrothorn cloaks itself under my veil of water and creates tension within the group. I only really have 4 Pokemon that can hurt it, Politoed with Scald, Genesect with boosted Bug Buzz, Keldeo and Mytery Sword and Scizor's Choice Band Superpower, but lets face it, they can't switch in scotch-free. Whether it is Power Whip or Leech Seed or even the uncommon Thunder Wave, Ferrothorn can cripple a lot of my team and combined with Spikes will be wearing me down fast.


Importable
..........

Politoed (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 8 SAtk / 244 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Hypnosis
- Perish Song

Latios (M) @ Soul Dew
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Draco Meteor
- Surf
- Recover

Genesect @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Download
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- U-turn
- Thunder
- Bug Buzz
- Ice Beam

Scizor (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Technician
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Quick Attack
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower

Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 224 Def / 32 Spd
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Wish
- Calm Mind
- Thunder
- Psychic

Keldeo @ Leftovers
Trait: Justified
EVs: 56 HP / 248 SAtk / 204 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Surf
- Secret Sword
- Calm Mind
- Hidden Power [Ice]


Final Glance
..........


 
change surf to scald on latios
Latios doesn't learn Scald >.<

Anyway, this looks like a solid rain team. I do a suggestion though.

I can see you are having problems with switching into strong physical attacks. Pokemon like Conkuldurr and Terrakion are difficult to switch into as everything on your team tends to get dented. Why don't you try out Gliscor instead of Keldeo. Gliscor deals with the aforementioned physical attackers as well as dealing with the physical Dragons. With Taunt + SD he also takes care of stall and Ferrothorn. Gliscor also has good synergy with Jirachi and his Water and Ice weakness are well covered by the rest of the team.

It's not much, but I hope this suggestions helps. Good luck with the team.
 
I'm not a very good team rater but I do see that half your team are calm minders and it's a unhealthy aspect of team to have IMO.
 
This. Team. Is just...



MAGNIFICENT!

After testing it out on a new PO account for an hour or 2, I only got beaten like.. twice? In fact, I'm right behind you Dezza, with 5 points less :O

Remember when I said it had a major Electric weakness? You were right when you said Latios did a fine job resisting it.
HELL, even Keldeo can tank it with 1 CM up O_o.

I mean, people praise mods like KG/PK Gaming when they post a RMT, but they can't see true beauty when it's right in front of their eyes.

YOU, are the true team builder, and I enjoy playing every team of yours (we have a very similar playstyle).

-applause-

Now for the rate, i'm doing a full one:

-Politoed: I like the set. Maybe you could run Def EV's over SpD EV's since I found that politoed almost solely takes physical moves like EQ. (maybe it's my playstyle, I switch a lot => Cowaard ;D)

-Latios: Pure beast; very bulky after a CM, only thing I don't like about it, is that takes massive damage from physical attacks, and it dies immediately to a supper effective physical attack. But yea, because the team already has some bulky pokes, I guess it's alright :)

- Genesect: Another major powerhouse of this team, superb revenge killing. This thing can wreck teams, unless it hits for neutral damage, I find that it doesn't have the power to OHKO unless it's a very frail opponent (with neutral damage), so you gotta make sure you don't overpredict.

- Scizor: I like your Scizor set, but wouldn't the Spd EV's go better in HP? (Since you only hit slow pokes like Ferrothorn with Superpower?) Just a thought though. Another powerhouse

-Jirachi: Tell me if i'm wrong, but this thing is completely forgotten in this fast-paced GEN V, it is the Wish/CM jirachi and there's no word that can express my love for it.

Keldeo: Nothing to say here, I like switching to keldeo once poli has put sth to sleep, so kel can set up, maybe that's just me (Again :D)

____

Here's my rate :3

<3
 
I just played against NameXX with this team, that Scizor was the #1 threat. I'd forgotten how much damage CB Quick Attack could do (2HKOed my Thundurus with Lefties) I'd definitely recommend shifting all of Scizor's Speed EVs into HP to survive boosted hits (especially Water-type ones) more easily, because my Specs Latias was able to OHKO with a boosted Surf.
 
I just played against NameXX with this team, that Scizor was the #1 threat. I'd forgotten how much damage CB Quick Attack could do (2HKOed my Thundurus with Lefties) I'd definitely recommend shifting all of Scizor's Speed EVs into HP to survive boosted hits (especially Water-type ones) more easily, because my Specs Latias was able to OHKO with a boosted Surf.
Lostaura couldn't see the threat in some pokes due to crits though, especially Jirachi is the case here.

And Indeed like suggested, the HP EV's :)

Good game, although you slowed my growing process GRRRRR ;D
 
Hy dezza another spectacular team
I have been laddering under the alt Margo and after an hour or two of laddering i was undefeated and within 15 points of the no1 spot when went into a slump. In particular I love the jirachi set it is amazing and is the MVP in terms netting gamechanging ko's and saving the teams ass in a tight spot.

Also seeing as the po server is testing politoed and you are using the smogon dw server i recommend running soul dew on latios which is allowed on the dw server, although no one believes me :P, and is basically a free calm mind.

However on Keldeo I run hp grass which is very helpful and means that it sets up on jellicent but ill probably change it.
Also when running hp ice run a iv spread of 31 30 30 31 31 31 so you don't lose out on that great speed tier as i assume this is the reason you aren't running max speed

Finally this team is extremely weak to thundurus cause havoc and cripple key members like latios with thunderwave, although i doubt there i a way to prevent this which is why he is suspect.

Another amazing team, you should really post a teambuilding guide, and that jirachi set is amazing
:)
 
Hy dezza another spectacular team
I have been laddering under the alt Margo and I have just caught up with you. I have also played namexx twice and I had to say Scizor Is quite a threat to this team and I had to play around it.
In particular I love the jirachi set it is amazing and is the MVP in terms netting gamechanging ko's and saving the teams ass in a tight spot.

However on Keldeo I run hp grass which is very helpful and means that it sets up on jellicent.
Also when running hp ice run a iv spread of 31 30 30 31 31 31 so you don't lose out on that great speed tier as i assume this is the reason you aren't running max speed

Another amazing team, you should really post a teambuilding guide, and that jirachi set is the bomb
:)
Running HP Grass means that dragons wall this set.
 
If you really want to beat Jellicent, use HP Ghost. The only at-all common Waters that you can't hit with Secret Sword are Jellicent, Starmie, and Slowbro, all of which are hit SE with HP Ghost. It also lets you hit Lati@s, common Keldeo switch-ins.

However, even at +2 I believe HP will max out at about ~60% to max/max +Jellicent in my experience using the set, meaning that you will probably die or be extremely worn down by Toxic in the process of killing it while it spams Recover. It might not be a bad idea if you're concerned about Starmie, however, because I could see that being more of a problem for this team, because Jirachi isn't going to be able to take Hydro Pumps, especially not LO-boosted ones.
 
Great team Dezza. The CM Jirachi is a real pain to stop once it gets going. Bulk Up Toxicroak looks like it could rip holes in the team if Jirachi were to be taken out, however Jirachi in the rain is very difficult to take down at +1.

To help alleviate the Ferrothorn problem the team faces may I suggest running Life Orb on Keldeo? LO Secret Sword KO's the standard 341 Def Ferro, from my experience. LO also lets it get those ridiculous Surf KO's, like on standard Conkeldurr without the need to Calm Mind.

If you decide you need another way to deal with Toxicroak I'd suggest using HP Flying on Keldeo. It allows Keldeo to have a 31 IV in Speed and is an easy 2HKO on 'Croak.
 
Latios doesn't learn Scald >.<

Anyway, this looks like a solid rain team. I do a suggestion though.

I can see you are having problems with switching into strong physical attacks. Pokemon like Conkuldurr and Terrakion are difficult to switch into as everything on your team tends to get dented. Why don't you try out Gliscor instead of Keldeo. Gliscor deals with the aforementioned physical attackers as well as dealing with the physical Dragons. With Taunt + SD he also takes care of stall and Ferrothorn. Gliscor also has good synergy with Jirachi and his Water and Ice weakness are well covered by the rest of the team.

It's not much, but I hope this suggestions helps. Good luck with the team.
Hey Delko,

THis team actually did use to have a GLiscor and Blissey core but I changed to a more offensive team. I'll try it out but probably not over Keldeo, if there was something it would have to be Scizor, seeing as I find him the one who I can change without completely getting walled by stuff (Keldeo handles all the Dragons bar Lati@s). THanks

I'm not a very good team rater but I do see that half your team are calm minders and it's a unhealthy aspect of team to have IMO.
I thought that at first but I discovered it actually worked out fine!

This. Team. Is just...



MAGNIFICENT!

After testing it out on a new PO account for an hour or 2, I only got beaten like.. twice? In fact, I'm right behind you Dezza, with 5 points less :O

Remember when I said it had a major Electric weakness? You were right when you said Latios did a fine job resisting it.
HELL, even Keldeo can tank it with 1 CM up O_o.

I mean, people praise mods like KG/PK Gaming when they post a RMT, but they can't see true beauty when it's right in front of their eyes.

YOU, are the true team builder, and I enjoy playing every team of yours (we have a very similar playstyle).

-applause-

Now for the rate, i'm doing a full one:

-Politoed: I like the set. Maybe you could run Def EV's over SpD EV's since I found that politoed almost solely takes physical moves like EQ. (maybe it's my playstyle, I switch a lot => Cowaard ;D)

-Latios: Pure beast; very bulky after a CM, only thing I don't like about it, is that takes massive damage from physical attacks, and it dies immediately to a supper effective physical attack. But yea, because the team already has some bulky pokes, I guess it's alright :)

- Genesect: Another major powerhouse of this team, superb revenge killing. This thing can wreck teams, unless it hits for neutral damage, I find that it doesn't have the power to OHKO unless it's a very frail opponent (with neutral damage), so you gotta make sure you don't overpredict.

- Scizor: I like your Scizor set, but wouldn't the Spd EV's go better in HP? (Since you only hit slow pokes like Ferrothorn with Superpower?) Just a thought though. Another powerhouse

-Jirachi: Tell me if i'm wrong, but this thing is completely forgotten in this fast-paced GEN V, it is the Wish/CM jirachi and there's no word that can express my love for it.

Keldeo: Nothing to say here, I like switching to keldeo once poli has put sth to sleep, so kel can set up, maybe that's just me (Again :D)

____

Here's my rate :3

<3
Hello!

Are you NameXX? Thanks for the rate and all, will try the EV's into health and the defensive EV's. We probably do play very similarly! Thats cool.

I just played against NameXX with this team, that Scizor was the #1 threat. I'd forgotten how much damage CB Quick Attack could do (2HKOed my Thundurus with Lefties) I'd definitely recommend shifting all of Scizor's Speed EVs into HP to survive boosted hits (especially Water-type ones) more easily, because my Specs Latias was able to OHKO with a boosted Surf.
Hey Aurora!
Quick Attack has been forgotten by everyone, which is a shame. I will try running EV's in health, but I like the ability to constantly U-Turn between him and Genesect.

THanks

Hy dezza another spectacular team
I have been laddering under the alt Margo and after an hour or two of laddering i was undefeated and within 15 points of the no1 spot when went into a slump. In particular I love the jirachi set it is amazing and is the MVP in terms netting gamechanging ko's and saving the teams ass in a tight spot.

Also seeing as the po server is testing politoed and you are using the smogon dw server i recommend running soul dew on latios which is allowed on the dw server, although no one believes me :P, and is basically a free calm mind.

However on Keldeo I run hp grass which is very helpful and means that it sets up on jellicent but ill probably change it.
Also when running hp ice run a iv spread of 31 30 30 31 31 31 so you don't lose out on that great speed tier as i assume this is the reason you aren't running max speed

Finally this team is extremely weak to thundurus cause havoc and cripple key members like latios with thunderwave, although i doubt there i a way to prevent this which is why he is suspect.

Another amazing team, you should really post a teambuilding guide, and that jirachi set is amazing
:)
OMG, I LOVE YOU. Latios is getting Soul Dew, no questions asked.

I really rely on Keldeo to handle Dragons like MS Dragonite. He also handles Blissey who causes throuble and Ferrothorn.

About THundurus, most switch into Politoed and THunderbolt, which he suurvives and fires off an Ice Beam for 50% damage. Then he kills me I bring in GEnesect and Ice Beam and he's usually dead. If he tries to set up on me then even better.

You know I was actually wondering whether to post a team building guide, but was hesitant to whether it would help. If I get a couple more requests then I'd be happy to post one!

However, even at +2 I believe HP will max out at about ~60% to max/max +Jellicent in my experience using the set, meaning that you will probably die or be extremely worn down by Toxic in the process of killing it while it spams Recover. It might not be a bad idea if you're concerned about Starmie, however, because I could see that being more of a problem for this team, because Jirachi isn't going to be able to take Hydro Pumps, especially not LO-boosted ones.
THunder from GEnesect hurts, so does Bug Buzz, and U-Turn. But I know what you mean. If its desperate I usually sack Politoed, who is undoubtebly the easiest to sacrifice if there is no competition.

Great team Dezza. The CM Jirachi is a real pain to stop once it gets going. Bulk Up Toxicroak looks like it could rip holes in the team if Jirachi were to be taken out, however Jirachi in the rain is very difficult to take down at +1.

To help alleviate the Ferrothorn problem the team faces may I suggest running Life Orb on Keldeo? LO Secret Sword KO's the standard 341 Def Ferro, from my experience. LO also lets it get those ridiculous Surf KO's, like on standard Conkeldurr without the need to Calm Mind.

If you decide you need another way to deal with Toxicroak I'd suggest using HP Flying on Keldeo. It allows Keldeo to have a 31 IV in Speed and is an easy 2HKO on 'Croak.
Toxicroak is a problem. Only Perish Song and Jirachi can handle :S. Luckily not many see Psychic coming from Jirachi so its a free OHKO.

I'll try out LO and see how it works.

THanks for all the rates guys!
 
Try a spread of

112 HP/ 144 Sp. Attack/ 252 Speed on the Keldeo set it will take away little power for more bulk allowing more survivability, so far I always use this set.

and as for Politoed try using another move such as Toxic or Protect to scout over Hypnosis because it lacks accuracy or you could always use Focus Blast in case a Ttar or Ferrothorn pops up.

EDIT: Oh and also change surf to Hydro pump as it makes up for the power and hits a bit harder then surf overall, just be wary about the shaky accuracy.
 
needs more stealth rocks
Why? Is it really worth changing an entire Pokemon just to get some Stealth Rock's when he could just overpower the threat?

Great team as always Dezza :D

Hoever I do see a bit of an Electric weakness, especially from BoltBeamer's lik Starmie. A Gliscor was already mentioned, and if that works then your electri weakness is gone. However if it isn't working then you could try the likes of Jolteon who could wreck under Rain with Choice Specs/Scarf. Electric is one of those types where you either have a check for it or you don't.

Nothing Else, nice team!
 
Dezza, you posted this just over a day ago and the number of times I've faced this exact team (or slight variants with a Toxicroak thrown in, or something) is just obscene.

I just want to leave one note for all the people playing with this team. Don't overestimate Jirachi's special bulk before you get a CM. This isn't SpD Jirachi that can sponge a bunch of rain-boosted Water attacks and Wish them off. Even after a CM, it's not much more specially bulky than standard ParaFlinch SpD Jirachi. Bottom line is, be careful when you switch Jirachi into Lati@s, Keldeo, or even Politoed, because boosted Surfs/Hydro Pumps will more than likely down Jirachi before it boost itself and then have time to heal.
 
So I have decided to run Gliscor over Scizor and it's worked great. I'm using Iconiciscor to better handle Ferrothorn's. As of now I have discovered by team to be extremely weak to physical Water moves. For example DD Feraligatr sets up on Gliscor and then it can wreck everything but Genesect. I usually have to sacrifice something to get Genesect in safely.

Any help would be nice.
 
This is a really great team, I've been using it for like the past hour.

I tried out a a defensive Electivire over Keldeo, with Cross Chop/Thunder/Fire Punch/Signal Beam, and holding a Wide Lens. It's helped me win a lot of battles. :)
 

Celestavian

Smooth
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Yeah, Soul Dew is legal. That's all DW teams on Smogon are these days. Politoed + Latios + Latias + Keldeo + Ferrothorn + Genesect. EVERYWHERE

Love the team as always Dezza. I find it funny though that you actually have no move whatsoever that can hit Shedinja. Try running Flamethrower over Bug Buzz on Genesect. It OHKOes opposing Genesect even in the rain, allows you to hit Shedinja, and does more damage to Ferrothorn than Bug Buzz (90 x 1.5 < 95 x 4 / 2).
 

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