Battle Spot Rain team pre-bank

[Arkahn]

Hello everyone, with ROSA I made a Rain team on the two last seasons and I got a lot of help from many of you. With that, my team became pretty good and fun to me !

With Sun and Moon, I felt really happy with the additions to the Rain team, aka. Pelliper / Tapukoko etc...
So, I decided to continue with this kind of team !

Pelipper @ Focus Sash
Ability: Drizzle
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Hurricane
- Roost
- Scald
- U-turn

For me, one of the best addition for a Rain team, because I love to play agressive and Pelipper is clearly far agressive than Politoed !
It can use Hurricane vs Grass Pokemon and it will more usefull post-bank with the addition of Venusaur, Amoonguss...
About Focus sash, I am not sure because it is useful only when I want to bait an Electric move, otherwise, it is never OHKO so...

Kingdra @ Waterium Z
Ability: Swift Swim
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Surf

I didn't used this one before, but pre-bank it is the best Swift Swimmer in my opinion and with the Waterium Z it hurt like a truck ! I OHKO some Celesteela on switch, who otherwise can wall my team !
Ice beam OHKO M-Salamence and Garchomp w/o Focus sash.
His typing is so good, only the Faery weakness can give me some troubles, the Dragon weakness is nullify with Tapukoko.

Tapu Koko @ Life Orb
Ability: Electric Surge
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Grass Knot
- Thunder
- Volt Switch
- Dazzling Gleam

I love this one ! His look, his typing and what it give to my team ! In ROSA, the Water Pokémon were a problems but now, Tapu Koko can handle them easily and OHKO most of them with a Thunder.
I tried a Focus sash one and it works well against Garchomp Focus sash or M-Gyarados at +1 and think he can OHKO before but finaly the extra power with Life orb + Electric field on a Thunder hit like a truck and even a resisted hit, can hurt a lot !

Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- Roost
- Swords Dance
- U-turn

With the addition of Peliper and Tapu Koko, I got a good Volt/Turn core and because my lovely M-Swampert is not accessible yet, my Mega, is Scizor. His only weakness is reduce with the Rain and I can freely switch or U-turn into Peliper if needed. Also, it beat most of the Fairy, like Mimiqui, Tapus, who are so common !
It can setup against Porygon2 who bring Toxik and it is very good, because P2 can be a mess !

Mamoswine @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Snow Cloak
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Icicle Spear
- Stealth Rock

The last two slots as changed a lot from the begining, but finaly, my choice was this Mamoswine. I need a Pokémon who can switch into the Electric move, my first choice was A-Marowak, it handle this role pretty wisely but his Fire move was not worth it because of the Rain and it let me a weakness against an already setup M-Salamence, so I switched into Mamoswine Rocky Helmet, Ice Shard to kill if I switch it on a Double Edge and Icicle Spear if Salamence will use a DD, because M-Salamence will not OHKO it with a +1 Double-edge.
I mainly use Stealth Rock after a switch on an Electrick move, because of the obvious switch out.
Earthquake help me to beat A-Muk, who can be a problem against a Rain team.

Tapu Bulu @ Assault Vest
Ability: Grassy Surge
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 164 Atk / 92 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Horn Leech
- Rock Slide
- Superpower
- Zen Headbutt


My last choice is Tapu Bulu and like Mamoswine, this slot as changed a lot !
In first, I used A-Raichu, but I never bring it in my team, most of the time Tapu Koko is enough as an Electric Pokémon.
Then I used Choice Band Araquanid and it works pretty well in a Rain team, his Liquefaction under the Rain hurt a lot ! But even if it was strong, some Pokémon gave me a lot of troubles lately.
Especially, NormaliumZ-PorygonZ and Gastrodon but I needed to keep something strong against the Special attack and Tapu Bulu cames !
I use the Smogon set (http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/tapu-bulu-singles-qc-0-3.3590327/)
It OHKO Gastrodon and 2HKO PorygonZ at +1, it can bait most of the Special Sweeper like Xurkitree, Tapu Lele, Tapu Koko, Hydreigon, M-Alakhazam...
I hesitate to use Payback instead of Rock Slide to OHKO Aegislash after a Luminocanon but I am afraid about the King Shield.

Some Pokémon still gave me some troubles, like Tapu Bulu, Aegislash, Goodra for example.

 

[Solerme]

Very nice team, i think i've even faced it in ladder and felt that it's pretty good.

Maybe with those three mons you said you have problems with you can try Garchomp over Mamoswine.
You will still cover your Ground-type, while having a stronger answer to those three. Gaining also another fire resistent pokemn if you don't want to go with rain, and that can help your Mega Scizor.

@ Expert Belt / Life Orb / Focus Sash
Ability: Rough Skin
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Poison Jab
- Rock Tomb / Fire Fang / Toxic / Stone Edge

Expert Belt or Life Orb might seem strange choices, but really help if you need to check the mons you have problems with, scoring OHKOs. Otherwise you can go with the standard Focus Sash, or even with a Choice Scarf.

Some calcs:
252 Atk Life Orb Garchomp Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Aegislash-Shield: 156-187 (93.4 - 111.9%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Expert Belt Garchomp Poison Jab vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Tapu Bulu: 197-235 (111.2 - 132.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Life Orb Garchomp Poison Jab vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Tapu Bulu: 161-192 (90.9 - 108.4%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Expert Belt Garchomp Outrage vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Goodra: 245-288 (124.3 - 146.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 Atk Life Orb Garchomp Fire Fang vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Celesteela: 70-83 (34.3 - 40.6%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
252 Atk Life Orb Garchomp Fire Fang vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Celesteela: 94-112 (46 - 54.9%) -- 49.6% chance to 2HKO


Anyway is cool to see how this rain strategies, or weather in general, are becoming more popular in the Bss tier., and how good players are making those work pretty well.
A minor thing, that you probably already know, is that Ninetales-A could pretty much ruin your strategy.
Of course you already have a great answer to it in Mega Scizor, but be wary that without it Ninetales can pretty much handle your rain core alone if carrying Freeze-Dry (and it usually does carry it).
With Aurora Veil up even Kingdra's Z-Move under the rain would OHKO it, being easily ohko'ed in return.

252+ SpA Kingdra Hydro Vortex (185 BP) vs. 252 HP / 52 SpD Ninetales-Alola in Rain through Light Screen: 99-117 (55 - 65%) -- guaranteed 2HKO (it has even good chances to survive to another Hydro Pump after this, being 3HKO'ed)

A good idea to stop it could be to add Taunt on Tapu Koko (over Grass Knot maybe) to prevent Aurora Veil and just straightly go for your rain game plan with no worries.

 

[Kietharr]

I agree that this is a good team, the rain team I've been messing with is almost identical to this except using a Metagross over Scizor and Gastrodon over Mamoswine. Ninetales is a major issue for the Pelipper/Kingdra rain core in particular but is a VERY poor matchup against M-Scizor, which can very easily OHKO no matter what defensive investment they're running. Even behind Aurora veil there's still a chance for OHKO on a standard 252hp/0def set.

Grass knot on Koko can be replaced for energy ball IMO, since afaik you don't pick up any important OHKOs with it before bank and energy ball will hit most switch ins harder. Focus sash on Pelipper is kind of icky, I hate investing so much in defense on a sashed pokemon but yeah, Wacan berry isn't going to save it from counter-rain Koko thunders so you don't have much of a choice. I think the Garchomp switchup is also probably a good idea cause he's just so good that he has a place on virtually any team.

 

[Arkahn]

Thank you for your participation !

About Garchomp, it can replace Mamoswine, like you said it is just so good, but the question is, which item ?
- Expert belt seems good in the most of situations, OHKO Tapu Bulu and won't block you on a move.
- Life orb is almost the same as the Expert belt but with the recoil and my Tapu Koko already use one.
- Focus sash can help Garchomp vs M-Salamence (I know, I am really afraid about him) and Focus sash Garchomp is always a good idea, but my Peliper will need to change his item.
- Choice scarf can be good, but in my team if I use Garchomp, it already outspeed most of the threats I want him to beat, so...

About A-Ninetales, something help my Rain team is the Speed of my Peliper, because it is slower than a-Ninetales, in the matchup, Peliper will always win the climates battle. So, most of the time, the good player didn't bring A-Ninetales as a leader but they tried to bring it to stop my Rain strategy and like you said, if my M-Scizor succesfully land a Bullet punch it is a OHKO and even behind an Aurora Veil it has a chance to OHKO
252+ Atk Technician Scizor-Mega Bullet Punch vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Ninetales-Alola through Reflect: 158-188 (87.7 - 104.4%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO

I was thinking to replace Grass Knot with Taunt, it can help me in a lot of situation, like if I bait a DD from M-Salamence, an Aurora veil from A-Ninetales or vs some Stall, like P2.

 

[Solerme]

Well that's your choice, that's why i made those calcs for you :p , i would run a Life Orb on it probably!

As for Taunt on Koko, yeah, I highly recomend it. It also helps vs Z-Conversion, Z-Celebrate and Baton Pass strategies.


edit: Taunt doesn't stop Z-moves

 

[Arkahn]

I guess I have to try every variants to find which ones works the most in my team.

If I choose the Life orb variant, I will need to take it from Tapu Koko, which item can be good to replace it ? Focus sash from Peliper maybe.

In first, I will try the Focus sash one, I did some calcs :

252 Atk Garchomp Poison Jab vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Tapu Bulu: 164-196 (92.6 - 110.7%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO if Tapu Bulu attack, it will die because of the recoil or/and Rough skin.
And without the Focus sash Tapu Bulu OHKO Garchomp
252+ Atk Choice Band Tapu Bulu Wood Hammer vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Garchomp: 264-312 (143.4 - 169.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Still OHKO Goodra
252 Atk Garchomp Outrage vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Goodra: 272-324 (138 - 164.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO

2HKO Aegislash, like the Expert belt and Life orb variants
252 Atk Garchomp Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Aegislash-Shield: 122-146 (73 - 87.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

 

[cant say]

I feel like i'm starting to sound like a broken record in all these RMT threads, continuously bringing up Porygon2 and wondering how people have been beating it. Your team is no exception, to me it looks like P2 just sits there and alternates between Recover and an attacking move until your whole team is KOed.

I'm not really seeing what Tapu Bulu brings to the team. I think if you use Buzzwole instead of Bulu and change Mamoswine to the Assault Vest set your team will cover all the threats you're worried about really well. If you remove Roost for Ice Beam on Pelipper then you have three checks to Mega Salamence in Pel, Kingdra under rain, and Tapu Koko (if Mence is still unboosted), so physically defensive Mamoswine isn't needed so much.

Buzzwole and Mamoswine sets

Buzzwole @ Fightium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 28 HP / 252 Atk / 228 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Superpower
- Leech Life
- Ice Punch / Earthquake
- Thunder Punch / Earthquake

All-Out Pummelling destroys Porygon2 (as well as pretty much everything that doesn't resist it). Leech Life is reliable STAB and gives health, then pick your coverage moves. Ice Punch destroys Garchomp, and can get a Salamence switching in on you. Thunder Punch is for Gyarados that don't Mega Evolve on you thinking they can tank aFighting or Bug move. EQ is kinda redundant but hits Tapu Koko switchins and Magnezone.

Mamoswine @ Assault Vest
Ability: Snow Cloak
EVs: 44 HP / 212 Atk / 252 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Icicle Spear
- Ice Shard
- Fissure

Just totally standard stuff. It doesn't counter Ghost Z-Conversion Porygon-Z though (but neither did your Bulu), you need to get some prior damage off on the PZ and probably sack it so Mamo can come and and clean up with Earthquake + Ice Shard. Fissure is amazing, gives you a 30% chance to completely kill something that you otherwise have no business facing.