Hello, been testing out a rain team in OU and while I have had solid success with it I have been encountering some issues and wondering if I could get any assistance with improving my team. Here it is:
David (Ferrothorn) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 208 SpD
Careful Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip
- Gyro Ball
Ferrothron may still have a double weakness to fire with the rain up but he still benefits greatly from it. But that is not the only reason I have ferrothorn on this team. He provides stealth rock support for my team and helps to take our other rain based pokemon with power whip that would try to take advantage of the weather such as Mega Swampert and Ash-Greninja. Additionally, Ferrothron has great special defense and my team really needs that. Leech Seed is there for recovery and weakning my oppnent. Leftovers also helps keep ferrothron healthy and I prefer it over rocky helmet. For the last slot, I have choosen to use gyro ball because it will enable Ferrothron to deal solid damage to anti leads or pokemon that would try to taunt it such as Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, and Azelf.
Tapu Twick Twick (Tapu Koko) @ Zap Plate
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunder
- Volt Switch
- Nature's Madness
- Taunt
Tapu Koko aside from being my favorite pokemon has a ludicriously powerful thunder in the rain that allows him to deal insane damage to opponents, even those who resist it. Even when rain is down, it still is powerful and the 70% accuracy is a risk I will gladly take. Volt switch allows Tapu to have another powerful electric type move that also provides momentum for my team. Because Thunder is where my main source of power is, I have equipped Zap plate so I have more conisistent damage output and volt switch also gets a nice boost. Nature's madness is a move I was skeptical about using but I have found it to be a solid choice for dealing damage against walls like ferrothron and pesky ground types like Landorous-T and Mega Swampert. Finally, Taunt helps shut down pokemon like Ferrothron and chansey from setting up stealth rock and prevent setup sweepers like Mega Charizard X and Zygarde from attempting to sweep my team, although Koko does have to watch out for their ground type moves.
Wes (Pelipper) @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 32 Def / 228 SpD
Bold Nature
- Scald
- U-turn
- Roost
- Hurricane
Provides rain so yea pretty self explanatory as to why it is on the team. Scald is their for solid power and the chance to cripple physical attackers, U-Turn provides momentum, and Roost helps keep pelliper healthy and able to setup more rain. Hurricane is in the last slot for dealing with a potential hawlucha from sweeping my team and taking out Keldeo as well as dealing good damage to tangrowth.
Stephen (Tornadus-Therian) @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 40 Atk / 216 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Hurricane
- U-turn
- Defog
- Superpower
Bit of a interesting choice but his good speed coupled with U-turn allow him to provide momentum for the team. Hurricane is there for stab and becomes very spammable in the rain. However, I have given him the flyinium Z crystal for the chance to nuke a pokemon that may be giving my team trouble. Defog is there to keep hazards off the field for Pelliper and the rest of my team, though it does remove my hazards too and it is hard for me to do sometimes with tornadus-t's weakness to rocks. SuperPower is there to nail T-tar and Chansey as well as finish off ferrothron when weakened. Ev-Spread allows Tornadus to 2-HKO Mega T-tar and Heatran and OHKO- Choice Band T-Tar.
Aidan (Swampert) @ Swampertite
Ability: Damp
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Superpower
Choice of Mega and excellent rain Sweeper. Adamant Nature is choosen for the extra power and the need to outpace keldeo isn't something I concern myself with too much, especially since I do not really encounter it that often. Waterfall and earthquake are my bread and butter stab moves of choice, Ice Punch is great coverage for Lando-T, Garchomp, Zygarde, and other pesky grass types like Tangrowth. Superpower is neccessary for taking out ferrothorn. After Earthquake, SuperPower can KO the spiky wall so good prediction is important in that scenario.
Michael (Kartana) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Sacred Sword
- Smart Strike
- Knock Off
Excellent revenge killer against Ash-Greninja, Keldeo, and also can be a great late game sweeper. It does not need the rain to function so it can function if pelliper has been taken out and the rain is gone. Leaf blade and Smart Strike are great stab moves, smart strike also deals with clefable and tapu lele so long as Kartana doesn't try to switch into their special attacks. Sacred Sword deals with Chansey and heatran on the switch and also 2HKO's Ferrothron, though the iron barbs damage is a little annoying. Finally, knock off is great support and also takes out Mega Alakazam.
Biggest Threats to this team:
Hawlucha:
This thing has swept through my teams multiple times at +2 Attack. Pelipper and Tapu Koko are the best chances of taking this thing down thanks to their typings (Though Pelliper still has a 6.3% chance of being OHKO'd by Acrobatics), but if rocks are up Pelliper gets OHKO'd and Tapu Koko has a 6.3% chance of getting OHKO'd by High Jump Kick after stealth rock damage.
Zapdos:
Threatens Pelipper, Ferrothorn, and Kartana and is able to blow away hazards with defog. Also has roost to heal passive damage from rocks. Mega Swampert is able to take it on but has to watch out for static and the chance of burn with heatwave.
Mega Medicham:
Very powerful wall breaker that very little on my team can stand up too. Even Pelliper gets 2HKOd by zen headbutt. I have lots of checks to this thing but very little in the way of counters.
Mega Alakazam:
Takes out ferrothron with HP fire if rain isn't up and can also trace swift swim and revenge kill mega swampert if weakned. Ferrothron can take it on with Gyro ball if the rain is up, but doesn't appreciate the iron barbs damage and still only has a 12.5% chance to OHKO with gyro ball. Usually I revenge kill with kartana using knock off.
Ferrothron:
Despite being on my team, Ferrothron is quite a nuisance. He is able to setup rocks, leech seed my team, deal lots of damage to Tornadus and Tapu Koko with gyro ball, and check Mega Swampert with power whip. Kartana can 2HKO with sacred sword and doesn't take much damage from gyro ball and is immune to leech seed, but also hates iron barbs damage. Plus if it carrying knock off, Kartana loses it's revenge killing capabilities.
I'm still going to do some more testing but if there are any suggestions for improvements or possible threats that I might be missing I would appreciate the feedback.
David (Ferrothorn) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 208 SpD
Careful Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Stealth Rock
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip
- Gyro Ball
Ferrothron may still have a double weakness to fire with the rain up but he still benefits greatly from it. But that is not the only reason I have ferrothorn on this team. He provides stealth rock support for my team and helps to take our other rain based pokemon with power whip that would try to take advantage of the weather such as Mega Swampert and Ash-Greninja. Additionally, Ferrothron has great special defense and my team really needs that. Leech Seed is there for recovery and weakning my oppnent. Leftovers also helps keep ferrothron healthy and I prefer it over rocky helmet. For the last slot, I have choosen to use gyro ball because it will enable Ferrothron to deal solid damage to anti leads or pokemon that would try to taunt it such as Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, and Azelf.
Tapu Twick Twick (Tapu Koko) @ Zap Plate
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunder
- Volt Switch
- Nature's Madness
- Taunt
Tapu Koko aside from being my favorite pokemon has a ludicriously powerful thunder in the rain that allows him to deal insane damage to opponents, even those who resist it. Even when rain is down, it still is powerful and the 70% accuracy is a risk I will gladly take. Volt switch allows Tapu to have another powerful electric type move that also provides momentum for my team. Because Thunder is where my main source of power is, I have equipped Zap plate so I have more conisistent damage output and volt switch also gets a nice boost. Nature's madness is a move I was skeptical about using but I have found it to be a solid choice for dealing damage against walls like ferrothron and pesky ground types like Landorous-T and Mega Swampert. Finally, Taunt helps shut down pokemon like Ferrothron and chansey from setting up stealth rock and prevent setup sweepers like Mega Charizard X and Zygarde from attempting to sweep my team, although Koko does have to watch out for their ground type moves.
Wes (Pelipper) @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 32 Def / 228 SpD
Bold Nature
- Scald
- U-turn
- Roost
- Hurricane
Provides rain so yea pretty self explanatory as to why it is on the team. Scald is their for solid power and the chance to cripple physical attackers, U-Turn provides momentum, and Roost helps keep pelliper healthy and able to setup more rain. Hurricane is in the last slot for dealing with a potential hawlucha from sweeping my team and taking out Keldeo as well as dealing good damage to tangrowth.
Stephen (Tornadus-Therian) @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 40 Atk / 216 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Hurricane
- U-turn
- Defog
- Superpower
Bit of a interesting choice but his good speed coupled with U-turn allow him to provide momentum for the team. Hurricane is there for stab and becomes very spammable in the rain. However, I have given him the flyinium Z crystal for the chance to nuke a pokemon that may be giving my team trouble. Defog is there to keep hazards off the field for Pelliper and the rest of my team, though it does remove my hazards too and it is hard for me to do sometimes with tornadus-t's weakness to rocks. SuperPower is there to nail T-tar and Chansey as well as finish off ferrothron when weakened. Ev-Spread allows Tornadus to 2-HKO Mega T-tar and Heatran and OHKO- Choice Band T-Tar.
Aidan (Swampert) @ Swampertite
Ability: Damp
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Superpower
Choice of Mega and excellent rain Sweeper. Adamant Nature is choosen for the extra power and the need to outpace keldeo isn't something I concern myself with too much, especially since I do not really encounter it that often. Waterfall and earthquake are my bread and butter stab moves of choice, Ice Punch is great coverage for Lando-T, Garchomp, Zygarde, and other pesky grass types like Tangrowth. Superpower is neccessary for taking out ferrothorn. After Earthquake, SuperPower can KO the spiky wall so good prediction is important in that scenario.
Michael (Kartana) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Sacred Sword
- Smart Strike
- Knock Off
Excellent revenge killer against Ash-Greninja, Keldeo, and also can be a great late game sweeper. It does not need the rain to function so it can function if pelliper has been taken out and the rain is gone. Leaf blade and Smart Strike are great stab moves, smart strike also deals with clefable and tapu lele so long as Kartana doesn't try to switch into their special attacks. Sacred Sword deals with Chansey and heatran on the switch and also 2HKO's Ferrothron, though the iron barbs damage is a little annoying. Finally, knock off is great support and also takes out Mega Alakazam.
Biggest Threats to this team:
Hawlucha:
This thing has swept through my teams multiple times at +2 Attack. Pelipper and Tapu Koko are the best chances of taking this thing down thanks to their typings (Though Pelliper still has a 6.3% chance of being OHKO'd by Acrobatics), but if rocks are up Pelliper gets OHKO'd and Tapu Koko has a 6.3% chance of getting OHKO'd by High Jump Kick after stealth rock damage.
Zapdos:
Threatens Pelipper, Ferrothorn, and Kartana and is able to blow away hazards with defog. Also has roost to heal passive damage from rocks. Mega Swampert is able to take it on but has to watch out for static and the chance of burn with heatwave.
Mega Medicham:
Very powerful wall breaker that very little on my team can stand up too. Even Pelliper gets 2HKOd by zen headbutt. I have lots of checks to this thing but very little in the way of counters.
Mega Alakazam:
Takes out ferrothron with HP fire if rain isn't up and can also trace swift swim and revenge kill mega swampert if weakned. Ferrothron can take it on with Gyro ball if the rain is up, but doesn't appreciate the iron barbs damage and still only has a 12.5% chance to OHKO with gyro ball. Usually I revenge kill with kartana using knock off.
Ferrothron:
Despite being on my team, Ferrothron is quite a nuisance. He is able to setup rocks, leech seed my team, deal lots of damage to Tornadus and Tapu Koko with gyro ball, and check Mega Swampert with power whip. Kartana can 2HKO with sacred sword and doesn't take much damage from gyro ball and is immune to leech seed, but also hates iron barbs damage. Plus if it carrying knock off, Kartana loses it's revenge killing capabilities.
I'm still going to do some more testing but if there are any suggestions for improvements or possible threats that I might be missing I would appreciate the feedback.
