Rate my Rain Team!

[Aelsorm]

Hi there,
I have built all weather teams, but when I started to play this game (competetionaly), I wanted to play Rain (or Drizzle) team.
Finally, when I learned all basic rules and some strategies I decided to build this forgotten team.

Rain Teams are pretty common, so maybe there will be no news for you, but I hope you will enjoy this article either way.

So there it is:

Basicaly I started this team with Politoed. I would say, there is no other (good!) chances for keep rain... so there is only one thing you should complain - Shiny or not?

Then Azumarill joined my team. Why Azumarill you ask? Probably you don't ask, because it is well-known he has awesome defense stats (or not too bad...) and access to powerful ability - Huge Power! Then he can use Aqua Jet against almost everything to OHKO it (I mean weak Poké and Sweepers)... isn't he really awesome?

Then came another cool frog. This time it was Toxicroak. Yes, he isn't so weak and thanks to its typing he resists Fighting type and also Grass type moves quite well. Small bonus is that he blows out Toxic Spikes.
He isn't as good sweeper as stall, but I was playing him to counter Ferrothorn - I really hate this Pokémon, I don't know why, but he scaries me even, when he doesn't have Rapid Spin. Who knows, that guy is just ugly.

I decided to play any Special Attacker... Special Attacker, who has access to Thunder or Hurricane. I think there are only some really good Pokémon - Thundurus-T, Jolteon, Volcanrona and Tornadus. I love scouting with U-turn and Volt Switch, so Jolteon and Thundurus remained.
Finally I decided for Jolteon, he isn't so weak as he seems to be and is faster.
When I decided for Volt Switch, it was decided I will play Choice-item. My choice for Choice-item was choosen - I choose as a Choice-item Choice Specs and as a Pokémon Jolteon (I could also choose Thundurus with Scarf, but I like more Jolteon).

My next choice was Chansey. I knew my team is weak to Thunder, Energy Ball and other moves and almost all of them are special, so I have two choices - Chansey or Blissey. Maybe there would be good Vaporeon as well, but as I said, electric moves and grass are threats and even with Vaporeon combos it would be still so bad to handle. Also Vaporeon needs (Hydration) Rain to be good, what I think is bad. So choice was Chansey and Blissey, I choosed Chansey, because she is bulkier (with Eviolite she can survive Close Combat, what Blissey just cannot).

Then I choosed Rapid Spinner and Spiker and Stealth Rocker in one - Forretress. Yeah, three in one, isn't it great? He has access to Gyro Ball (I preffer it over Volt Switch, because Volt Switch is useful, but just not as beautiful as Gyro Ball, Rapid Spin, Stealth Rock or Spikes).

I think my team was built very well, but I need to do some changes, I gave up Azumarill and his useful priority attack for Gyarados and his beautiful attacks.
I also gave up Toxicroak for place, which was needed by Tornadus. Tornadus has access to Hurricane and Rain Dance, which aren't bad attack, and they're even better when you get, that I can have still Rain even after Politoed's bad (but only for five turns, but during them can happen a lot of things).
Also I left my Forretress and put into my team Donphan. He hasn't access to Spikes, but he has Ice Shard - priority against dragon (they can really be threats), Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin as well and offensive move Earthquake. I decided for him to get another electric immunity and also he is one of best spinners thanks to his "not bad" speed. Earthquake can OHKO fearless Tentacruel which came for Rapid Spin...


There are EVs, natures and moves of my Pokémon...

Poly (Politoed) (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature
- Toxic
- Perish Song
- Scald
- Protect
I decided for Stall Politoed to keep rain raining, I think weather abusers are often better to have some bulk. Toxic is there for dealing massive damage, Perish Song for strategy and to get opponent under pressure and Scald is STAB and also can opponent burn (for example Scizor, who immunes Toxic).

Gyarados (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Waterfall
- Ice Fang
- Earthquake
Gyarados is just beast. I don't know why I haven't nicknamed him "Beast", maybe because my Black Kyurem in another team is called Beast. But thats off topic, so Dragon Dance is for getting some base stat boosts. Waterfall is his main STAB and it has 20% chance for flinching. Earthquake is reliable move against Tentacruel and Magnezone and other Pokémon, who think they can cross with Gyarados. Ice Fang over Stone Edge is there for dragons and Flying types (very useful against Gliscor).
After one or two Dragon Dances (depends on that, if any of opponent's Pokémon carries Choice Scarf) I start to attack. Moxie is better for Sweeper and it is usually game changing, because thanks to it I can win. I would say it is 100% better than Intimidate...

Chansey (F) @ Eviolite
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SDef
Bold Nature
- Softboiled
- Thunder Wave
- Aromatherapy
- Seismic Toss
Strange Chansey, isn't it? I would say most of you want to change Aromatherapy or Thunder Wave for Toxic, but I usually don't need it. I find Thunder Wave on her better. It can break many threats that opponent can switch into, as a Terrakion or Keldeo.
Aromatherapy is there for healing crippled Pokémon, when they got paralyzed or just burned (in Gyarados's case).
Seismic Toss is there for dealing damage and Softboiled over Wish for more reliable heal.

Donphan (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Rapid Spin
- Ice Shard
- Earthquake
Don Fan is my Rapid Spinner, so he carries (who would say?) Rapid Spin (I am not kidding, he really carries it). Stealth Rock are not unusual entry hazard for Donphan, Ice Shard is priority attack for Pokémon with x4 weak (there are lot of them) and Earthquake is his main STAB, which is useful (150 Base Power after STAB boost are awesome).
Also his Adamant nature guarantees in most cases OHKO for Espeon and 2HKO for Volcanrona, which is really useful, when I am trying to predict opponent's choices.

Jolty (Jolteon) (M) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Volt Switch
- Thunder
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Ice]
I am not really sure about Choice Specs, in some cases it hurts, but in another it is extremely useful as it does awesome damage even when there is stupidly written "not very effective".
Life Orb is another option, but honestly I like Choice Specs, because I want to save his life and deal more damage. Also I don't have any other Choice-user, so Choice Specs is better and I shouldn't be afraid of it.
Volt Switch is useful scouting move, as I said. There is Thunder, because there is rain, I would say it doesn't need commentary. HP Ice is there against Ground Pokémon, who are not afraid of Thunder and Volt Switch and also Shadow Ball cannot OHKO them. Shadow Ball is there over Signal Beam after testing. It is better (little Base Power difference), and it is more usable against Celebi.
Of course, I am usually not using Shadow Ball against Gengar, if you count well you will get Shadow Ball has (x2 weakness) 160 Base Power and Thunder (STAB) 180 Base Power, so Thunder is more powerful, but it is in some cases (no rain, possibly prediction and switch to Ground Pokémon) better to use Shadow Ball against Gengar and Pokémon like him.

Tornadus (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Prankster
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Hurricane
- Rain Dance
- Taunt
- Focus Blast
He's really good. He can set up Rain even if opponent's faster (usually Scarfs), he can Taunt opponent. His Focus Blast is here for dealing with Ferrothorn, Tyranitar and others. And Hurricane does not need commentary, because it is very useful move in rain.
I haven't Life Orb, but I have Leftovers for a reason, Rain needs to continue and when he starts his sweep, he usually get most HP back, which is useful against Mach Punches.


I would say it is really good team I have built there, I really enjoy battles with it.
Sometimes I have problems with Keldeo, because he cannot be walled. Especially with Scarfed Keldeo, who outruns everything, maybe I should at least change Tornadus's moveset to scarfed Tornadus and Jolteon to Life orb Jolteon, or add some new Pokémon? Gengar?

Please RATE MY TEAM.
Thanks for reading and I hope you didn't get bored.

 

[Electrolyte]

Hey there,

Nice team! I'm using a very very similar one right now, which is also focused on Gyarados + Volt Absorb Pokemon / Therian. There are some issues with your team, however, that I think a few tweaks could fix. Your offensive core is sound and can break past many threats but defensively you are a bit lacking, imo. You lack solid physical walls that can cover what the rest of your team doesn't. For instance, because you lack Steel types, Dragon types such as Dragonite or Salamence can deal a lot of damage to your team. You also lack fast revenge killers- so opposing setup sweepers such as Gyarados who don't fear Ice shard can also deal a number to this team. Your team is also fairly slow; things that can boost their speed and hit the team neutrally can easily deal lots of damage, and even some unboosted opponents such as Nasty Plot Thundy-T can deal a lot of damage. There are a few changes that I think you can make in order to improve the team.

First off, Donphan really has no place on this team. It can spin and set Stealth Rock, and maybe absorb an electric type attack, but it's setup fodder for a lot of things that Rain teams really can't afford giving momentum to. Instead, I suggest you try Defensive Forretress. Forretress provides a number of things that this team needs that was not handled by Donphan. For one, it's an extremely valuable Dragon resist, and it is a solid answer to most Dragon Dancers of the tier because of its immense physical bulk, Gyro Ball, and Volt Switch, letting it defeat Gyarados, Dragonite, Salamence, and many others. Forretress also spins and sets hazards just like Donphan, but it has a better typing to do it, with a plethora of useful resistances that Donphan lacks, such as a resistance to Grass and Ice. Its Gyro Ball lets it hit faster foes such as Terrakion, Mamoswine, or speed boosters for decent chunks of damage, preventing it from becoming setup bait. It's better suited for the team because it doesn't share many common weaknesses, it can pivot, it's not setup fodder, and it can tank dragon type attacks.

Forretress set

Forretress @ Leftovers
Relaxed / 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDef
Rapid Spin / Stealth Rock / Gyro Ball / Volt Switch

Looking at your team, I don't feel as if having Jolteon and Tornadus are really maximizing potential. The problem with the both of them is that neither are extremely fast nor extremely powerful- and they can't boost their stats and therefore it is not likely that they will be able to severely dent or cripple solid opposing teams. I feel as if splitting the two slightly above average pokemon into two concentrated, focused attackers would be more beneficial for the team. To start off this change, I'd like to suggest that you use Nasty Plot Thundy-T instead of Tornadus. Your team has some trouble handling opposing defensive teams, especially pokemon like Ferrothorn, who can wall most of your pokemon and sap their health with Leech Seed. Tornadus can only switch into so many Gyro Balls, and will eventually get worn down by SR + Gyro + Leech Seed. So, instead of Tornadus, I think using wallbreaker Thundurus-Therian would really help this team. After a Nasty Plot, it has enough coverage and speed to completely wreck opposing defensive teams, hitting most bulky waters, bulky steels, and bulky grounds / grasses for an OHKO after just one boost. This works perfectly with Gyarados, as Thundy can clear all walls so that Gyarados can sweep uninhibited, since Gyara has trouble getting past pokemon like Skarmory or Ferrothorn, whom Thundy destroy. It destroys defensive sand teams because of its power and awesome coverage. It also baits in Tyranitar and OHKOs it with Focus Blast, helping you win many weather wars. Thundurus also has better synergy with the rest of the team, as its awesome ability allows it to sap up electric type attacks and heal itself too.

Thundurus-T

Thundurus-T @ Expert Belt
Timid / 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Nasty Plot / Thunder / Hidden Power Ice / Focus Blast

With the inclusion of Thundy-T, Jolteon's role severely decreases, and it can definitely be replaced now to avoid redundancy. Instead of Jolteon, I think you need a pokemon that can hit really fast and quite powerfully too, essentially giving you not only a late game cleaner but also a solid revenge killer. Such a pokemon is Choice Scarf Latios. Latios brings a lot to the table- and effectively patches up many weaknesses that the team has. It's insanely fast, letting you use it to revenge kill nearly anything, even if they've boosted to +1 or they're holding a Scarf. This speed also lets it sweep up weakened teams late game after a Gyarados or Thundurus-T sweep, since it's tough to take down because of the massive amount of resistances it has. Speaking of resistances, it can also easily defeat most musketeers and fighting types because of its Psyshock STAB that OHKOs the whole lot of them, making it much easier for your sweepers to go to town. Its resistances to Fire, Grass, and Water also let you use it as a special pivot, soaking up Rain / Sun boosted moves without flinching. It has a lot of power and speed, making it a powerful and reliable addition to the team.

Latios set

Latios @ Choice Scarf
Timid / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Draco Meteor / Surf / Psyshock / Trick

It's a lot of changes, but I really urge you to try them because they would all definitely help the team succeed. Good luck!

 

[Aelsorm]

I started to lose with this team. It is nice that I can get +2 Thundurus, but he is easily revenge killed, he is just too slow. He can break wall but that is everything...

Latios is really bad. I play Drizzle Team and Latios's unbeatable threat is Tyranitar.
I am easily revenge killed by Pursuit from T-tar when I use Draco Meteor. His moveset is too weak to predict T-tar and use better move, even Surf does almost nothing to T-tar.

They're good, but they don't fit well in team. I loses to sandstorm team almost in every battle.
And I think sandstorm team is most used team...

So opponent will know move Pursuit and I can just forfeit...
Forretress does not seem bad, but I am not sure about him. Even Donphan was good. I am just afraid of Electric types, which he cannot resist and Magnezone, which is "GG" for him.

Also I am not sure how did you fix this threaty Ferrothorn, because you said, that he can use Leech Seed almost to everything... that was truth...
but now he can use it to everything, no Taunt there, and also, main weakness - Latios is easily walled by him.

There came Scizor as a new threat, as it kills everything or at least set up some Swords Dances thanks to Latios, who gives him chance and B-Punch and Superpower combo hits everything exept Forretress hard but Forretress does nothing against him, so he can use another Swords Dance.