Yo, TwistedSpaceman here with my first fifth gen RMT. Before I even get into team details I'd like to openly admit that I'm incredibly inexperienced with EV spreads, so I definitely need some EV aid. All criticism is welcome :D
Anyway, onto the team concept. After reading through all 28 pages of the fourth OU suspect testing thread, I was really inclined to attempt a drizzle team and see what all the fuss was about. I started working on a drizzle team, but midway through I realized that standard Drizzle teams are incredibly boring. The amount of awesome drizzle abusers was kinda meh, and I didn't want all my matches to turn into wars to keep my weather maker alive. I was, however, still inclined to use drizzle, as it bolstered some of my favorite pokemon. To remedy this problem, I decided to build a team that used weather as a simple advantage rather than a crutch; it can survive, and even thrive in other weather conditions, however has substantial advantages under rain. The following is a team that I really love, as I think it really breaks the repetitive mold that plagues Drizzle teams. Feel free to tear it apart, however.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the two pokemon that inspired this team, Politoed and Bronzong! Politoed is an absolute staple for rain team this generation [oviously], and was obviously the first pokemon added to the team. I then added Bronzong,my favorite defensive-mon ever. Rain effectively gives it zero weaknesses, and he provides a nice defensive crutch to absorb moves targeted at Politoed.
Next I added Raikou, whose Dream World ability volt absorb is perfect for covering Politoed. He added much needed coverage and also thrives in rain due to a 100% accurate, semi-protect breaking Thunder.
The next addition to the team was Vaporeon! Vaporeon is another pokemon who is great in rain, but doesn't need it to survive. Wish passing support became a staple to my team, and he forms a nice defensive core with Bronzong, able to take fire moves like a boss in case rain is down.
Though Garchomp is a bit of a weird addition for a rain team, the second i added I fell in love with him. I was in need of an amazing physical sweeper, and in adding Garchomp, I got just that and more. Not only is he amazing offensively, he is also an amazing sandstorm/drought counter.
Virizion was [close to] the final addition to the team. It acts as a another nice weather counter, and has its fire weakness nerfed into oblivion. It also packs amazing coverage that my team was in grave need of.
Now this is a tweak I'm still not sure about, so I'd really appreciate some input. While Raikou was really cool, and he took electric moves like a pro, a friend of mine pointed out that I already have an electric resist, and an immunity, and that it might be beneficial to pack one true rain abuser. I decided to opt for Dragonite, whose amazing bulk allowed some much needed leeway for my team.
Politoed (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Focus Blast
Oh Politoed, how I wish I didn't have to use you. Or at least I did, until I realized how amazing a hyper offensive Politoed is. Most people frown upon the idea of such a frail weather inducer, however my team can function under most any weather condition, so I decided to go for it. This is probably the most standard set on this team, and I must say it's quite successful. His Hydro Pump is nothing short of terrifying, and Ice Beam is a great counter to pokemon that would potentially maul Dragonite and Garchomp. HP Grass and Focus Blast are simply for coverage, though I find myself seldom ever using them.
Problems:
-Very frail for a weather inducer.
-I hate choice, but he seems to need it.
-While it flat out mauls Hippowdon, Abomasnow and Ninetales, Politoed has a hard time taking out Tyranitar, whose Sp. Def always gets the sandstorm boost because of it's abysmal speed.
Bronzong @ Light Clay
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 SDef
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Gyro Ball
- Rain Dance
Let me start by saying that I love Bronzong. I love him to absolute death. He can fill any defensive role a team needs, can take crazy damage, completely outclasses Ferrothorn as a rain-wall, and has a gorgeous support movepool. Under rain, he's even more of a monster, as his only weakness - fire - is virtually useless. With that out of the way, this set is probably a prime example of me being terrible at EV's. His defenses are completely balanced at 331 and his HP is a subpar 305. I love the defensive balance, but I'm sure there are better spreads if anyone has suggestions. With his movepool, I tried to create something that could support my team very well, while still being able to cripple other teams. Dual screens provides excellent protection for both Virizion setup and Garchomp switch ins, as well as making Dragonite even bulkier. Rain Dance destroys weathers that manage to setup over Politoed and lures Tyranitar in, who Bronzong can dent with a STAB'ed Gyro Ball.
Problems:
-With Light Clay, Bronzong has no reliable recovery in the form of Leftovers, and is forced to rely on Vaporeon Wish support.
-While he can use Rain Dance when sun is up, Bronzong is really slow, and is easily KO'ed by sun-powered fire attacks.
Dragonite (M) @ (Leftovers)
Trait: Multiscale
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Thunder
- Thunder Wave
- Hurricane
- Roost
Ah, Dragonite, the most controversial member of my team. I love this thing to death - rain boosted Thunder and Hurricane RAVAGE entire teams - but I'm still not sure it's the best match for my team. I'm a huge fan of bulky pokemon, so naturally I find Dragonite really cool. While balanced 216 defenses are obviously nowhere near perfect, Dragonite's high HP and Multiscale ability pretty much make up for them. With dual screens up from bronzong he becomes practically unstoppable, especially with roost to bring Multiscale back into effect. He provides excellent support for my team with Thunder Wave, and Roost + Leftovers keep him alive forever. His reasonable bulk freed up some spots that were originally allotted to more defensive sets for the rest of my team, and his access to two 120 BP, 100% accurate moves is nothing short of stellar.
Problems:
-Dragonite has one problem, and it's not even his fault. Though he is amazing, and impeccably so, he greatly diverges from my team concept. Both of his attacking moves are incredibly unreliable when any other weather is present, so I am still torn about his inclusion on my team. I'll post the potential Raikou set a bit lower and would love to get some suggestions on which to use.
Vaporeon (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Hydration
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SDef / 4 SAtk
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Rest
- Toxic
- Wish
- Scald
Woot Vaporeon! Vaporeon is simply perfect. The second i threw him on my team I knew it was the right choice. His EV spread is a simple spread for a special wall, allowing him to take just about any special attack with ease as well as pass massive wishes off to other pokemon. While Wish + Rest may seem a bit redundant, I find that Wish not only supports the rest of my team, but allows Vaporeon to reliably heal even in other weather conditions. Scald is both a decent damage dealing move on SE hits as well as a nice status inducer, while Toxic wrecks any pokemon without reliable recovery that tries to beat out Vaporeon. All in all, Vaporeon has proven to be as reliable as reliable gets.
Problems:
-I'm sure some exist, but I sure as hell haven't found them yet.
Garchomp (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Aqua Tail
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast (So I realized this is really dumb. I need a new move.)
- Outrage
Garchomp looks cool. Plus you know, he has an incredible offensive typing, an electric immunity, and sand veil. I find that Garchomp is both an impeccable scarf-sweeper, and just what this team needs to plow through other weather teams. Sand Veil means he's got incredible leverage over teams that try to nullify rain with sand, and Dragon typing + Earthquake gives him reliable means to punish sub abusers. Aqua Tail is incredible in rain, and his Outrage simply rips through teams. He's a solid counter for Excadrill, whose plagued me in the past, as he can come in on most of his attack with relative ease and punish with Aqua Tail or Earthquake. All in all Garchomp is a great and versatile counter to a lot of pokemon that could otherwise rip this team apart, and the best answer to fighting other weathers there is.
Problems:
-Two scarfers on a team is a bit redundant, but I really don't know what else to run. Without scarf there's a ton of pokemon that outspeed him... suggestions are very welcome.
Virizion @ Life Orb
Trait: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Close Combat
- Leaf Blade
- X-Scissor
- Swords Dance
And finally we reach Virizion. I really like this pokemon, and I think it fills a great role on my team. Screen Support gives Virizion ample defense for getting up at least one Swords Dance, as well as cushioning the effects of Close Combat. Leaf Blade and CC are its most reliable stab, X - Scissor is a great coverage move that hits Hydreigon, Reuniclus, and just about any psychic pokemon for great damage. Virizion also acts as a great counter for opposing Tyranitars, and for the most part fills an incredibly versatile sweeping role for my team.
Problems:
-Movepool. Though I love X-Scissor, Virizion is completely walled by flying types. I'd love to run Stone Edge, but then I have nothing that effectively SE's Reuniclus on my team. Definitely in need of suggestion
-Close Combat + Life Orb gets incredibly risky when Screens go down, and I find myself losing Virizion rather early on in most games. Might just be user error, but I do think Virizion could be improved.
Threats... Sort of:
Admittedly I am much too inexperienced to come up with a truly comprehensive threatlist. Though I'm an avid pokemon player, I didn't join PO till last week, and have barely played till his weekend. I have, however, noticed a few key pokemon that I feel very ill-equipped to deal with. Namely Scizor, Foretress, Chansey, and Gyarados. Scizor and Foretress are incredibly hard to take down with no reliable fire moves, and Chansey can take an unboosted Close Combat then pull its shenanigans and heal itself. Chansey SHOULD be easy to take down, but the combination of Protect/Toxic/Seismic Toss/Insert Healing Move Here seemed to plague me. Gyarados is much less major, however my best counter to him, Dragonite, gets destroyed by Ice Fang or Stone Edge. Gyarados isn't very pressing, but it's notable enough that I could use some pointers.
Other Stuff:
I'm just gonna post the Raikou set here that I was and am still considering. It's rather self explanatory:
Raikou @ Life Orb
Trait: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunder
- Shadow Ball
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
I found this set really versatile, but I'm so torn between this and Dragonite. Suggestions would be incredibly beneficial.
Thanks so much for reading and [hopefully] rating. This is the first fifth gen team I've made without collaborating with a friend, and I'm really satisfied. I was really keen on breaking the ridiculously boring rain stereotype of Politoed + Rain Abuser + Steel = win, and I think this team accomplishes that while still utilizing rain well. I'd also like to apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors that I've overlooked, this thing just took so long to write that I never had time to go back and fix them. I really appreciate the time anyone took to read this, and i look forward to reading any criticisms floating around out there ^.^
Anyway, onto the team concept. After reading through all 28 pages of the fourth OU suspect testing thread, I was really inclined to attempt a drizzle team and see what all the fuss was about. I started working on a drizzle team, but midway through I realized that standard Drizzle teams are incredibly boring. The amount of awesome drizzle abusers was kinda meh, and I didn't want all my matches to turn into wars to keep my weather maker alive. I was, however, still inclined to use drizzle, as it bolstered some of my favorite pokemon. To remedy this problem, I decided to build a team that used weather as a simple advantage rather than a crutch; it can survive, and even thrive in other weather conditions, however has substantial advantages under rain. The following is a team that I really love, as I think it really breaks the repetitive mold that plagues Drizzle teams. Feel free to tear it apart, however.
Team Preview:
Process Breakdown:
Ladies and Gentlemen, the two pokemon that inspired this team, Politoed and Bronzong! Politoed is an absolute staple for rain team this generation [oviously], and was obviously the first pokemon added to the team. I then added Bronzong,my favorite defensive-mon ever. Rain effectively gives it zero weaknesses, and he provides a nice defensive crutch to absorb moves targeted at Politoed.
Next I added Raikou, whose Dream World ability volt absorb is perfect for covering Politoed. He added much needed coverage and also thrives in rain due to a 100% accurate, semi-protect breaking Thunder.
The next addition to the team was Vaporeon! Vaporeon is another pokemon who is great in rain, but doesn't need it to survive. Wish passing support became a staple to my team, and he forms a nice defensive core with Bronzong, able to take fire moves like a boss in case rain is down.
Though Garchomp is a bit of a weird addition for a rain team, the second i added I fell in love with him. I was in need of an amazing physical sweeper, and in adding Garchomp, I got just that and more. Not only is he amazing offensively, he is also an amazing sandstorm/drought counter.
Virizion was [close to] the final addition to the team. It acts as a another nice weather counter, and has its fire weakness nerfed into oblivion. It also packs amazing coverage that my team was in grave need of.
Now this is a tweak I'm still not sure about, so I'd really appreciate some input. While Raikou was really cool, and he took electric moves like a pro, a friend of mine pointed out that I already have an electric resist, and an immunity, and that it might be beneficial to pack one true rain abuser. I decided to opt for Dragonite, whose amazing bulk allowed some much needed leeway for my team.
Get To Know The Team:
Politoed (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Focus Blast
Oh Politoed, how I wish I didn't have to use you. Or at least I did, until I realized how amazing a hyper offensive Politoed is. Most people frown upon the idea of such a frail weather inducer, however my team can function under most any weather condition, so I decided to go for it. This is probably the most standard set on this team, and I must say it's quite successful. His Hydro Pump is nothing short of terrifying, and Ice Beam is a great counter to pokemon that would potentially maul Dragonite and Garchomp. HP Grass and Focus Blast are simply for coverage, though I find myself seldom ever using them.
Problems:
-Very frail for a weather inducer.
-I hate choice, but he seems to need it.
-While it flat out mauls Hippowdon, Abomasnow and Ninetales, Politoed has a hard time taking out Tyranitar, whose Sp. Def always gets the sandstorm boost because of it's abysmal speed.
Bronzong @ Light Clay
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 SDef
Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Gyro Ball
- Rain Dance
Let me start by saying that I love Bronzong. I love him to absolute death. He can fill any defensive role a team needs, can take crazy damage, completely outclasses Ferrothorn as a rain-wall, and has a gorgeous support movepool. Under rain, he's even more of a monster, as his only weakness - fire - is virtually useless. With that out of the way, this set is probably a prime example of me being terrible at EV's. His defenses are completely balanced at 331 and his HP is a subpar 305. I love the defensive balance, but I'm sure there are better spreads if anyone has suggestions. With his movepool, I tried to create something that could support my team very well, while still being able to cripple other teams. Dual screens provides excellent protection for both Virizion setup and Garchomp switch ins, as well as making Dragonite even bulkier. Rain Dance destroys weathers that manage to setup over Politoed and lures Tyranitar in, who Bronzong can dent with a STAB'ed Gyro Ball.
Problems:
-With Light Clay, Bronzong has no reliable recovery in the form of Leftovers, and is forced to rely on Vaporeon Wish support.
-While he can use Rain Dance when sun is up, Bronzong is really slow, and is easily KO'ed by sun-powered fire attacks.
Dragonite (M) @ (Leftovers)
Trait: Multiscale
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SAtk
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Thunder
- Thunder Wave
- Hurricane
- Roost
Ah, Dragonite, the most controversial member of my team. I love this thing to death - rain boosted Thunder and Hurricane RAVAGE entire teams - but I'm still not sure it's the best match for my team. I'm a huge fan of bulky pokemon, so naturally I find Dragonite really cool. While balanced 216 defenses are obviously nowhere near perfect, Dragonite's high HP and Multiscale ability pretty much make up for them. With dual screens up from bronzong he becomes practically unstoppable, especially with roost to bring Multiscale back into effect. He provides excellent support for my team with Thunder Wave, and Roost + Leftovers keep him alive forever. His reasonable bulk freed up some spots that were originally allotted to more defensive sets for the rest of my team, and his access to two 120 BP, 100% accurate moves is nothing short of stellar.
Problems:
-Dragonite has one problem, and it's not even his fault. Though he is amazing, and impeccably so, he greatly diverges from my team concept. Both of his attacking moves are incredibly unreliable when any other weather is present, so I am still torn about his inclusion on my team. I'll post the potential Raikou set a bit lower and would love to get some suggestions on which to use.
Vaporeon (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Hydration
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SDef / 4 SAtk
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Rest
- Toxic
- Wish
- Scald
Woot Vaporeon! Vaporeon is simply perfect. The second i threw him on my team I knew it was the right choice. His EV spread is a simple spread for a special wall, allowing him to take just about any special attack with ease as well as pass massive wishes off to other pokemon. While Wish + Rest may seem a bit redundant, I find that Wish not only supports the rest of my team, but allows Vaporeon to reliably heal even in other weather conditions. Scald is both a decent damage dealing move on SE hits as well as a nice status inducer, while Toxic wrecks any pokemon without reliable recovery that tries to beat out Vaporeon. All in all, Vaporeon has proven to be as reliable as reliable gets.
Problems:
-I'm sure some exist, but I sure as hell haven't found them yet.
Garchomp (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Aqua Tail
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast (So I realized this is really dumb. I need a new move.)
- Outrage
Garchomp looks cool. Plus you know, he has an incredible offensive typing, an electric immunity, and sand veil. I find that Garchomp is both an impeccable scarf-sweeper, and just what this team needs to plow through other weather teams. Sand Veil means he's got incredible leverage over teams that try to nullify rain with sand, and Dragon typing + Earthquake gives him reliable means to punish sub abusers. Aqua Tail is incredible in rain, and his Outrage simply rips through teams. He's a solid counter for Excadrill, whose plagued me in the past, as he can come in on most of his attack with relative ease and punish with Aqua Tail or Earthquake. All in all Garchomp is a great and versatile counter to a lot of pokemon that could otherwise rip this team apart, and the best answer to fighting other weathers there is.
Problems:
-Two scarfers on a team is a bit redundant, but I really don't know what else to run. Without scarf there's a ton of pokemon that outspeed him... suggestions are very welcome.
Virizion @ Life Orb
Trait: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Close Combat
- Leaf Blade
- X-Scissor
- Swords Dance
And finally we reach Virizion. I really like this pokemon, and I think it fills a great role on my team. Screen Support gives Virizion ample defense for getting up at least one Swords Dance, as well as cushioning the effects of Close Combat. Leaf Blade and CC are its most reliable stab, X - Scissor is a great coverage move that hits Hydreigon, Reuniclus, and just about any psychic pokemon for great damage. Virizion also acts as a great counter for opposing Tyranitars, and for the most part fills an incredibly versatile sweeping role for my team.
Problems:
-Movepool. Though I love X-Scissor, Virizion is completely walled by flying types. I'd love to run Stone Edge, but then I have nothing that effectively SE's Reuniclus on my team. Definitely in need of suggestion
-Close Combat + Life Orb gets incredibly risky when Screens go down, and I find myself losing Virizion rather early on in most games. Might just be user error, but I do think Virizion could be improved.
Threatlist + Various Other Stuff:
Threats... Sort of:
Admittedly I am much too inexperienced to come up with a truly comprehensive threatlist. Though I'm an avid pokemon player, I didn't join PO till last week, and have barely played till his weekend. I have, however, noticed a few key pokemon that I feel very ill-equipped to deal with. Namely Scizor, Foretress, Chansey, and Gyarados. Scizor and Foretress are incredibly hard to take down with no reliable fire moves, and Chansey can take an unboosted Close Combat then pull its shenanigans and heal itself. Chansey SHOULD be easy to take down, but the combination of Protect/Toxic/Seismic Toss/Insert Healing Move Here seemed to plague me. Gyarados is much less major, however my best counter to him, Dragonite, gets destroyed by Ice Fang or Stone Edge. Gyarados isn't very pressing, but it's notable enough that I could use some pointers.
Other Stuff:
I'm just gonna post the Raikou set here that I was and am still considering. It's rather self explanatory:
Raikou @ Life Orb
Trait: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunder
- Shadow Ball
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
I found this set really versatile, but I'm so torn between this and Dragonite. Suggestions would be incredibly beneficial.
---------------------------
Thanks so much for reading and [hopefully] rating. This is the first fifth gen team I've made without collaborating with a friend, and I'm really satisfied. I was really keen on breaking the ridiculously boring rain stereotype of Politoed + Rain Abuser + Steel = win, and I think this team accomplishes that while still utilizing rain well. I'd also like to apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors that I've overlooked, this thing just took so long to write that I never had time to go back and fix them. I really appreciate the time anyone took to read this, and i look forward to reading any criticisms floating around out there ^.^
