Swift Swim was banned with Drizzle? And Manaphy was banned?
Rain teams have next to vanished from the ladder?
Well, seems like noobs these days can't think beyond Double Speed, or abuseing broken abilities like Hydration.
After a few trials and changes, I have made a Rain Offense team which, in my veiw, is rather sucessful.
Team Building:
Obviously, for a Drizzle-based team, Politoad is required. Unless you're playing Ubers. Which I'm not.
My next step was to test out DD Gyarados in the Rain, as he effectivly starts out with Waterfall at +1.
Agility Emploeon was the next on the list to test out, as his special attacks already had frightening power, and combined with Agility, and, if his HP got low, Torrent, Emploeon's water attacks could muscle past nearly anything. He also helped to lure Ground and Fighting attacks for Gyarados to switch in on, as well as taking Rock-type attacks.
This being a Rain team, when I needed a pivot ad something for Hazards, Nattorei was the obvious solution, especially with his x4 Fire weakness being cut to x2 in the Rain.
Nxt, I wanted something to take down other Waters, so, with his 100% accurate STAB Thunder, I added Rotom-W to my team. Will-O-Wisp to cripple things like Tyranitar is an added bonus.
Finally, I found my team was weak to Electric, despite Nattorei. I also needed more physical power. The solution to both of these issues was to throw Garchomp on the team, especially as his weakness to Ice is covered by the Water-types, and Nattorei and Emploeon both resist Dragon.
However, I soon found Emploeon underwelming, and the lack of Priority, and something to handle Nattorei, too much to ignore. Thus, I added Azumarill to my team, and solved both problems at once.
Finally, Gyarados seemed underwhelming too, and I replaced him with another Flying-Type who could abuse the Rain, Tornadus. STAB Hurricanes from a Base 125 Sp.Attack, and a Base 111 Speed added a lot more speed, and flexibilty to the team, as well as another way to handle Grass types.
The Team:
Politoed (M) @ Leftovers Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Perish Song
- Protect
- Boil Over
- Focus Blast
To be honest, he's mostly here for the Rain. However, Politoad does have some uses outside of this. Perish Song and Protect help to bring threats such as Renkulus under control should they set up. Focus Blast takes a meatly chunk out of Tyranitar. Boil Over can support the rest of the team with Burns.
Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Thunder
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Evil Eye
Offensive Rotom-W, and, to be honest, he's not performing as I expected. A little bit too slow, and invested in speed and Sp.attack, he's a bit too frail as well.
Thunder and Hydro Pump are the main attacks. Will-O-Wisp is used on threats such as Tyranitar, as a parting gift. Evil Eye is there because its stronger than Shadow Ball on a statused foe. I don't find myself using it that often, however, so I'm open to suggestions to change that move.
Rotom-W probobly needs an overhaul, he's usually my weak link, and I may even replace him.
Torunerosu (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Mischievous Heart
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Hurricane
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn
This thing is monsterous. Hurricane decimates everything that dosen't resist it. Focus Blast cleans up what does, and HP Ice slays Dragons such as Garchomp, as well as annoyances such as Gliscor.
U-Turn is there mainly for 'I need to GTHO' situations, and is filler, by and large.
No Life Orb, because I tend to hit hard enough as it is, and Tournadus is a bit frail.
Azumarill (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Huge Power
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Aqua Jet
- Ice Punch
- Superpower
- Toxic
There's a reason why I promote the useage of Azumarill. Blaziken? Check. Excadrill? Check. Landos? Check. Urgamoth? Check. Ferrothorn? Eat Superpower as you switch in. [The amount of times I smash a Ferrothorn who's Sp.Def invested with a OHKO...]
Even Dragons can't come in on Ice unch without losing a lot of health.
Toxic is there for when I have no clue what to use, or for when I expect Jellicent.
Garchomp (M) @ Haban Berry
Trait: Sand Veil
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Aqua Tail
A variation on YacheChomp. Seeing as there's not a lot of Ice attacks being thrown around right now, and even then, my three waters can take them, while there's Dragons flying in the skys acting like B-2 Bombers, HabanChomp is a great check, taking their Meteors, and then OHKOing right back with Outrage. Dragons who have just fired off their DM's are even more fun.
My Garchomp is a Dragonslayer. While it still dosent like taking Specs DM's from the likes of Latios, it has a fighting chance.
Aqua Tail is because Fire Moves are halved in power in the rain, while Aqua Tail gets a x1.5 Boost. It's mainly filler, but has the occasional use, such as Gliscor without locking myself in.
Nattorei (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Sassy Nature (+SDef, -Spd)
- Leech Seed
- Spikes
- Power Whip
- Gyro Ball
It's Ferrothron. It needs no explantion, really. It sits there and walls. This EV spread is one of my own design, I've been using it since the start of Gen 5. Basically, it makes Ferrothron more or less impossible to OHKO, in the rain, by an unboosted attack. From there, I can Leech Seed, Gyro Ball, Power Whip, or Spike as I please.
I may trade out Spikes for Stealth Rock. I rarely have the chance to set up three layers.
Rain teams have next to vanished from the ladder?
Well, seems like noobs these days can't think beyond Double Speed, or abuseing broken abilities like Hydration.
After a few trials and changes, I have made a Rain Offense team which, in my veiw, is rather sucessful.
Team Building:
Obviously, for a Drizzle-based team, Politoad is required. Unless you're playing Ubers. Which I'm not.
My next step was to test out DD Gyarados in the Rain, as he effectivly starts out with Waterfall at +1.
Agility Emploeon was the next on the list to test out, as his special attacks already had frightening power, and combined with Agility, and, if his HP got low, Torrent, Emploeon's water attacks could muscle past nearly anything. He also helped to lure Ground and Fighting attacks for Gyarados to switch in on, as well as taking Rock-type attacks.
This being a Rain team, when I needed a pivot ad something for Hazards, Nattorei was the obvious solution, especially with his x4 Fire weakness being cut to x2 in the Rain.
Nxt, I wanted something to take down other Waters, so, with his 100% accurate STAB Thunder, I added Rotom-W to my team. Will-O-Wisp to cripple things like Tyranitar is an added bonus.
Finally, I found my team was weak to Electric, despite Nattorei. I also needed more physical power. The solution to both of these issues was to throw Garchomp on the team, especially as his weakness to Ice is covered by the Water-types, and Nattorei and Emploeon both resist Dragon.
However, I soon found Emploeon underwelming, and the lack of Priority, and something to handle Nattorei, too much to ignore. Thus, I added Azumarill to my team, and solved both problems at once.
Finally, Gyarados seemed underwhelming too, and I replaced him with another Flying-Type who could abuse the Rain, Tornadus. STAB Hurricanes from a Base 125 Sp.Attack, and a Base 111 Speed added a lot more speed, and flexibilty to the team, as well as another way to handle Grass types.
The Team:
Politoed (M) @ Leftovers Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Calm Nature (+SDef, -Atk)
- Perish Song
- Protect
- Boil Over
- Focus Blast
To be honest, he's mostly here for the Rain. However, Politoad does have some uses outside of this. Perish Song and Protect help to bring threats such as Renkulus under control should they set up. Focus Blast takes a meatly chunk out of Tyranitar. Boil Over can support the rest of the team with Burns.
Rotom-W @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Thunder
- Hydro Pump
- Will-O-Wisp
- Evil Eye
Offensive Rotom-W, and, to be honest, he's not performing as I expected. A little bit too slow, and invested in speed and Sp.attack, he's a bit too frail as well.
Thunder and Hydro Pump are the main attacks. Will-O-Wisp is used on threats such as Tyranitar, as a parting gift. Evil Eye is there because its stronger than Shadow Ball on a statused foe. I don't find myself using it that often, however, so I'm open to suggestions to change that move.
Rotom-W probobly needs an overhaul, he's usually my weak link, and I may even replace him.
Torunerosu (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Mischievous Heart
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Hurricane
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- U-turn
This thing is monsterous. Hurricane decimates everything that dosen't resist it. Focus Blast cleans up what does, and HP Ice slays Dragons such as Garchomp, as well as annoyances such as Gliscor.
U-Turn is there mainly for 'I need to GTHO' situations, and is filler, by and large.
No Life Orb, because I tend to hit hard enough as it is, and Tournadus is a bit frail.
Azumarill (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Huge Power
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SDef
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Aqua Jet
- Ice Punch
- Superpower
- Toxic
There's a reason why I promote the useage of Azumarill. Blaziken? Check. Excadrill? Check. Landos? Check. Urgamoth? Check. Ferrothorn? Eat Superpower as you switch in. [The amount of times I smash a Ferrothorn who's Sp.Def invested with a OHKO...]
Even Dragons can't come in on Ice unch without losing a lot of health.
Toxic is there for when I have no clue what to use, or for when I expect Jellicent.
Garchomp (M) @ Haban Berry
Trait: Sand Veil
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Outrage
- Earthquake
- Aqua Tail
A variation on YacheChomp. Seeing as there's not a lot of Ice attacks being thrown around right now, and even then, my three waters can take them, while there's Dragons flying in the skys acting like B-2 Bombers, HabanChomp is a great check, taking their Meteors, and then OHKOing right back with Outrage. Dragons who have just fired off their DM's are even more fun.
My Garchomp is a Dragonslayer. While it still dosent like taking Specs DM's from the likes of Latios, it has a fighting chance.
Aqua Tail is because Fire Moves are halved in power in the rain, while Aqua Tail gets a x1.5 Boost. It's mainly filler, but has the occasional use, such as Gliscor without locking myself in.
Nattorei (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Sassy Nature (+SDef, -Spd)
- Leech Seed
- Spikes
- Power Whip
- Gyro Ball
It's Ferrothron. It needs no explantion, really. It sits there and walls. This EV spread is one of my own design, I've been using it since the start of Gen 5. Basically, it makes Ferrothron more or less impossible to OHKO, in the rain, by an unboosted attack. From there, I can Leech Seed, Gyro Ball, Power Whip, or Spike as I please.
I may trade out Spikes for Stealth Rock. I rarely have the chance to set up three layers.
