There's a storm brewing! (OU Rain Team RMT/Retirement)

[Doomsday94]

Welcome to my most successful team to date, though not getting me near the leader board, mostly due to my errors. The team, as you can probably tell from my title, is a Rain team, and after the masses of Rain teams posted, I decided it was time to post mine, and retire it from service. With out further ado, the team is as follows:

@ Damp Rock
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 232 HP/24 Atk/252 Spd
Jolly nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Rain Dance
- Taunt
- U-turn
- Hypnosis

Despite a lot of people saying Crobat is a poor choice for a rain team lead, I disagree with them in every way. While Azelf is only good for setting up rain once, Crobat can come in time and time again, as long as no Rocks are up at least, and 232 HP EVs gave it an odd number for Stealth Rock 4 times, as well as rounding down to a Leftovers number if I wanted to change the item. Against many common leads, this comes out on consistently, with a base 130 Speed being enough to out run all other common OU leads. Slower leads I tend to Taunt when they set up, and on things that tend to attack, I use Hypnosis. After that, I set up rain and U-turn out to my start up sweeper...

@ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Modest nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Energy Ball
- Hidden Power Electric

The dancing duck, Ludicolo. In the rain, this hits a massive Speed stat of 472, and that out speeds every non-Scarfed Pokémon in OU. On top of that, a SAtk stat of 306 plows through most teams, getting on average 3 KOs a match, denting even Latias with Ice Beam. Hydro Pump is the standard attack, with LO+Rain+STAB hurting all switch-ins, bar of course Blissey and other Special Walls. I use Grass Knot over Energy Ball as it hits Tyranitar a lot harder, and of course, it hits a lot of other walls are heavy, namely Hippowdon as well.

@ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 72 HP/252 Atk/184 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- X-Scissor
- Stone Edge
- Waterfall

This set is devastating both in the rain, and out. Running Focus Sash garentees me a Sword Dance, which lets me hit hard with Waterfall in Rain, and Aqua Jet out. Stone Edge is a great move for coverage, and hits Zapdos, Gyarados and Salamence for 6 when required. The lack of X-Scissor on this set makes little difference to the set, as Aqua Jet hits Scarfers, and can pick of weakened Pokemon out of the rain just fine.

@ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 32 HP/252 Atk/224 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Superpower
- U-turn

While 30% of teams carry a Scizor, many use it as a powerful attacker, whereas this deals with many threats to the team. As with most weather teams, Tyranitar, Hippowdon and Abomasnow cause problems, and Scizor happily KOs them all very quickly, as well as dealing with Blissey, another issue. I prefer the SD set to banded here, as the ability to choose moves really helps take out many threats at the same time, without the need to switch.

@ Damp Rock
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP/176 Spd/80 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Rain Dance
- U-turn
- Stealth Rock
- Thunder

All good rain teams should have a secondary way to get up their chosen weather, and I chose Jirachi over others, as 60% chance to paralyze with Thunder, as well as good all around stats seemed good for the team. Wish lets me get a sweeper in with almost no risk, and U-turn completes the trio of Crobat, Scizor and Jirachi, giving me another option to work with to weaken walls. I was tempted with Stealth Rock over Wish, just to help the team score a few more KOs, as Rocks are always welcome.

@ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 Atk/16 Spd/240 SAtk
Lonely nature (+Atk, -Def)
- Rain Dance
- Waterfall
- Hydro Pump
- Draco Meteor

No OU rain team is complete without a Kingdra, and this team was no exception. As a late game sweeper, Mixdra takes out any remaining resistance in style. Lonely and max Attack lets Waterfall dent pretty much everything it needs to, and Hydro Pump and Draco Meteor round out the set.


Hope I have included enough detail, and would appreciate comments. Not really looking for changes, though feel free to suggest things, as I hope to use this to help other people I know build their own Raind Dance teams.

Thanks and please, RMT.
​

 

[Komodo]

On Kabutops I think you should replace Aqua Jet with X-Scissor, it gives you better type coverage and lets you hit Latias for super effective damage. You won't really need to outrun scarf users when you are in the rain as you will beat most of them anyway.

 

[YTP]

You could probably go with Bronzong>Jirachi. Rain Dance teams need stealth rock. He also gives you a valuable way to weaken walls or get a free switchin with Explosion.

 

[gingbino11]

5 Subs at full health is kinda situational. Scizor has average HP and good defence. Just pump the defence EVs into HP. You will be able to sponge special attacks better.

It has a lower base power than Hydro Pump. You are better off with Energy Ball to hit Vaporeon/Starmie harder.

 

[EspyJoel]

Hi.

A few things I can think of to help.

Firstly, please take either Surf or Hydro Pump off Ludicolo as it just is not worth it. I would suggest Hidden Power Electric over one of them, probably Hydro Pump, Surf is strong enough and a miss can be so costly especially considering how useful Ludicolo is for bulky Water-types. I also suggest Energy Ball over Grass Knot as you look a bit Vaporeon weak and HP Electric hits one of the big Grass Knot targets: Gyarados.

Next, on Kabutops, remove Focus Sash for Life Orb, you can not guarantee them not getting SR up just because you have a Taunt lead and the extra power is so useful, it helps it against stall massively, OHKOing Skarmory, Forretress and others with SR support thanks to the extra power. I would also run more Speed, 32 HP / 252 Atk / 224 Spe, you hit a LO number and outrun +1 positive base 100s.

On Scizor, I suggest a RD offensive supporter set as this gives you a third reliable Rain Dance set-upper, use 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD or a bit more Speed if you want to outrun opposing Scizor rather than move last, then hold Damp Rock and moveset of Rain Dance / Swords Dance / Bullet Punch / Superpower. It is still a very deadly late-game sweeper but can also support your team well with RD.

You need Stealth Rock somewhere and Jirachi is a good place to put it, I suggest putting it over U-turn or Wish depending on which you find least useful.

Lastly, on Kingdra, I suggest Signal Beam over Rain Dance as you won't need it with Scizor having rd and this will allow you to deal with Celebi who really badly annoys your team.

Anyway, hope this helps and good luck with your team!

 

[iliketurkeybacon]

On Kabutops I think you should replace Aqua Jet with X-Scissor, it gives you better type coverage and lets you hit Latias for super effective damage. You won't really need to outrun scarf users when you are in the rain as you will beat most of them anyway.

This is definitely a good idea. Especially because X-Scissor will take out Celebi, which can probably stall out the rain against your sweepers otherwise. Of course, 3 of your Pokemon have U-turn. However, I don't know if that's a good thing. Jirachi and Crobat have a lot of Speed EVs, so when they use U-turn, that will generally mean that they'll attack first. I don't think you want your sweepers taking a hit on the way in. That's one reason why Uxie is such a good Rain Dance lead- it can use Rain Dance easily with its huge defenses, and then use a -Speed nature and 0 IV to usually U-turn last, giving your offensive Pokemon a free switch-in. So I'd suggest simply not using U-turn as a move on your faster Pokemon- maybe Brave Bird instead for Crobat and Water Pulse for Jirachi?

 

[Doomsday94]

On Kabutops I think you should replace Aqua Jet with X-Scissor, it gives you better type coverage and lets you hit Latias for super effective damage. You won't really need to outrun scarf users when you are in the rain as you will beat most of them anyway.

Noted, and I will test that out soon. Celebi is no issue to the team as a whole strangely.

You could probably go with Bronzong>Jirachi. Rain Dance teams need stealth rock. He also gives you a valuable way to weaken walls or get a free switchin with Explosion.

For Jirachi, I am not replacing it with anything other than perhaps Zapdos, though even that is unlikely. The ability to use Thunder at 100% acc and with 60% paralysis chance is too good to pass up.

It has a lower base power than Hydro Pump. You are better off with Energy Ball to hit Vaporeon/Starmie harder.

Care to explain what you are on about?

Hi.

A few things I can think of to help.

Firstly, please take either Surf or Hydro Pump off Ludicolo as it just is not worth it. I would suggest Hidden Power Electric over one of them, probably Hydro Pump, Surf is strong enough and a miss can be so costly especially considering how useful Ludicolo is for bulky Water-types. I also suggest Energy Ball over Grass Knot as you look a bit Vaporeon weak and HP Electric hits one of the big Grass Knot targets: Gyarados.

However, the loss of Hydro Pump means I miss out on the OHKO on Tyranitar in the sand, which Ludicolo was built to do on the switch. And as for the drop of Drass Knot, I ran some calculations, and I may swap it out for Energy Ball, but if I do, I shall replace Surf with Hidden Power Electric, as the big hitting STAB move makes Ludicolo more dangerous.

Next, on Kabutops, remove Focus Sash for Life Orb, you can not guarantee them not getting SR up just because you have a Taunt lead and the extra power is so useful, it helps it against stall massively, OHKOing Skarmory, Forretress and others with SR support thanks to the extra power. I would also run more Speed, 32 HP / 252 Atk / 224 Spe, you hit a LO number and outrun +1 positive base 100s.

Noted and changed.

On Scizor, I suggest a RD offensive supporter set as this gives you a third reliable Rain Dance set-upper, use 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD or a bit more Speed if you want to outrun opposing Scizor rather than move last, then hold Damp Rock and moveset of Rain Dance / Swords Dance / Bullet Punch / Superpower. It is still a very deadly late-game sweeper but can also support your team well with RD.

While another rain user is useful, I use Scizor in a different role, to support the team by taking out rains main counters, rather than to be a support Pokémon. I actually toyed with the idea a lot when making the team, and did run a version simular, with Leftovers over Damp Rock, whilst testing. However, I dropped it for the more conventional SD Scizor as with so many counters running around, Scizor had little time to KO the opponent then set up rain before leaving.

You need Stealth Rock somewhere and Jirachi is a good place to put it, I suggest putting it over U-turn or Wish depending on which you find least useful.

Thankyou for your opinion on what move to replace, Wish is out as it seems less important to a team of hard hitters.

Lastly, on Kingdra, I suggest Signal Beam over Rain Dance as you won't need it with Scizor having rd and this will allow you to deal with Celebi who really badly annoys your team.

I think I should of explained the use of rd on Kingdra a little more. Having Rain Dance allows Kingdra to function as a stand alone sweeper, if my set up Pokémon are out, which may be the case as it is my late game finisher.

Anyway, hope this helps and good luck with your team!

This is definitely a good idea. Especially because X-Scissor will take out Celebi, which can probably stall out the rain against your sweepers otherwise. Of course, 3 of your Pokemon have U-turn. However, I don't know if that's a good thing. Jirachi and Crobat have a lot of Speed EVs, so when they use U-turn, that will generally mean that they'll attack first. I don't think you want your sweepers taking a hit on the way in. That's one reason why Uxie is such a good Rain Dance lead- it can use Rain Dance easily with its huge defenses, and then use a -Speed nature and 0 IV to usually U-turn last, giving your offensive Pokemon a free switch-in. So I'd suggest simply not using U-turn as a move on your faster Pokemon- maybe Brave Bird instead for Crobat and Water Pulse for Jirachi?

Noted and changed. However as for U-turn, even though I risk a hit on the switch, it makes little difference, a they normally either switch or use a non-damaging move, and if they do, I rarely find it that bad. Also, the U-turn speed makes it possible for me to U-turn out to something to take a resisted hit, and also forms a (now) 2 Pokémon core to weaken threats.

Thanks for the rates guys, please keep them coming.