Balanced Rain

[MCRandom]

Introduction

Well lately I, like many others, have been toying around with Gen V and trying to get the hang of things. Before this team I had made many semi-successful teams, but were always annoyed by weather teams. Once noticing this, I decided I would use this to my advantage, and began expirementing with the best weather in my opinion, rain. After a couple of EXTREMELY offensive rain teams, that always seemed to have problems, I set out to make a rain team that could function well in any weather, and appreciated the rain but did not depend on it, for that is a weather teams biggest downfall.

Lineup

Close Up

Politoed@Choice Scarf
Ability: Drizzle
Ev's: 4 Hp | 252 Spe | 252 Spa
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)

• Surf
• Ice Beam
• Focus Blast
• Hidden Power [Electric]

Well lets all be honest, before it got Drizzle, there was no reason to use Politoed. But now, It has one of the best abilities in the game, and it had to be on the team in some way shape or form. At first, I had him as a Special Wall, but it served pretty much no purpose at all except for setting up rain, which I was not okay with. In order to find some use for the happy frog, I made him into a revenge killer of sorts, and he actually sweeps now and then. Surf is for obligatory stab, and Rain abuse, and Ice Beam hits Dragons and Grass Type's that love to switch into me, and also for revenge killing Shaymin-s, who is outsped thanks to the Timid Nature. Focus Blast is rarely used, but is necessary in order to hit Nattorei for Super Effective damage, as well as hitting Tyranitar...hard, and Hidden Power rounds out the coverage by gettin Super effective damage on opposing Water Types.

Synergy:
Electric->Nattorei, Gliscor
Grass->Nattorei, Scizor

Nattorei@Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
Ev's: 252 Hp | 76 Def | 180 SpD
Careful Nature (+SpD, -Spa)

• Stealth Rock
• Leech Seed
• Power Whip
• Thunder Wave

In my opinion, Nattorei is the single best Gen 5 Pokemon. It resists a ridiculous number of Attacks and has the HP and Defenses to back it up. It is my main check against opposing Rain Teams, Sets up Stealth Rock, and spreads Paralysis. I run Leftovers over Rugged Helmet because Nattorei lacks a recovery move of its own outside of Leech Seed, and because I mainly switch into Special Attacks and pack SpD Ev's. The given Ev's and Nature give it great bulk on both ends of the Spectrum, and allow him to serve as my primary Special Wall, with those insane resistances to boot. Stealth Rock finds its way onto Nattorei over Spikes because nobody else on the team can find room for it and I need Leech Seed for recovery. Power Whip is for Stab, is just a great move in general, and helps it check rain teams better than Gyro Ball would. Thunder Wave is another way that Nattorei gives rain hell, and also helps support Roobushin and Scizor, since they are rather lacking in the Speed department.

Synergy:
Fighting->Gliscor
Fire->Politoed, Kingdra, Gliscor, Roobushin

Gliscor@Toxic Orb
Ability: Poison Heal
Ev's: 252 Hp | 4 Atk | 252 Def
Impish Nature (+Def, -Spa)

• Protect
• Acrobat
• Earthquake
• Fling

Holy Ground Type Batman! (I doubt anybody gets that joke) Anyway...It may seem odd to have a Ground Type on a rain team, but Gliscor isn't going to like taking Water type attacks, in the rain or not, and I have plenty of Water Resists. Gliscor loves Fighting type attacks, and takes them all day long. It doesnt really benefit much from rain, but doesn't get hurt from the opposing weather either. Gliscor is my main check to Sand teams, and holy shit does it ever do that job well. It takes around 17% from a +0 Rock slide from Doryuzuu, and 40% max from a +2 one, factor in 12% recovery per turn from Poison Heal and Gliscor is not going away any time soon. Max Hp and Defense Maximize its potential as a Physical Wall, and the 4 Attack Ev's let it hit a little harder, if only just. Protect is there to abuse Poison Heal, and Fling is to poison and Toxic Stall a foe, as well as to power up acrobat so that I can better counter Fighting Types such as Roobushin, and is usually the move i use. Earthquake is there for STAB and in order to hit Steel Types who switch in on Fling, and Acrobat is there to hit Fighting Types hard.

Synergy:
Water->Politoed, Kingdra, Nattorei
Ice-> Politoed, Scizor

Scizor@Life Orb
Ability: Technician
Ev's: 4 Hp | 252 Atk | 252 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -Spa)

• Swords Dance
• Bullet Punch
• Bug Bite
• Superpower

Ah Scizor. Scizor has been amazing throughout the years, but I am absolutely loving it in Gen 5. In Gen 4, Rotom-A was everywhere which really hampered on Scizor's Sweeping potential. Now, Rotom-A has been seriously nerfed, bar Rotom-W, and because of this they are seeing much less use. This opens the door for Scizor. Nobody Prepares for Swords Dance Scizor, and it is more often than not very easy to get up to +4 and then break through whole teams. Max Atk and Spe as well as an Adamant Nature give Scizor its best chance at sweeping and Life Orb is to hit as hard as possible. Bullet Punch is for any Pokemon who are faster, Bug Bite hits anything slower ridiculously hard, and Superpower is for coverage and hits other Steels Super-Effectively.

Synergy:
Fire->Politoed, Kingdra, Gliscor, Roobushin

Roobushin@Leftovers
Ability: Guts
Ev's: 248 Hp | 240 Atk | 20 Spe
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -Spa)

• Bulk Up
• Drain Punch
• Payback
• Mach Punch

Yeah thats right, another Roobushin. Roobushin is here to take on Stall and Tyranitar, and provide a Rock resist. Along with Gliscor, Roobushin also makes Sand teams go through hell, even without the rain, which he sadly doesnt benefit from besides a nice Fire resistance. He is ridiculously hard to take down after a couple of Bulk Ups, and hits hard. Bulk Up is here to raise his Attack and Defense to insane levels, The Ev's give him Bulk and Attacking prowess. Drain Punch hits surprisingly hard, and recovers Roobushin's health at the same time. Payback hits the likes of Burungeru hard, and anything that resists Fighting neutrally. Mach Punch rounds out the coverage by allowing him to hit fast frail pokemon hard.

Synergy:
Psychic->Nattorei, Scizor
Flying->Gliscor (Most are physical)

Currently testing out Toxicroak in this slot

Kingdra@Choice Specs
Ability: Swift Swim
Ev's: 4 Hp | 252 Spe | 252 Spa
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)

• Hydro Pump
• Draco Meteor
• Surf
• Ice Beam

The rain abuser finally makes his appearance. Kingdra in the rain is an absolute MONSTER. It sweeps whole unprepared teams, and outspeeds almost every other swift swim user. The thing that is great about Specs Kingdra is that it functions well even without the rain up, is basically just a slower SpecsMence with better offensive typing. Choice Specs and the Ev's and Nature make Kingdra hit ridiculously hard. Specs Boosted STAB Hydro Pump in the rain is, simply put, HOLY SHIT, almost nothing avoids a 2 Hit KO( Nattorei takes around 46%) Draco Meteor hits just as hard as Specs Mence Draco Meteor, which incase you are unfamiliar, is hard, very hard. Surf seems redundant with Hydro Pump, but sees use when I do not need the extra power and would just like to not miss .-. and Ice Beam is there so that I can Revenge kill without becoming useless after, and to hit Bulky grass types bar Nuttre for Super Effective Damage.

Synergy:
Dragon->Nattorei, Scizor

In Hindsight

 

[MCRandom]

um bump?

 

[Stunt]

Stereo rain should be the name of the title.
And I'm lazy so ill just suggest 1 or 2 changes.

Scizor gets its fire weakness covered by the rain... so it really doesnt need to switch out if its more bulky rather then all out attack.

I'd run roost instead of superpower, because roost can heal off LO damage and wont decrease your defense.

Kingdra with specs is way too predictable and will get walled by the likes of Nattorei , who is now a staple on most teams.

 

[jchen]

I'd say 248Hp/252atk/8spe is a much better EV spread on SD scizor, or you can remove 4-16 Hp to speed depending on how paranoind you are against other scizor. You arnt going to be outrunning anything with his bad speed, and you are relying on bullet punch priority anyways. anything that you wont be using BP on you either wont outpseed even wtih 252 speed evs or you will outspeed without investment (ie heatran you cant outspeed, while skarm/nattorei you always outspeed). 248Hp makes it much easier to set up the first and possibly a second SD.
I feel that you should run another rain sweeper to get the most out of politoed, as all its doing is removing fire weak from 2 pokes and helping kingdra. maybe try SD kabutops/other physical water sweeper? shell break cloyster could work too. You have all of their weaknesses covered nicely by your other team members.

 

[Lemonade]

I don't know the details of Genosect's legality of usage on the smog server but i imagine it will give you trouble. A +1 flamethrower (potential download boost) would offset the rain's weakening and destroy your nattorei and scizor, as genosect generally outspends both. Genosects also carry ice beam, possibly OHKOing Gliscor. It can also t bolt your Toed if it survives your move. Its bug steel typing also lets it switch into many of your moves. Once again, I haven't seen much genosect usage so i don't know iof this will actually cause you trouble.

 

[shrang]

Oh look another Rain team that gets 6-0'd by Calm Mind Birijion =D.

I don't get what Scizor is really doing for you apart from being a rather strong attacker. In terms of synergy, he is redundant alongside Scizor. I'd suggest replacing him with Latias or Latios, who virtually hard-counters Birijion.

Lati@s @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid
-Draco Meteor
-Psycho Shock
-Surf / Thunder / Hidden Power Fire
-Recover

I'd really like to see you put in another Rain abuser to replace Roobushin, but I understand that you'll probably want some insurance against Nattorei. Ludicolo isn't a bad replacement, since he can switch into Leech Seed from Nattorei and proceed to break down things.

One more thing, Ice Beam is redundant on Kingdra, even more so than Hydro Pump. I'm sorry, but unless you're hitting for 4x damage (which are what, Dragons with Flying or Ground, who get hit even harder by Draco Meteor), a neutral Hydro Pump does more in the rain than a super effective Ice Beam (and NFE Hydro Pump > neutral Ice Beam), and with that in mind, I'd much prefer to be stuck in a 120 BP double STAB move rather than a 95 BP non-STAB move. Replace it for Hydro Pump, and I'd also suggest making Kingdra's nature Modest to hit harder (he doesn't need the extra speed), which is THEN approximately the power of SpecsMence (Timid SpecsMence ~ Modest Specs Kingdra)

 

[Jaroda]

Bulk Up Toxicroak actually benefits from the Rain thanks to Dry Skin, and can run a similar set to Roopushin or opt to use Sword Dance.

Toxicroak@Leftovers/Life Orb
Adamant/Jolly 4 HP / 252 At / 252 Spd
Sword Dance/Bulk Up
Drain Punch
Sucker Punch
Poison Jab/Earthquake/Substitute

Sword Dance and Sucker Punch is actually kind of unfair if you think about it. If you want to go bulky you can invest in HP with Bulk Up and Substitute and Leftovers. If you want to be faster and hit harder go Jolly with speed, Life Orb and Sword Dance.

Also a Kabutops or a Qwilfish would be much better in the rain than your Scizor. Kabutops can SD like Scizor and be much faster in the process.