Rain, the Baton Pass of the Fourth Generation
Introduction:
I planned on saving my first RMT for my 100th post and decided it didn’t count if it was a past generation team. With the success of this team in the 4th gen tours this season, I decided I would go ahead and post it for everyone to enjoy. Those unfamiliar with the concept of rain dance will find this team beneficial. It’s very simple to use and the concept is pretty straightforward: get rain up and KO everything. Even those who’ve never played rain before can be successful. It addresses all of the main issues rain teams deal with. The main problem most rain dance teams have is getting rain up in the first place and when it’s not up, being complete fodder for half of the metagame. The idea of this team is to be able to function both inside and out of rain, while dealing with rain dance’s biggest nemesis, Tyranitar. With 5 checks to Tyranitar and considerable bulk on all fronts, this team will beat any unprepared team or player handily. Without further ado, here’s my team.
The Team Building Process:
I wanted to start out with my favorite rain starter, Jirachi. His ability to set up rain just about every time is something that can’t be ignored. He also has the benefit of losing his weakness to fire once Rain Dance has been set up. This can be very beneficial against leads like Heatran, who expect a free KO/Damage from a Fire Blast or Lava Plume.
Next, I wanted to get some rain abusers in there. Kabutops and Mixed Kingdra automatically came to mind. Between them, they have the ability to take out just about anything that comes in their path. Personally I think they’re the 2 best rain abusers in the 4th generation. They were an easy and welcome addition to the team. Also, they have good synergy with Jirachi, as he resists Dragon/Water attacks aimed at my precious sweepers.
Now, I clearly needed a special attack abuser of rain. It was a tough pick, because I had to choose between Ludicolo and Omastar. They’re statistically similar, with Omastar having more Special Attack and Ludicolo having more bulk. Originally, Omastar was my choice, as I decided that extra power outweighed the extra bulk Ludicolo had. After a period of time, I realized I was having trouble with Vaporeon. Ludicolo made a comeback, being able to destroy everything Omastar could, with the added benefit of beating Vaporeon. I’ve decided to make some changes to my original Ludicolo set, the new one allows me to continue to power through teams thanks to Life Orb, but also gives me the ability to set a shorter rain in dire situations.
I needed another mon capable of getting rain up consistently, so I decided Gliscor could work out really well with Jirachi. Plus he gives me a check to Tyranitar, as well as a number of other physical threats, such as Scizor. Gliscor also access to taunt, allowing him to beat stall teams attempting to ruin my rainy fun.
Lastly I needed a beastly special defense wall to get rain up as well as support the rest of the team. I struggled most with this last slot. I tried out Scizor, but it just couldn’t take the special hits like I needed it to. I tried out Cresselia, but relying on Moonlight for recovery in rain is not the best tactic I’ve ever had. I settled on Blissey, the quintessential Special Defense wall. With that big 714HP and big 130 Def (Lol) she’s able to not just sponge the special hits I need her to, but also allows her to sponge weak physical attacks from things like Gliscor. She was the perfect fit on my beast of a team.
Originally I was running Jirachi as my rain lead, but relying on probabilities and hax is an unreliable way to win games. I decided to switch my lead to an Azelf. He outspeeds common leads, allowing him to Taunt set up mons, set up Rain at will, or stealth rocks at will, or Explode, putting momentum in my favor almost immediately. It was a hard choice for me to make, but Azelf is an incredibly reliable mon.
I needed another mon capable of getting rain up consistently, so I decided Gliscor could work out really well with Jirachi. After switching Jirachi for Azelf, I felt like I missed Jirachi a lot for some reason. I thought of sets that abused rain and still had the defensive bulk counter special attackers. I decided to bring Jirachi back in more of a special attacking role, as well as providing a valuable pivot in the middle of a game. Late game Jirachi sweeps are among the most common now.
For the last slot on the team, I originally had a Blissey to wall special attackers. With Jirachi filling this role nicely, I decided to go a different route, picking another mon to abuse rain. Rotom-W is often lost in the 4th generation, however, he provides immunities to ground and fighting moves, spin blocking ability, and the ability to set up rain. He has found a rather nice niche on the team.
Closer Look:
Azelf @ Damp Rock
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Rain Dance
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
- Explosion
Azelf is an incredibly potent lead in its normal form. With extremely good coverage, ability to Taunt and set rocks, as well as U-Turn/Explode/Fire Blast other leads, Azelf really is monster in the 4th generation. With this in mind, when people see Azelf they have preconceived notions of what exactly to expect from an Azelf. Once rain is in place, opponents often panic and send in a rain counter allowing my Azelf to Explode and take out one of the things that could ruin my fun later on. Azelf was put as the lead instead of Jirachi because it performed similar walls, while being able to guarantee damage with Explosion.
Kingdra (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 104 Atk / 252 SAtk / 152 Spd
Rash Nature (+SAtk, -SDef)
- Draco Meteor
- Waterfall
- Outrage
- Dragon Dance
The king of the team, this Kingdra set has swept many an unprepared opponent with ease. I’ve tried other Kingdra variants, but this one can obliterate just about anything in its path. The best late game sweeper a boy could ask for. The EVs are idealized to allow it to out-speed Jolly Tyranitar without the need for rain up. Special Attack is maxed to allow Kingdra to break common physical counters with Draco Meteor and spam Dragon Dance to boost his Attack and Speed. After 2 boosts, it doesn’t matter if rain is up or not, because there’s no coming back from his ability to destroy just about everything. Empoleon and Skarmory can ruin Kingdra’s fun with this set, but hey, that’s what teammates are for, right?
Kabutops (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Stone Edge
- Waterfall
- Swords Dance
- Aqua Jet
Kabutops, the midgame Wall-Breaker and Kingdra’s best friend. This set is here mainly to provide support to the other 2 sweepers, as it can check and destroy nasty Empoleons and other steel types attempting to ruin my fun. Stone Edge obliterates Gyarados, Togekiss, Zapdos, and just about anything that takes neutral damage from it. Waterfall is the same way, also getting the benefit of a rain dance boost in power. Kabutops can easily sweep a team by itself. His natural defensive bulk is just an added benefit. Speed is to tie other neutral base 80’s outside of rain. Bring it on, Mamoswine. Aqua Jet was moved in place of Brick Break as it provides a 2HKO to Tyranitar and gives me an easier way to defeat pesky Gengars. Item was switched to Life Orb for the same reason.
Ludicolo (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 60 HP / 252 SAtk / 196 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Ice Beam
- Rain Dance
- Hydro Pump
- Energy Ball
Ludicolo, the only Special Attacker I need. With this spread, I’m able to outpace Jolteon at +2 and OHKO with any move on the list. With Ludicolo’s natural bulk, he is able to sponge hits like champ, and return the favor with a Specs Hydro Pump. Energy Ball is chosen over Grass Knot to beat Vaporeon, who can eat a dick. Ludicolo is chosen over Omastar pretty much for that one reason. I don’t want to rely on Hidden Power Grass to beat Vaporeon. Plus, Ludicolo is just a straight beast. I mean, look at it! It’s half duck, half awesome.
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 80 Def / 176 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Wish
- Calm Mind
- Thunder
- Flash Cannon
Dat hax machine. This little bastard is the bane of team’s unprepared deal with him. His bulk allows him to switch into something he resists, and start to abuse almost immediately. Instead of adding another swift swimmer to my team, I decided that a rain abusing Jirachi could provide more to the team than Qwilfish, Omastar or Floatzel. This is a team almost straight from 5th gen teams. A complete and utter beast. Edit: Flash Cannon is used over Water Pulse to help deal with Tyranitar, as Gliscor isn't really a problem for the rest of the team.
Rotom-W @ Damp Rock
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Rain Dance
- Thunder
- Hydro Pump
- Shadow Ball
Rotom-W serves as my physical pivot of the team, switching into Earthquakes and Close Combats and setting up rain. Rotom-W also benefits greatly from rain by being able to deliver huge damage from a STAB Thunder or a rain boosted Hydro Pump. Rotom-W was chosen over Gliscor because it’s more offensive, it benefits more from rain, and still continues to cover a lot of the things that Gliscor covered, while being an incredibly potent sweeper in its own right.
Former members:
Originally, this teams setters were Jirachi, Gliscor, and Blissey. I came to the conclusion that instead of trying to figure out what I was going to do when rain was down, I should try and make sure that that is never the case, switching from a somewhat balanced style to a considerably more offensive style. It puts more pressure on the team while having 5 members who benefit greatly from the rain.
Jirachi @ Damp Rock
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Rain Dance
- U-turn
- Stealth Rock
- Iron Head
I’m a huge fan of Jirachi as my rain lead for a multitude of reasons. The main reason I love using Jirachi is because of preconceived notions of what exactly a Jirachi lead does. Most people expect some sort of scarf variant which, right off the bat, causes huge grief when they switch to their counter, only to have rain set up in their face. It may seem weird not to run some sort of defensive variant, but the beauty of the set is that it works extremely well late game if rain is gone and both teams are weakened. Blissey carries Thunder Wave, which combined with Jirachi late game, can cause some serious headaches and late game Iron Head sweeps. Jirachi is a critical component to this team, and without him, it would easily fall apart.
Gliscor (M) @ Damp Rock
Trait: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Rain Dance
- Taunt
- Earthquake
- Roost
Gliscor may seem like an odd choice on a Rain Dance team, but don’t get it twisted, Gliscor is a straight up beast. Originally, I ran Scizor in this slot for his late game sweeping ability. I found myself dying for a more dedicated fighting check. Enter, Gliscor. His immunity to Electric and Ground type moves is a godsend, allowing me switch him into a number of different Mons and proceed to make it rain on them hoes. Spread is simple, enough speed to beat Jolly Tyranitar and laugh in its face. Gliscor also allows me to beat stall teams easier, Taunt breaking things like Skarmory and Forretress, preventing them from spamming lame hazards and Whirlwind-ing my sweepers. It also prevents Draggy from Outrage spamming, stalling it out, and setting up more rain for any of the sweepers to come in.
Blissey (F) @ Damp Rock
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Rain Dance
- Thunder
- Softboiled
- Aromatherapy
Dat fat whore. The beast of a neutral wall that she is, she can come in on just about anything and set up rain/thunder wave. The set is complete Taunt bait, yes. However, in almost no situation is Blissey in against anything that will be using Taunt. Aromatherapy can alleviate some of the stress that toxic spikes put on rain teams, as well as any other nasty status that can ruin my fun. Softboiled is almost worth taking off for Seismic Toss, as late game Blissey sweeps can be absolutely hilarious. Another idea is taking off Thunder Wave for Seismic Toss, but when switched into something it walls, paralyzing an Infernape on the switch provides me with such a sense of satisfaction and joy that I can’t even begin to describe it. Edit: Thunder Wave was replaced for Thunder for its ability to prevent me from being complete Set Up fodder, 2HKO Skarm and break Gengar subs.
Outro:
So, this team is not perfect, by any means. But it’s not far away, by any means. Suggestions are definitely appreciated. I’m still searching for that perfect combo of rain setting pokes, but Blissey and Gliscor have been working out pretty well thus far. Jirachi is also replaceable, but his unpredictability has been crucial in a lot of matches where the first turn determines the outcome of the whole match. There has been a lot of pressure put on me by my friends around the interweb for this team to get posted, especially the Kingdra set. I hope everyone can find it as easy to play and beastly as I have.
Importable:
Azelf @ Damp Rock
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Rain Dance
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
- Explosion
Kingdra (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 104 Atk / 252 SAtk / 152 Spd
Rash Nature (+SAtk, -SDef)
- Draco Meteor
- Waterfall
- Outrage
- Dragon Dance
Kabutops (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Stone Edge
- Waterfall
- Swords Dance
- Aqua Jet
Ludicolo (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 60 HP / 252 SAtk / 196 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Ice Beam
- Rain Dance
- Hydro Pump
- Energy Ball
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 80 Def / 176 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Wish
- Calm Mind
- Thunder
- Flash Cannon
Rotom-W @ Damp Rock
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Rain Dance
- Thunder
- Hydro Pump
- Shadow Ball
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Rain Dance
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
- Explosion
Kingdra (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 104 Atk / 252 SAtk / 152 Spd
Rash Nature (+SAtk, -SDef)
- Draco Meteor
- Waterfall
- Outrage
- Dragon Dance
Kabutops (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Stone Edge
- Waterfall
- Swords Dance
- Aqua Jet
Ludicolo (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Swift Swim
EVs: 60 HP / 252 SAtk / 196 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Ice Beam
- Rain Dance
- Hydro Pump
- Energy Ball
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 252 HP / 80 Def / 176 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Wish
- Calm Mind
- Thunder
- Flash Cannon
Rotom-W @ Damp Rock
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Rain Dance
- Thunder
- Hydro Pump
- Shadow Ball
Threat List:
To create a threat list for a Rain Dance team, you have to take into account times when you have rain up and times when you don’t. A threat list, in this sense, is completely subjective and situational to a team like this one. However, whether rain is up or not, there are some things that this team doesn’t like, regardless of whether or not rain is up.
Empoleon: This fat penguin asshole can wall Kingdra into the ground, and proceed to do whatever gay thing it is that Empoleon does. Usually sub, agility, berry, gay. Kabutops can check it, to an extent, but it’s still a pain in the ass.
Skarmory: This steely bird can switch in, and in a lot cases, wall an attack and whirlwind/spikes until its little heart is content. Ludicolo can switch into any move not named Brave Bird, and do some serious effing damage though.
Kingdra: If the other team has a Kingdra and it has more speed than my Kingdra, I probably lost this one.
Tyranitar: Obviously a huge problem for rain dance, seeing as he makes it go away. Granted, 5 of my mons can kill him with ease, but getting rid of him and winning the rain war is critical.
Hippowdon: See Tyranitar.
Sunny Day: This move is the second worst thing that could happen. If I see Chlorophyll users, I immediately retreat to Blissey, and hope I don’t die.
Trick Room: This is the worst possible thing that can happen to me. By far. Attempting to stall out a Trick Room team with rain abusers is a tough feat, but careful switching between Gliscor/Blissey/Jirachi can allow you to be somewhat successful until you can get rain up.
I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t mention MostWanted for helping me out with the coding on this team. This couldn’t have happened without him and he should get a badge already, for Christ’s sakes. I’d also like to give my thanks to Multi, Moo, MCRandom, LizardMan, Chileno4Live, and Basti for all the support and help throughout the past couple of months. And really, everyone back at SZ. I’d also like to thank my tutor, Stone_Cold. Stone or Die. I hope everyone enjoys this RMT as much as I enjoyed writing it. Good luck battling, winners.