Fun fact: Thundurus-T is supposed to represent a Dragon... bet Link would get some bad memories of farming Farosh when learning that!
[SET]
Pivot (Thundurus-Therian) @ Choice Specs / Choice Scarf / Assault Vest
Ability: Volt Absorb
Level: 50
Tera Type: Flying / Ice / Water
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid / Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Tera Blast / Grass Knot
- Grass Knot / Focus Blast / Sludge Bomb
[SET COMMENTS]
* Thanks to Volt Absorb, Thundurus-T is an excellent offensive pivot that makes masterful use of Terastallization!
* **Grass Knot**: Grass Knot is highly recommended for dealing massive damage to Ground-types, such as Ting-Lu and Ursaluna, without Terastallizing in addition to being a secondary attack to hit Urshifu-R while Choice locked into an attack.
* **Focus Blast**: Focus Blast has reliability issues, but it's Thundurus-T's best shot of dealing big damage to Hisuian Goodra and Wo-Chien.
* **Sludge Bomb**: Sludge Bomb is a more niche option, giving Thundurus-T a more reliable way to deal damage to Wo-Chien and Meowscarada at the cost of doing nothing to Hisuian Goodra.
* **Timid versus Modest**: Timid is the best nature, allowing Thundurus-T to outspeed key threats, such as Urshifu-R, and at least Speed tie with opposing Thundurus-T. Modest is usable with Choice Specs, allowing Thundurus-T to outspeed up to Jolly Baxcalibur and Great Tusk, and the extra power can be handy in some situations, such as usually 2HKOing specially defensive Clodsire with Tera Blast Flying.
Tera Types
========
* **Tera Dependency - Medium**: While Thundurus-T is perfectly fine with its base typing, it makes such good use of Terastallization that it'll often Terastallize.
* **Flying**: Tera Flying makes Tera Blast a powerful STAB option with very few resistances while gaining no extra weaknesses thanks to Volt Absorb.
* **Ice**: Not only does Tera Ice give Thundurus-T powerful coverage against Ground- and Grass-types like Landorus-T and Wo-Chien, it also gives an important resistance to Iron Bundle's and Chien-Pao's Ice-type attacks.
* **Water**: Tera Water is a fantastic defensive option, turning Thundurus-T into an excellent check against Regieleki and Zapdos while still giving it a good coverage option against Landorus-T. However, it still retains Thundurus-T's weakness to Freeze-Dry.
Items
========
* **Choice Specs versus Choice Scarf**: Choice Specs makes Thundurus-T difficult to wall without an extremely sturdy special wall, with even Pokemon like Clodsire and Cresselia at risk of a 2HKO. Choice Scarf, on the other hand, allows Thundurus-T to double as a good revenge killer, outspeeding major threats like Iron Bundle and Chien-Pao.
* **Assault Vest**: While Thundurus-T isn't known for its bulk, Volt Absorb means Assault Vest makes Thundurus-T more effective at checking other Electric-types, especially when using bulkier EV spreads.
Bulkier EV Spreads
========
* **20 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 228 Spe with Timid**: This Assault Vest spread outspeeds both Urshifu formes and takes 70% maximum from Timid Iron Bundle's Freeze-Dry without sacrificing power.
* 188 SpA / 68 SpD / 252 Spe with Timid or Modest**: This spread is optimized for Assault Vest, letting Thundurus-T survive Timid Choice Specs Iron Bundle's Freeze-Dry without Terastallizing.
Minor Optimizations
========
* **0-3 Attack IV**: Foes that commonly run Foul Play such as Amoonguss and Rotom-W have more powerful moves to use against Thundurus-T, but there's no drawback to minimizing Foul Play's damage.
[SET]
Nasty Plot (Thundurus-Therian) @ Life Orb / Sitrus Berry
Ability: Volt Absorb
Level: 50
Tera Type: Flying / Water / Ice
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Thunderbolt
- Grass Knot
- Tera Blast
[SET COMMENTS]
* Thundurus-T's massive Special Attack stat and array of immunities make it a good user of Nasty Plot.
* **Grass Knot**: Grass Knot is integral for potentially OHKOing physically defensive Ting-Lu after a boost and usually OHKOing offensive Ursaluna.
* **Life Orb versus Sitrus Berry**: Life Orb is great for wallbreaking, allowing Thundurus-T to potentially OHKO Ting-Lu with a boosted Grass Knot. Sitrus Berry is still a good option, though allowing Thundurus-T to instantly restore some health after being hit by Ruination, as long as its maximum HP is an even number.
Other Options
========
* **Substitute**: When paired with Tera Water, Substitute lets Thundurus-T set up on Garganacl.
* **Focus Blast**: Focus Blast's unreliability makes it hard to recommend for most teams, but it's the only way Thundurus-T will break through Hisuian Goodra without Terastallization.
* **Taunt**: Giving up coverage is risky, but Taunt shuts down a lot of defensive counterplay against Thundurus-T such as Whirlwind Ting-Lu and Toxic Clodsire.
Tera Types
========
* **Tera Dependency - Medium**: Thundurus-T's typing is totally functional for sweeping and wallbreaking, but Terastallization makes it far harder to revenge kill thanks to Volt Absorb.
* **Flying**: Tera Flying gives Thundurus-T a powerful STAB option, letting it cleave through specially bulky foes, like Water Absorb Clodsire, particularly easily.
* **Water**: While Tera Water does leave Thundurus-T vulnerable to certain Pokemon, such as Water Absorb Clodsire and Hisuian Goodra, it's a fantastic defensive Tera type that lets it deal with other common Electric-types that Terastallize like Regieleki and Zapdos.
* **Ice**: Tera Ice is a great offensive option, letting Thundurus-T cleave through most Ground-types that aren't weak to Grass such as Landorus-T and Clodsire. Thundurus-T even makes good defensive use of it, resisting Iron Bundle's Freeze-Dry.
Bulkier EV Spreads
========
* **108 HP / 4 Def / 140 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe with Timid**: This EV spread lets Thundurus-T survive Timid Iron Bundle's Freeze-Dry, if it doesn't have an offensive item, making it a good choice for more defensive items Thundurus-T may use such as Sitrus Berry.
Minor Optimizations
========
* **0-3 Attack IV**: Thundurus-T isn't getting hit by Foul Play that often, but a lower Attack IV is marginally useful regardless.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/theorymon.29010/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/derpysux.528485/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/greilmercenary9.336524/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
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