Semi-Rain Dance Team

[crystalvelox]

After looking at a few teams based on Baton Passing, Trick Room and Weather teams I found that most either worked really well or utterly failed because they relied upon there effects too much. So I wanted to make a team like that, but wasn't entirely depended on it's battle affector, but was ever more efficent if one was present.

Deoxys-e @ Light Clay
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP/82 Def/174 SDef
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Recover
- Taunt

After looking at rain dance teams most had poor ways to set up because of there defences. This helps to remedy that. I choose a defensive spread over speed because I wanted it to be able to come back late game to put up that one shield that could save my butt from losing. Anyway the current spread I believe can survive any attack so long as prediction is taken into account. Only thing that really stops with this amount of speed is these popular leads: Deoxys-s, Ninjask, Electrode and TrickScarfGar. Electrode isn't really much of a thread as it normally would provide rain dance or sunny day. The other pokemon are taken care up with the rest of my pokemon. Of course since Trick has been granted to a large number of pokemon with the addition of Platinum moves there is a large number that can take you by surprise and do the same thing as a TrickScarfGar like Azelf and Rotom.

Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 SAtk
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Roar
- Calm Mind
- Surf
- Hidden Power [Electric]

If I run into any ninjask I can stop it using this pokemon. Just roar it away although it does have the possiblity to swords dance first turn than proceed to use x-scissors on me. Which I would doubt. Anyway apart from that suicune can make an excellent late game sweeper once it's counters are taken care of.

Scizor (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP/252 Atk
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Brick Break

My counter for Deoxys-S leads, use U-Turn and it's a 1-2HKO. Rain dance provides it with protection from fire attacks and plus the shields from deoxys if put up really help keep it coming in time and time again. Brick Break is to help break any shields that a deoxys-s lead might put up, as the other 3 moves cover enough and I never use pusuit anyway.

Kingdra (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 180 HP/252 Atk/76 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Waterfall
- Outrage
- Dragon Dance
- Rain Dance

My one main sole sweeper. If I can get the shields up from deoxys and rain dance and stealth rock from Bronzong one more dragon dance and it's ready to sweep. Rain Dance and Dragon Dance can boost it's speed past 600 so I don't have to worry about revenge killers only priorty moves. Rain Dance is on there if it gets the chance to use it after dragon dance.

Bronzong @ Damp Rock
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP/128 Atk/128 Def
Relaxed nature (+Def, -Spe) Iv: 0 Spe
- Rain Dance
- Stealth Rock
- Explosion
- Gyroball

Sad life for a Bell. Set up rain dance, stealth rock and explode although I may want to save it for later if I want to try and set up rain dance later which likely isn't going to happen because explosion deals a heavy chuck to anything in it's way and allows free switch in of no damage to the next pokemon to benefit from rain dance. Gyro ball helps to hit annoying gengars and such if I run into any.

Magnezone @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunder
- Flash Cannon
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Now for the pokemon that helps to counter the last main threat to my deoxys lead: TrickScarfGar. Swap choice scarf for choice scarf and force gengar to switch. Also helps annoy the heck out of scizor which can't escape most often. HP Ice is to deal with dragons and Skymin. Also I have both thunder and thunderbolt for realiability. Having 2 exploders on the team isn't very benefical. So I have a deadly attack in rain with thunder and a respectable one outside of rain dance with thunderbolt.

Final Note: This team works best if I set up shields, go to bronzong set up stealth rock and rain dance and explode. Which I can go to Kingdra and with the shields still up I can set up dragon dance once or twice and then sweep. Although it is a semi-rain dance team the team is fairly balenced without rain dance.

 

[Archer]

Ok, not bad. Firstly, ScarfGar is going to Shadow Ball you and not Trick, but Magnezone still works there.

Also, CMCune without recovery is going down rather fast. You'll suprised how much it wants Rest.

Ironically, Kingdra can easily Sweep your team. Especially when you're doing it a favour in setting up Rain.

Other threats include.
Heracross: The only thing that can take it down quickly is ScarfZone, which has big problems switching in on a CC.
Lucario: See above, although it resists Bullet Punch.
Zapdos: Big problem for your team when rain ends. I say this because Heat Wave can take down Magnezone, which would otherwise wall it.
Breloom: It hits most of your team, and will be a huge threat if it gets a Sub. Spore also hurts, as you have no way of dealing with Status.

Good team, though.

 

[4th Gen Matt]

After looking at a few teams based on Baton Passing, Trick Room and Weather teams I found that most either worked really well or utterly failed because they relied upon there effects too much. So I wanted to make a team like that, but wasn't entirely depended on it's battle affector, but was ever more efficent if one was present.

Deoxys-e @ Light Clay
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP/82 Def/174 SDef
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Recover
- Taunt

I think you should go with Rain Dance on Deoxys-S and use him as your lead. He is the lead on my Rain Dance team, he never fails. Although, I can see how you want to use him as a speedy tank late-game. Your choice.

After looking at rain dance teams most had poor ways to set up because of there defences. This helps to remedy that. I choose a defensive spread over speed because I wanted it to be able to come back late game to put up that one shield that could save my butt from losing. Anyway the current spread I believe can survive any attack so long as prediction is taken into account. Only thing that really stops with this amount of speed is these popular leads: Deoxys-s, Ninjask, Electrode and TrickScarfGar. Electrode isn't really much of a thread as it normally would provide rain dance or sunny day. The other pokemon are taken care up with the rest of my pokemon. Of course since Trick has been granted to a large number of pokemon with the addition of Platinum moves there is a large number that can take you by surprise and do the same thing as a TrickScarfGar like Azelf and Rotom.

Suicune @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/4 SAtk
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Roar
- Calm Mind
- Surf
- Hidden Power [Electric]

Never used a Suicune, but it looks like a great set.

If I run into any ninjask I can stop it using this pokemon. Just roar it away although it does have the possiblity to swords dance first turn than proceed to use x-scissors on me. Which I would doubt. Anyway apart from that suicune can make an excellent late game sweeper once it's counters are taken care of.

Scizor (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP/252 Atk
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Brick Break

My counter for Deoxys-S leads, use U-Turn and it's a 1-2HKO. Rain dance provides it with protection from fire attacks and plus the shields from deoxys if put up really help keep it coming in time and time again. Brick Break is to help break any shields that a deoxys-s lead might put up, as the other 3 moves cover enough and I never use pusuit anyway.

Most people who use Deoxys-S as a lead on Rain Dance teams just use him to set up rain, which he does since nothing outspeeds, and then 1HKO him. You should hear me, I am literally cheering on the enemy Salamence to kill me with Crunch, which it rarely does.

Kingdra (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 180 HP/252 Atk/76 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Waterfall
- Outrage
- Dragon Dance
- Rain Dance

I would go with the Special Kingdra. Give it Surf, Ice Beam, HP Electric, and Dragon Pulse. This thing destroys teams. 5-0'd a team with this before. And the only one they KO'd was Deoxys-S whom I let die.

My one main sole sweeper. If I can get the shields up from deoxys and rain dance and stealth rock from Bronzong one more dragon dance and it's ready to sweep. Rain Dance and Dragon Dance can boost it's speed past 600 so I don't have to worry about revenge killers only priorty moves. Rain Dance is on there if it gets the chance to use it after dragon dance.

Bronzong @ Damp Rock
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP/128 Atk/128 Def
Relaxed nature (+Def, -Spe) Iv: 0 Spe
- Rain Dance
- Stealth Rock
- Explosion
- Gyroball

This looks good.

Sad life for a Bell. Set up rain dance, stealth rock and explode although I may want to save it for later if I want to try and set up rain dance later which likely isn't going to happen because explosion deals a heavy chuck to anything in it's way and allows free switch in of no damage to the next pokemon to benefit from rain dance. Gyro ball helps to hit annoying gengars and such if I run into any.

Magnezone @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 4 HP/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunder
- Flash Cannon
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]

Can't really say. Never used one.

Now for the pokemon that helps to counter the last main threat to my deoxys lead: TrickScarfGar. Swap choice scarf for choice scarf and force gengar to switch. Also helps annoy the heck out of scizor which can't escape most often. HP Ice is to deal with dragons and Skymin. Also I have both thunder and thunderbolt for realiability. Having 2 exploders on the team isn't very benefical. So I have a deadly attack in rain with thunder and a respectable one outside of rain dance with thunderbolt.

Final Note: This team works best if I set up shields, go to bronzong set up stealth rock and rain dance and explode. Which I can go to Kingdra and with the shields still up I can set up dragon dance once or twice and then sweep. Although it is a semi-rain dance team the team is fairly balenced without rain dance.

Review is letter in bold in the quote.

 

[Dark Azelf]

Any particular reason why Scizor has 2 fighting moves ? Pursuit > Brick break or super power, pick one please, a Pursuit nearly as powerful as CB Tars (Thanks to Tech) is way to good to pass up.

Archer said pretty much everything else.

 

[crystalvelox]

Archer would you say that a crocune set up would serve better? That solves my status problem. Breloom, heracross and zapdos you mentioned I seems I can beat them depending on the situation, yet I see no real way to deal breloom effectivly with what I have except to have a crocune take the sleep status and switch to something else to take care of it. Any ideas?

Matt I've tried using rain dance moveset for deoxys-s, but I've found that this one works better. Also if I have special attack kingdra I sort of lose out on physical attack power. Blissey walls a good number of my pokemon or at least making it difficult for most of my pokemon through paralysis or that it just can't kill it, special kingdra adds to that.

D_A I have brick break over pursuit as I mentioned before I don't find much purpose to pursuit. I hardly ever use it and Brick Break is to break shields which I've found more use for (but still hardly ever use). Mostly I do not really know situations that would call for pursuit that the other 3 moves wouldn't be equally or less effective than pursuit.

 

[Dark Azelf]

Mostly I do not really know situations that would call for pursuit that the other 3 moves wouldn't be equally or less effective than pursuit.

When they switch out aka Blissey and Cress WILL switched out and take a crap load from it? Thats kind why its one of the best moves in the game so you can pick off pokemon whether they switch or not. Still two fighting attacks are more than redundant at least use Night Slash >> Super Power since your adamant on Brick Break to add to the coverage and to not get lol'd at by Rotom's etc.

 

[4th Gen Matt]

Archer would you say that a crocune set up would serve better? That solves my status problem. Breloom, heracross and zapdos you mentioned I seems I can beat them depending on the situation, yet I see no real way to deal breloom effectivly with what I have except to have a crocune take the sleep status and switch to something else to take care of it. Any ideas?

Matt I've tried using rain dance moveset for deoxys-s, but I've found that this one works better. Also if I have special attack kingdra I sort of lose out on physical attack power. Blissey walls a good number of my pokemon or at least making it difficult for most of my pokemon through paralysis or that it just can't kill it, special kingdra adds to that.

D_A I have brick break over pursuit as I mentioned before I don't find much purpose to pursuit. I hardly ever use it and Brick Break is to break shields which I've found more use for (but still hardly ever use). Mostly I do not really know situations that would call for pursuit that the other 3 moves wouldn't be equally or less effective than pursuit.

Consider a Heracross. The thing destroys Blissey with one quick Close Combat. It can also switch in on a Salamence (with good prediction.) You do not think that this team would have trouble with Dragons, but it usually does.


The 2 most used Pokemon in OU right now are Salamence and Blissey. You will see them more than anyone else so make sure you have a counter. (Heracross counters both with Close Combat and Megahorn.)