GEN 9 National Dex (OU Singles)
Rain Pivot (Drampa) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Sap Sipper
EVs: 48 HP / 252 Def / 208 SpA
IVs: 0 Atk
Modest Nature
- Flamethrower
- Energy Ball/Thunder
- Hurricane
- Hidden Power Rock/Draco Meteor
[SET COMMENTS]
Drampa functions as an amazing pivot in Mega Swampert Rain Teams, being able to support Mega Swampert after it lures in checks such as Grass damage from Ogerpon-Wellspring, Defensive Pivot Rotom-Wash, and Defensive Alomomola. Drampa's main niche over other pivots such as Pivot Raging Bolt/Archaludon/Dragapult is its ability to one-shot common Rain Team checks while baiting the opponent to stay in. Your bulk allows you to bait and survive an Ogerpon-Wellspring using Play Rough/Superpower while one shotting them with Hurricane. Rotom-Wash can similarly be baited into using a Will-O-Wisp or Nasty Plot while getting one shot by Energy Ball. Alomomola can be baited into using a Toxic while getting most of its health taken out by Energy Ball or one shot by Thunder. Even if the opponent pivots out their Rotom-Wash or Alomomola; you're taking minimal damage from Volt Switch and Flip Turn, respectively, and you have the option of using 100% accuracy Hurricane that can Confuse, 100% accuracy Thunder that can Paralyze, or get damage in from Energy Ball/Draco Meteor.
Other Rain Team checks such as Mega Charizard-Y/Torkoal/Ferrothorn can be countered by Drampa. For Mega Charizard-Y, Sap Sipper nullifies Solar Beam and Drampa resists Fire type Weather Ball/Fire Blast/Overheat, surviving even in Harsh Sunlight, allowing you to one shot with Hidden Power-Rock. You even have the option to use Drampa as a counter lead to Mega Charizard-Y instead of opening with a Lead Rain Setter Pelipper since Mega Charizard-Y would reset the weather to Harsh Sunlight anyways. For Torkoal, you can Counter-Lead and deal a decent amount of damage with Hidden Power-Rock. For Ferrothorn, you can pivot to deny Leech Seed/Power Whip while also dealing some damage with Flamethrower even in Rain. If there is no Rain, you one shot Ferrothorn, even if it's fully invested into SpD with a SpD boosting Nature. You can also use Drampa as a Counter-Lead to Defensive Lead Ferrothorn.
Drampa also has other options over Hidden Power-Rock/Draco Meteor. Hidden-Power Ice is a nice option to hit softer checks to Mega Swampert such as Tank Garchomp, which it doesn't one shot but deals significant damage to, and one shots Landorus-Therian/Utility Gliscor. Blizzard can be taken to make use of the Snow that Slowking-Galar creates through Chilly Reception, but this is rather niche as you would only need Blizzard to kill Tank Garchomp. Solar Beam is also an option against Sun Teams, however, most Sun Teams don't have many Pokemon that it's useful against. Surf/Hydro Pump are also decent since they get their damage boosted by the Rain. Drampa also has some utility options like Tailwind/Defog/Roar, status inflicting moves like Toxic/Thunder Wave, or you can take Rain Dance to reset the weather for your Mega Swampert.
Now for Drampa's weaknesses:
Entry Hazards can damage Drampa, lowering its HP enough so that it can't survive against certain checks like Ogerpon-Wellspring's Superpower. This can force Rain Setter Pelipper to run Defog and can require another Entry Hazard Clearing Pokemon as insurance for Drampa's HP. This is critical as Drampa's low Spe stat basically requires him to be tanky enough to survive... otherwise Drampa just dies.
Flamethrower can be frustrating to play around due to the Rain lowering its Power. You often need perfect timing as the Rain ends while also timing your pivot so that the checks you brought Flamethrower for are out on the field... which can ruin your tempo or make the game chaotic. Running a different Item instead of Damp Rock on your Rain Setter Pelipper can give you more windows of opportunity to utilize Flamethrower against Pokemon like Ferrothorn, but it comes at the cost of less time for your Mega Swampert to abuse Swift Swim in the Rain.
Much of Drampa's strength comes from its lack of usage in the meta game. The surprise factor of Drampa will disappear if its usage rate goes up but even if Drampa's usage rate doesn't rise, teams that pivot around to multiple Walls can eventually figure out Drampa's kit; nullifying the surprise factor that comes from this Pokemon.
Choice Specs makes it easy for your opponents to pivot around Drampa forcing you to switch out if it's locked into a non-useful move. While you can run similar sets that use a Life Orb instead of Choice Specs to mitigate his weakness to constant pivoting... It will prevent him from being able to one shot or survive certain checks. That extra 20% damage from Choice Specs allows him to one shot specific Pokemon such as Rotom-Wash with Energy Ball and the reduced bulk from the stat spread + the damage from Life Orb either prevents Drampa from surviving certain checks, like Ogerpon-Wellspring's Superpower, or kills him after taking out certain checks... pigeon holing him into a "one and done" wonder.
Drampa is also countered by Urshifu-Rapid Strike/Mega Lopunny/Speedy Garchomp/Raging Bolt/Tapu Lele/Iron Valiant etc. These fast and powerful Fighting/Dragon/Fairy type Pokemon all can one shot Drampa before it does anything.
Mitigating Drampa's weaknesses:
Fairy type Pokemon like Tapu Bulu/Tapu Koko/Tapu Lele/Tapu Fini can be pivots for Drampa due to their Fighting/Dragon resistances that also widens your team's capabilities.
Hatterene is useful since it resists Fighting/Dragon and can protect against Entry Hazards through its ability, Magic Bounce. It also possesses Trick Room, allowing Drampa to uno-reverse his rougher match-ups against powerful speedy kill threats.
Weezing Galar resists all of Drampa's weaknesses of Fighting/Dragon/Fairy and can get rid of Entry Hazards through Defog.
Pokemon with Wish/Grassy Terrain or Screen Setters can help you get more than 1 kill/use out of Drampa letting him potentially one shot 2-3 Pokemon on the enemy's team.
Overall, Drampa is a niche pivot Pokemon that fits into Rain Teams, but Drampa is a VERY STRONG fit for this niche and should be used more often by Rain Team players. Compared to the usual pivots of Raging Bolt/Archaludon/Dragapult: Drampa has less staying power but makes up for it by swinging wide, being a threat to many many many more Rain Team checks, and guaranteeing the kill on a lot of these Rain Team checks.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/yoshiking123.705876/
Quality checked by:
Nobody
Grammar checked by:
Nobody