[overview]
Draft Order**: Round 6 onwards
**Price Range**: 5-6 points
**Overview**: While it is outclassed in many ways by Pelipper, Politoed brings niche value in its lower price point, making it fit on many drafts for cheap without having to fully and entirely commit to a complete rain team. It also has value in its utility options, packing moves like Encore and Perish Song to disrupt opposing strategies. Unfortunately, Politoed is priced as low as it is for a reason; its low base stats, minimal coverage, and lack of pivoting moves make it quite difficult to effectively position.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Rain Setter**: Drizzle allows Politoed to set rain upon switch-in, opening up support for fellow teammates that appreciate the weather for damage boosts on attacks and speed control via Swift Swim. These sets always use Damp Rock to extend the number of turns of Rain.
**Disruption**: Politoed has a few disruption options, such as Encore to lock opposing utility Pokemon into a move and prevent foes from setting up. It can also disrupt opposing strategies by using Whirlpool + Perish Song with moves such as Protect and Substitute to force a KO. It is important to note, however, that both of these sets use up turns of rain, making it difficult for Politoed to support other team members with its weather-setting.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Surf, Hydro Pump, Weather Ball
**Setup Moves**: Nothing viable. Belly Drum is funny though! (Don't use Belly Drum).
**Utility Moves**: Encore, Whirlpool, Perish Song, Haze, Rest, Sleep Talk
**Coverage**: Earth Power, Ice Beam, Focus Blast, Psychic
Niche Moves
========
**Hypnosis**: Feeling lucky? Roll the dice with Hypnosis to put an opposing Pokemon to sleep, allowing a free switch to a wallbreaker or rain sweeper. Just know that missing might spell an end for this happy little frog.
**Rain Dance**: Manual Rain Dance can be useful against teams with opposing weather setters.
**Endeavor**: After sponging a few hits, Politoed can use its low health to its advantage by using Endeavor against bulkier foes.
**Icy Wind**: Icy Wind can be useful to keep opposing setup sweepers at neutral speed or lower, allowing a teammate to revenge kill them.
Common Items
========
**Damp Rock**: Damp Rock best enables Politoed's partners to access maximum rain turns.
**Leftovers**: Leftovers is Politoed's best item on disruption sets, especially on Perish trap sets, allowing it access to consistent rounds of recovery in conjunction with Protect to stall Perish Song turns.
Niche Items
========
**Choice Specs**: Politoed can hit fairly hard with its Water-type STAB under rain. If the opposing team lacks sufficient resists, Politoed can pack a surprising punch with Choice Specs.
**Eject Button**: With Eject Button, Politoed can swap in on an incoming hit and immediately switch out to a Swift Swim sweeper or rain-benefiting wallbreaker upon getting hit.
**Choice Scarf**: While its Swift Swim partners always function much better as a fast team member spamming Water-type attacks, a Choice Scarf on Politoed might catch a faster foe off-guard early-game, forcing a surprise KO.
Tera
========
Politoed shouldn't Terastallize, especially if the rain sweepers it is benefiting have the ability to do so. If it is to use Tera, then Tera Grass in conjunction with Tera Blast allows it to hit opposing Water-types, which it is unable to do otherwise. Tera Water also helps boost Politoed's STAB moves on Choice sets. Other defensive typings such as Tera Fairy, Steel, and Ground could be useful in conjunction with Water Absorb for Perish Trap sets.
Draft Strategy
========
Politoed will always be the happy little frog cheering on its friends after setting rain for them. However, when deciding between Politoed and Pelipper, consider whether your draft is a full and complete rain team or if it just appreciates having an occasional rain mode. Politoed's low price makes it a preferential choice for the latter option, slotting well onto teams that appreciate the effects of rain but don't require it to function.
**Rain-benefitting Wallbreakers**: Many high-tier Pokemon do not need rain to succeed, but they certainly appreciate the support, as rain opens up new options in the teambuilder. Examples include Palafin and Ogerpon-W, which receive boosts to their already-powerful Water-type STAB moves under rain; Archaludon, which gains access to Electro Shot without needing a turn to charge; and Weather Ball + Hurricane users such as Tornadus-T and Zapdos. Low-tier rain sweepers with Swift Swim such as Barraskewda and Basculegion also pair well with Politoed.
**Water-type Checks**: Bulky Water-types tend to be difficult for both Politoed and its supporting rain sweepers to break, so Pokemon that can threaten their existence such as Ogerpon, Rillaboom, and Raging Bolt are handy to pair it with.
Checks and Counters
========
**Specially Defensive Pivots**: Politoed is pretty weak and lacks any kind of momentum. Specially defensive sponges such as Uxie and Tentacruel can tank a hit with ease and then pivot out on the switch to effectively stall rain turns and keep up momentum. Both Slowking formes are most effective at this, as Chilly Reception stops rain entirely.
**Water-types**: Politoed lacks any coverage to hit opposing Water-types, which also exploit its rain to threaten any other potential switch-ins. In these scenarios, Pokemon like Ogerpon-W, Primarina, and Rotom-W become very threatening.
**Substitute**: Pokemon that resist Water or have a lot of special bulk can easily use Substitute in front of Politoed to guard against potential switch-ins from rain sweepers or sponge a hit behind Substitute if Politoed elects to stay in. Substitute also stalls out turns of rain.
**Opposing Weather**: Opposing Weather setters such as Torkoal, Tyranitar, and Abomasnow can eliminate Politoed's rain upon switch-in. Manual Sunny Day can also stop rain in a pinch if the matchup against rain is looking desperate. This is especially usable on Prankster Pokemon such as Whimsicott, Klefki, and Thundurus.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/addison0727.514695/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf.608304/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Draft Order**: Round 6 onwards
**Price Range**: 5-6 points
**Overview**: While it is outclassed in many ways by Pelipper, Politoed brings niche value in its lower price point, making it fit on many drafts for cheap without having to fully and entirely commit to a complete rain team. It also has value in its utility options, packing moves like Encore and Perish Song to disrupt opposing strategies. Unfortunately, Politoed is priced as low as it is for a reason; its low base stats, minimal coverage, and lack of pivoting moves make it quite difficult to effectively position.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Rain Setter**: Drizzle allows Politoed to set rain upon switch-in, opening up support for fellow teammates that appreciate the weather for damage boosts on attacks and speed control via Swift Swim. These sets always use Damp Rock to extend the number of turns of Rain.
**Disruption**: Politoed has a few disruption options, such as Encore to lock opposing utility Pokemon into a move and prevent foes from setting up. It can also disrupt opposing strategies by using Whirlpool + Perish Song with moves such as Protect and Substitute to force a KO. It is important to note, however, that both of these sets use up turns of rain, making it difficult for Politoed to support other team members with its weather-setting.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Surf, Hydro Pump, Weather Ball
**Setup Moves**: Nothing viable. Belly Drum is funny though! (Don't use Belly Drum).
**Utility Moves**: Encore, Whirlpool, Perish Song, Haze, Rest, Sleep Talk
**Coverage**: Earth Power, Ice Beam, Focus Blast, Psychic
Niche Moves
========
**Hypnosis**: Feeling lucky? Roll the dice with Hypnosis to put an opposing Pokemon to sleep, allowing a free switch to a wallbreaker or rain sweeper. Just know that missing might spell an end for this happy little frog.
**Rain Dance**: Manual Rain Dance can be useful against teams with opposing weather setters.
**Endeavor**: After sponging a few hits, Politoed can use its low health to its advantage by using Endeavor against bulkier foes.
**Icy Wind**: Icy Wind can be useful to keep opposing setup sweepers at neutral speed or lower, allowing a teammate to revenge kill them.
Common Items
========
**Damp Rock**: Damp Rock best enables Politoed's partners to access maximum rain turns.
**Leftovers**: Leftovers is Politoed's best item on disruption sets, especially on Perish trap sets, allowing it access to consistent rounds of recovery in conjunction with Protect to stall Perish Song turns.
Niche Items
========
**Choice Specs**: Politoed can hit fairly hard with its Water-type STAB under rain. If the opposing team lacks sufficient resists, Politoed can pack a surprising punch with Choice Specs.
**Eject Button**: With Eject Button, Politoed can swap in on an incoming hit and immediately switch out to a Swift Swim sweeper or rain-benefiting wallbreaker upon getting hit.
**Choice Scarf**: While its Swift Swim partners always function much better as a fast team member spamming Water-type attacks, a Choice Scarf on Politoed might catch a faster foe off-guard early-game, forcing a surprise KO.
Tera
========
Politoed shouldn't Terastallize, especially if the rain sweepers it is benefiting have the ability to do so. If it is to use Tera, then Tera Grass in conjunction with Tera Blast allows it to hit opposing Water-types, which it is unable to do otherwise. Tera Water also helps boost Politoed's STAB moves on Choice sets. Other defensive typings such as Tera Fairy, Steel, and Ground could be useful in conjunction with Water Absorb for Perish Trap sets.
Draft Strategy
========
Politoed will always be the happy little frog cheering on its friends after setting rain for them. However, when deciding between Politoed and Pelipper, consider whether your draft is a full and complete rain team or if it just appreciates having an occasional rain mode. Politoed's low price makes it a preferential choice for the latter option, slotting well onto teams that appreciate the effects of rain but don't require it to function.
**Rain-benefitting Wallbreakers**: Many high-tier Pokemon do not need rain to succeed, but they certainly appreciate the support, as rain opens up new options in the teambuilder. Examples include Palafin and Ogerpon-W, which receive boosts to their already-powerful Water-type STAB moves under rain; Archaludon, which gains access to Electro Shot without needing a turn to charge; and Weather Ball + Hurricane users such as Tornadus-T and Zapdos. Low-tier rain sweepers with Swift Swim such as Barraskewda and Basculegion also pair well with Politoed.
**Water-type Checks**: Bulky Water-types tend to be difficult for both Politoed and its supporting rain sweepers to break, so Pokemon that can threaten their existence such as Ogerpon, Rillaboom, and Raging Bolt are handy to pair it with.
Checks and Counters
========
**Specially Defensive Pivots**: Politoed is pretty weak and lacks any kind of momentum. Specially defensive sponges such as Uxie and Tentacruel can tank a hit with ease and then pivot out on the switch to effectively stall rain turns and keep up momentum. Both Slowking formes are most effective at this, as Chilly Reception stops rain entirely.
**Water-types**: Politoed lacks any coverage to hit opposing Water-types, which also exploit its rain to threaten any other potential switch-ins. In these scenarios, Pokemon like Ogerpon-W, Primarina, and Rotom-W become very threatening.
**Substitute**: Pokemon that resist Water or have a lot of special bulk can easily use Substitute in front of Politoed to guard against potential switch-ins from rain sweepers or sponge a hit behind Substitute if Politoed elects to stay in. Substitute also stalls out turns of rain.
**Opposing Weather**: Opposing Weather setters such as Torkoal, Tyranitar, and Abomasnow can eliminate Politoed's rain upon switch-in. Manual Sunny Day can also stop rain in a pinch if the matchup against rain is looking desperate. This is especially usable on Prankster Pokemon such as Whimsicott, Klefki, and Thundurus.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/addison0727.514695/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf.608304/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Last edited:
