So yeah, just started at the moment, but I'd like to get some discussion ASAP. Things to discuss:
- A better EV spread for the SubCM set? I can't think of anything at the moment, like what's a bulk to hit?
- Should we have a Choice set?
- Are the event moves from last gen worth using?
Raikou
[Overview]
<p>Raikou was a staple in GSC, as well as the premier special attacker in ADV, but ever since DPP, it has been a good Pokemon, just not one that stood out. With Raikou's Dream World ability, Volt Absorb, however, it can serve as one the best Thundurus checks in the metagame. While Jolteon might give Raikou competition, Raikou's superior bulk and access to Calm Mind allow Raikou to differentiate itself from it. With base 115 Special Attack and Speed, as well as a workable movepool, it's hard to go terribly wrong with Raikou. Take advantage of Raikou's strengths and it will not disappoint.</p>
[SET]
name: SubCM
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Thunderbolt / Thunder
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Leftovers
ability: Volt Absorb
nature: Timid
evs: 128 HP / 52 SpA / 76 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The old standard from ADV returns for another round in DW OU. With Raikou's superior Speed and good special bulk, it is arguably the best Thundurus check in the metagame. Raikou is completely immune to Thundurus's Electric-type STAB moves as well as paralysis through Prankster Thunder Wave. Unlike Jolteon, however, Raikou can shrug off a Focus Blast from the thunder genie a lot more easily while immediately threatening to deal a large amount of damage with its own Electric-type STAB or simply to set up Calm Minds.</p>
<p>The idea behind the set is to switch into something Raikou can force out, such as Lightningrod Zapdos or bulky Water-types, set up a Substitute, and proceed to gather Calm Mind boosts. The other option is to set up Calm Mind boosts on relatively weak special attackers as they become increasingly unable to break Raikou's Substitutes. Thunderbolt is Raikou's main STAB option, although Thunder can easily replace it you're using Raikou on a rain team for the extra power and paralysis chance. Hidden Power Ice boasts the widest coverage alongside Raikou's STAB, as well as the ability to KO dangerous threats such as Garchomp, Salamence, Landorus, and Dragonite.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread presented takes advantage of Raikou's special bulk. With the given EVs in HP and Special Defense, uninvested Politoed's Scald will never break +1 Raikou's Substitutes in the rain, while a neutral unboosted Hidden Power from Zapdos and Thundurus fails to break unboosted Raikou's Substitute. The HP EVs also prevent Tyranitar's unboosted Pursuit from breaking Raikou's Substitute. Maximum Speed investment and a Timid nature allow Raikou to take advantage of its Speed stat while Speed tying with Starmie and Azelf. The remaining EVs go into Special Attack to power up Raikou's attacks. Raikou can use Hidden Power Grass in the final slot if Gastrodon is a huge problem, or Hidden Power Fire to dent Ferrothorn. However, both options are generally inferior to Hidden Power Ice as they do not offer the same coverage against more dangerous threats.</p>
<p>Sand teams are Raikou's biggest enemies. Not only does Tyranitar hard counter Raikou, but the most prominent sand sweeper, Excadrill, takes little damage from Hidden Power Ice, outspeeds Raikou, and OHKOes it with Earthquake. Bulky Ground-types such as Gastrodon and specially defensive Quagsire, as well as Blissey and Chansey, also wall Raikou easily. Therefore, Swords Dance Breloom is one of Raikou's best friends. It can easily revenge kill Excadrill with Mach Punch, set up on the aforementioned bulky Ground-types, and take them out with Bullet Seed. Skarmory can use its amazing physical bulk to wall Excadrill and can set up Spikes on the defensive Pokemon. Air Balloon Terrakion can check Excadrill once, set up Rock Polish, and sweep quite easily. Dugtrio is excellent to run alongside Raikou as well, as it can trap and KO Tyranitar, thus winning the weather war and removing one of Raikou's counters. Toxic Spikes support can help cripple some of Raikou's counters, such as Gastrodon, Chansey, and Blissey. Tentacruel offers good synergy with Raikou, as Raikou can switch into Electric-type attacks aimed at it. Forretress is another good teammate that easily sets up on Choice Scarf Garchomp, which could potentially revenge kill Raikou.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fighting
move 4: Extrasensory / Shadow Ball
item: Life Orb / Air Balloon
ability: Volt Absorb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set takes full advantage of Raikou's excellent offensive stats. Its base 115 Special Attack and Speed stats, as well as access to Calm Mind and good coverage, simply beg for an offensive sweeper set. Calm Mind allows Raikou to boost its Special Attack to high levels. A boosted Thunder will dent virtually everything that doesn't resist it, while Hidden Power Ice maximizes coverage. Thunderbolt can be used instead of Thunder if not using rain, while Hidden Power Fighting is usable as it is Raikou's best weapon against Tyranitar. Keep in mind, however, that Hidden Power Fighting requires Raikou to use an imperfect Speed IV, which means it must forfeit the Speed-tie with Starmie. Extrasensory is used in the last slot because Raikou's movepool doesn't contain much else, though it can be helpful to OHKO Toxicroak, which gives rain teams a lot of problems. Alternatively, Shadow Ball hits Latias and Latios harder, and should be used alongside Hidden Power Fighting.</p>
<p>You might wonder why Raikou is not running any of its DPP event moves, namely Aura Sphere and Weather Ball. The reason is simple: event Raikou must use a Rash nature. While the event moves give much better coverage than the listed options, Raikou needs a Timid nature to be successful. Without it, Raikou gets outsped by Thundurus, Latias, Latios, Landorus, and Keldeo, which it cannot afford. The event moves are also incompatible with the Volt Absorb ability, which takes away Raikou's excellent ability to check Thundurus.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb is the preferred held item, as it powers up Raikou's moves for sweeping. Air Balloon is also good, however, as it allows Raikou to avoid Ground-type moves for a turn. In particular, this prevents it from being revenge killed by Excadrill and other fast Ground-types. Timid is the preferred nature in order to outspeed significant threats, but a Rash nature can be used on a set of Calm Mind, Thunderbolt, Aura Sphere, and Hidden Power Ice for maximum coverage. Be aware, though, that Raikou loses not only the capability to outrun threats, but its Electric immunity as well.</p>
<p>As with its SubCM counterpart, offensive Calm Mind Raikou detests sand teams. Dugtrio can trap and remove Tyranitar, while Breloom takes out many of Raikou's counters, such as Excadrill, Gastrodon, Blissey, and Chansey. Double Dance Terrakion also gives many sand teams trouble. Additionally, without the protection of a Substitute, Choice Scarf revenge killers, such as Landorus and Garchomp, can easily OHKO Raikou as long as they do not switch into Hidden Power Ice; for a similar reason, Dugtrio is a major thorn in Raikou's side too. Therefore, Pokemon that can set up on Ground-type moves are good teammates. Again, Breloom does this job admirably, but so do Virizion and Serperior. Rock Polish Landorus can also set up on Choice-locked Ground-type attacks.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 2: Volt Switch
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Shadow Ball / Weather Ball
item: Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
nature: Timid / Rash
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Raikou's high Speed and Special Attack, as well as its access to Volt Switch, naturally suggest a Choice set. With Choice Specs, Raikou will severely hurt anything that doesn't resist its STAB moves, while with a Choice Scarf, it becomes an excellent revenge killer, reaching 541 Speed. While Jolteon might seem better at this role, Raikou's bulk once again saves the day; the ability to switch into any of Thundurus's attacks is a major advantage for Raikou. Raikou is also more powerful than Jolteon and has access to better coverage moves. Thunder and Thunderbolt are Raikou's main STAB attacks, while Volt Switch allows it to keep momentum for the team. Shadow Ball enables Raikou to hit Latias, Latios, and Celebi for super effective damage. If outspeeding Thundurus and other Pokemon between base 101 and base 113 Speed is not important, Weather Ball is an incredible move in both rain and sun that greatly improves Raikou's coverage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Especially if using Choice Specs, the recommended combination is a Timid nature with the Volt Absorb ability and Shadow Ball in the last moveslot, as outspeeding Thundurus is extremely important. However, if your team is well-equipped to deal with the threats in the base 101 to 113 Speed range, then a Rash nature with Weather Ball and Pressure gives much better coverage. The loss of the positive Speed nature is not as important with a Choice Scarf, as Rash Raikou can still outspeed base 100s.</p>
<p>Bulky Ground-types are a thorn in Raikou's side as always, especially when it's spamming Volt Switch in the early-game. Breloom is a great partner to Raikou as it easily sets up on defensive Ground-types, Serperior can spam Leaf Storm without fear, and Virizion and Celebi are also great Grass-types. Pokemon that can make VoltTurn combinations with Raikou are also good teammates, as they allow you to keep offensive momentum. Genesect is the premier U-turn user in Dream World; Scizor and Landorus are very potent as well. Such a strategy also appreciates the use of entry hazards, which Deoxys-S can effortlessly lay down. Obviously, if you're running Weather Ball, Raikou appreciates weather support from either Politoed or Ninetales, particularly the former as it allows Raikou to spam 100% accurate Thunders.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Raikou's movepool is pretty barren. Aura Sphere is probably the elephant in the room in terms of other moves that Raikou can run; with a Rash nature and a Calm Mind boost, it will deal huge amounts of damage to Tyranitar. However, Raikou will not be able to make full use of its excellent Speed. ExtremeSpeed is another event move that Raikou was given, but it is better off doing other things, although the chance to pick off weakened Dugtrio that try to revenge kill Raikou is interesting. Raikou can use Charge Beam to finish off a weakened Pokemon and gain a Special Attack boost at the same time, but Calm Mind is superior the vast majority of the time. Raikou can also run other Hidden Power types, although Hidden Power Ice is superior in most situations. Hidden Power Grass allows Raikou to destroy Gastrodon, Swampert, and Quagsire, Hidden Power Water destroys Excadrill in the rain, and Hidden Power Fire gives Raikou a weapon to use against Ferrothorn. Furthermore, Raikou can run a Calm Mind + RestTalk set, but it is way too easy to wall. It also has other support moves such as dual screens as well as Roar, but again, Raikou's niche is generally not one that should focus on supporting.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Sand inducers, namely Tyranitar and Hippowdon, and sand sweepers, such as Excadrill and Sandslash, are Raikou's biggest enemies. Tyranitar's massive Special Defense allows it to tank anything Raikou throws at it—apart from boosted Aura Spheres—and retaliate with Crunch or Stone Edge. Hippowdon can take a hit and OHKO with Earthquake, while Excadrill and Sandslash outspeed and OHKO with their own Earthquake. Excadrill is especially threatening because it takes a pittance from Hidden Power Ice. Choice Scarf variants of Garchomp and Landorus can also outspeed and revenge kill Raikou. Blissey and Chansey grow bored with Raikou's attempts to get past them, as they can simply Seismic Toss the saber-toothed tiger to oblivion while recovering off any damage with Softboiled. Gastrodon, Quagsire, and Swampert also wall Raikou if it lacks Hidden Power Grass. If Raikou is not holding an Air Balloon, Dugtrio can easily trap and OHKO it with Earthquake. Toxic Spikes are also annoying for Raikou, as they severely undermine its good bulk; Tentacruel, Roserade, and Forretress are the main users of Toxic Spikes to watch out for.</p>
- A better EV spread for the SubCM set? I can't think of anything at the moment, like what's a bulk to hit?
- Should we have a Choice set?
- Are the event moves from last gen worth using?
Raikou
[Overview]
<p>Raikou was a staple in GSC, as well as the premier special attacker in ADV, but ever since DPP, it has been a good Pokemon, just not one that stood out. With Raikou's Dream World ability, Volt Absorb, however, it can serve as one the best Thundurus checks in the metagame. While Jolteon might give Raikou competition, Raikou's superior bulk and access to Calm Mind allow Raikou to differentiate itself from it. With base 115 Special Attack and Speed, as well as a workable movepool, it's hard to go terribly wrong with Raikou. Take advantage of Raikou's strengths and it will not disappoint.</p>
[SET]
name: SubCM
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Thunderbolt / Thunder
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Leftovers
ability: Volt Absorb
nature: Timid
evs: 128 HP / 52 SpA / 76 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The old standard from ADV returns for another round in DW OU. With Raikou's superior Speed and good special bulk, it is arguably the best Thundurus check in the metagame. Raikou is completely immune to Thundurus's Electric-type STAB moves as well as paralysis through Prankster Thunder Wave. Unlike Jolteon, however, Raikou can shrug off a Focus Blast from the thunder genie a lot more easily while immediately threatening to deal a large amount of damage with its own Electric-type STAB or simply to set up Calm Minds.</p>
<p>The idea behind the set is to switch into something Raikou can force out, such as Lightningrod Zapdos or bulky Water-types, set up a Substitute, and proceed to gather Calm Mind boosts. The other option is to set up Calm Mind boosts on relatively weak special attackers as they become increasingly unable to break Raikou's Substitutes. Thunderbolt is Raikou's main STAB option, although Thunder can easily replace it you're using Raikou on a rain team for the extra power and paralysis chance. Hidden Power Ice boasts the widest coverage alongside Raikou's STAB, as well as the ability to KO dangerous threats such as Garchomp, Salamence, Landorus, and Dragonite.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread presented takes advantage of Raikou's special bulk. With the given EVs in HP and Special Defense, uninvested Politoed's Scald will never break +1 Raikou's Substitutes in the rain, while a neutral unboosted Hidden Power from Zapdos and Thundurus fails to break unboosted Raikou's Substitute. The HP EVs also prevent Tyranitar's unboosted Pursuit from breaking Raikou's Substitute. Maximum Speed investment and a Timid nature allow Raikou to take advantage of its Speed stat while Speed tying with Starmie and Azelf. The remaining EVs go into Special Attack to power up Raikou's attacks. Raikou can use Hidden Power Grass in the final slot if Gastrodon is a huge problem, or Hidden Power Fire to dent Ferrothorn. However, both options are generally inferior to Hidden Power Ice as they do not offer the same coverage against more dangerous threats.</p>
<p>Sand teams are Raikou's biggest enemies. Not only does Tyranitar hard counter Raikou, but the most prominent sand sweeper, Excadrill, takes little damage from Hidden Power Ice, outspeeds Raikou, and OHKOes it with Earthquake. Bulky Ground-types such as Gastrodon and specially defensive Quagsire, as well as Blissey and Chansey, also wall Raikou easily. Therefore, Swords Dance Breloom is one of Raikou's best friends. It can easily revenge kill Excadrill with Mach Punch, set up on the aforementioned bulky Ground-types, and take them out with Bullet Seed. Skarmory can use its amazing physical bulk to wall Excadrill and can set up Spikes on the defensive Pokemon. Air Balloon Terrakion can check Excadrill once, set up Rock Polish, and sweep quite easily. Dugtrio is excellent to run alongside Raikou as well, as it can trap and KO Tyranitar, thus winning the weather war and removing one of Raikou's counters. Toxic Spikes support can help cripple some of Raikou's counters, such as Gastrodon, Chansey, and Blissey. Tentacruel offers good synergy with Raikou, as Raikou can switch into Electric-type attacks aimed at it. Forretress is another good teammate that easily sets up on Choice Scarf Garchomp, which could potentially revenge kill Raikou.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 3: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Fighting
move 4: Extrasensory / Shadow Ball
item: Life Orb / Air Balloon
ability: Volt Absorb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set takes full advantage of Raikou's excellent offensive stats. Its base 115 Special Attack and Speed stats, as well as access to Calm Mind and good coverage, simply beg for an offensive sweeper set. Calm Mind allows Raikou to boost its Special Attack to high levels. A boosted Thunder will dent virtually everything that doesn't resist it, while Hidden Power Ice maximizes coverage. Thunderbolt can be used instead of Thunder if not using rain, while Hidden Power Fighting is usable as it is Raikou's best weapon against Tyranitar. Keep in mind, however, that Hidden Power Fighting requires Raikou to use an imperfect Speed IV, which means it must forfeit the Speed-tie with Starmie. Extrasensory is used in the last slot because Raikou's movepool doesn't contain much else, though it can be helpful to OHKO Toxicroak, which gives rain teams a lot of problems. Alternatively, Shadow Ball hits Latias and Latios harder, and should be used alongside Hidden Power Fighting.</p>
<p>You might wonder why Raikou is not running any of its DPP event moves, namely Aura Sphere and Weather Ball. The reason is simple: event Raikou must use a Rash nature. While the event moves give much better coverage than the listed options, Raikou needs a Timid nature to be successful. Without it, Raikou gets outsped by Thundurus, Latias, Latios, Landorus, and Keldeo, which it cannot afford. The event moves are also incompatible with the Volt Absorb ability, which takes away Raikou's excellent ability to check Thundurus.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb is the preferred held item, as it powers up Raikou's moves for sweeping. Air Balloon is also good, however, as it allows Raikou to avoid Ground-type moves for a turn. In particular, this prevents it from being revenge killed by Excadrill and other fast Ground-types. Timid is the preferred nature in order to outspeed significant threats, but a Rash nature can be used on a set of Calm Mind, Thunderbolt, Aura Sphere, and Hidden Power Ice for maximum coverage. Be aware, though, that Raikou loses not only the capability to outrun threats, but its Electric immunity as well.</p>
<p>As with its SubCM counterpart, offensive Calm Mind Raikou detests sand teams. Dugtrio can trap and remove Tyranitar, while Breloom takes out many of Raikou's counters, such as Excadrill, Gastrodon, Blissey, and Chansey. Double Dance Terrakion also gives many sand teams trouble. Additionally, without the protection of a Substitute, Choice Scarf revenge killers, such as Landorus and Garchomp, can easily OHKO Raikou as long as they do not switch into Hidden Power Ice; for a similar reason, Dugtrio is a major thorn in Raikou's side too. Therefore, Pokemon that can set up on Ground-type moves are good teammates. Again, Breloom does this job admirably, but so do Virizion and Serperior. Rock Polish Landorus can also set up on Choice-locked Ground-type attacks.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 2: Volt Switch
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Shadow Ball / Weather Ball
item: Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
nature: Timid / Rash
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Raikou's high Speed and Special Attack, as well as its access to Volt Switch, naturally suggest a Choice set. With Choice Specs, Raikou will severely hurt anything that doesn't resist its STAB moves, while with a Choice Scarf, it becomes an excellent revenge killer, reaching 541 Speed. While Jolteon might seem better at this role, Raikou's bulk once again saves the day; the ability to switch into any of Thundurus's attacks is a major advantage for Raikou. Raikou is also more powerful than Jolteon and has access to better coverage moves. Thunder and Thunderbolt are Raikou's main STAB attacks, while Volt Switch allows it to keep momentum for the team. Shadow Ball enables Raikou to hit Latias, Latios, and Celebi for super effective damage. If outspeeding Thundurus and other Pokemon between base 101 and base 113 Speed is not important, Weather Ball is an incredible move in both rain and sun that greatly improves Raikou's coverage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Especially if using Choice Specs, the recommended combination is a Timid nature with the Volt Absorb ability and Shadow Ball in the last moveslot, as outspeeding Thundurus is extremely important. However, if your team is well-equipped to deal with the threats in the base 101 to 113 Speed range, then a Rash nature with Weather Ball and Pressure gives much better coverage. The loss of the positive Speed nature is not as important with a Choice Scarf, as Rash Raikou can still outspeed base 100s.</p>
<p>Bulky Ground-types are a thorn in Raikou's side as always, especially when it's spamming Volt Switch in the early-game. Breloom is a great partner to Raikou as it easily sets up on defensive Ground-types, Serperior can spam Leaf Storm without fear, and Virizion and Celebi are also great Grass-types. Pokemon that can make VoltTurn combinations with Raikou are also good teammates, as they allow you to keep offensive momentum. Genesect is the premier U-turn user in Dream World; Scizor and Landorus are very potent as well. Such a strategy also appreciates the use of entry hazards, which Deoxys-S can effortlessly lay down. Obviously, if you're running Weather Ball, Raikou appreciates weather support from either Politoed or Ninetales, particularly the former as it allows Raikou to spam 100% accurate Thunders.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Raikou's movepool is pretty barren. Aura Sphere is probably the elephant in the room in terms of other moves that Raikou can run; with a Rash nature and a Calm Mind boost, it will deal huge amounts of damage to Tyranitar. However, Raikou will not be able to make full use of its excellent Speed. ExtremeSpeed is another event move that Raikou was given, but it is better off doing other things, although the chance to pick off weakened Dugtrio that try to revenge kill Raikou is interesting. Raikou can use Charge Beam to finish off a weakened Pokemon and gain a Special Attack boost at the same time, but Calm Mind is superior the vast majority of the time. Raikou can also run other Hidden Power types, although Hidden Power Ice is superior in most situations. Hidden Power Grass allows Raikou to destroy Gastrodon, Swampert, and Quagsire, Hidden Power Water destroys Excadrill in the rain, and Hidden Power Fire gives Raikou a weapon to use against Ferrothorn. Furthermore, Raikou can run a Calm Mind + RestTalk set, but it is way too easy to wall. It also has other support moves such as dual screens as well as Roar, but again, Raikou's niche is generally not one that should focus on supporting.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Sand inducers, namely Tyranitar and Hippowdon, and sand sweepers, such as Excadrill and Sandslash, are Raikou's biggest enemies. Tyranitar's massive Special Defense allows it to tank anything Raikou throws at it—apart from boosted Aura Spheres—and retaliate with Crunch or Stone Edge. Hippowdon can take a hit and OHKO with Earthquake, while Excadrill and Sandslash outspeed and OHKO with their own Earthquake. Excadrill is especially threatening because it takes a pittance from Hidden Power Ice. Choice Scarf variants of Garchomp and Landorus can also outspeed and revenge kill Raikou. Blissey and Chansey grow bored with Raikou's attempts to get past them, as they can simply Seismic Toss the saber-toothed tiger to oblivion while recovering off any damage with Softboiled. Gastrodon, Quagsire, and Swampert also wall Raikou if it lacks Hidden Power Grass. If Raikou is not holding an Air Balloon, Dugtrio can easily trap and OHKO it with Earthquake. Toxic Spikes are also annoying for Raikou, as they severely undermine its good bulk; Tentacruel, Roserade, and Forretress are the main users of Toxic Spikes to watch out for.</p>
