[OVERVIEW]
Raikou is a decent pivot and setup sweeper, using its high Speed and Special Attack, along with Calm Mind boosts, to wear down opposing walls like Copperajah and Bronzong. Its typing allows it to resist both Kilowattrel's STAB types and Brave Bird from Flamigo, allowing it to begin setting up with Calm Mind or using its high Speed to revenge kill non-Choice Scarf Flamigo. It has a variety of coverage, such as Scald and Shadow Ball, but to actually threaten the Ground-types like Gastrodon, Swampert, and Flygon that wall it, it usually requires Tera Blast Grass or Tera Blast Ice. Further, Raikou usually only has space for one coverage move, and so has to choose which checks to target; Tera Blast Grass doesn't seriously threaten Flygon, Tera Blast Ice doesn't do much to Swampert and Gastrodon, and Scald cannot hit Gastrodon at all, and if it doesn't burn, Flygon is still very threatening. Further, while Raikou can, given either time or sufficient Calm Mind boosts, break special walls like Bronzong and Alolan Muk, they can threaten it back with Earthquake or poison. Raikou can also be picked off by physical Choice Scarf users like Flygon, Flamigo, and Infernape.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Scald / Tera Blast / Shadow Ball
move 4: Volt Switch / Substitute
item: Heavy-Duty Boots / Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Grass / Ice / Ghost
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Raikou has a variety of options for coverage; it can use Scald to hit Electric-immunes like Flygon, Swampert, and Kilowattrel while threatening burns, Tera Blast Grass to OHKO foes like Gastrodon and Swampert, Tera Blast Ice to OHKO foes like Flygon and Altaria, or it can use Shadow Ball, often boosted by Tera Ghost, for solid neutral coverage. Raikou can carry Volt Switch to pivot out of bad matchups or it can lean harder into its identity as a setup sweeper with Substitute to avoid status. Heavy-Duty Boots allows Raikou to pivot in and out more freely without concerns about hazards, while Leftovers grants longevity and better supports Substitute sets. In addition to Tera Blast Grass's ability to hit Ground-types like Swampert and Gastrodon, Tera Grass gives Raikou a resistance to Ground-type attacks. In addition to boosting Shadow Ball, Tera Ghost also gives it an immunity to Fighting-type attacks from foes like Infernape, Heracross, and Scyther.
Raikou benefits from teammates that can switch into Ground-type attacks from foes that wall it, like Flygon and Swampert. As a result, teammates that can take advantage of Ground-types, such as Swords Dance Decidueye, Trailblaze Scyther, and Iron Defense Bronzong support it well. Particularly on sets that pivot with Volt Switch, hazard setting teammates like Gligar, Diancie, and Gastrodon can help it wear down opposing walls, along with Knock Off users like Incineroar and Alolan Muk to remove Heavy-Duty Boots and Leftovers. Other special attackers like Toxtricity, Uxie, and Munkidori can also help Raikou overload special walls like Gastrodon, Copperajah, and Alolan Muk.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Raikou can utilize Aura Sphere, along with Tera Fighting, to handle specially defensive Steel-types like Copperajah, but loses the ability to threaten Ground-types at all. It can also slot Roar over Volt Switch or Substitute to force out foes like Bronzong or Sylveon that may try to set up alongside it with Calm Mind. Protect can also see use on Substitute sets to restore more HP with Leftovers and stall out PP with Pressure, but this forces it to drop all coverage options.
Checks and Counters
====
**Ground-types**: Raikou is threatened by a variety of common Ground-types like Flygon, Swampert, and Gastrodon, and usually requires Tera Blast to deal with them. However, it struggles to hit all of them with any single coverage move; Tera Blast Grass does not hit Flygon super effectively, Tera Blast Ice does not hit Swampert and Gastrodon, and Scald cannot hit Gastrodon at all.
**Special Walls**: Specially defensive walls like Copperajah, Bronzong, and Alolan Muk are difficult for Raikou to break without several boosts and the former two often carry Earthquake to hit it super effectively, while Alolan Muk threatens to remove its item with Knock Off and to apply poison it.
**Revenge Killers**: Raikou's Speed is very good, but Choice Scarf users still threaten to revenge kill it, particularly physical attackers like Flygon, Flamigo, and Infernape that don't care about its Calm Mind boosts. Priority can also pick it off if it is sufficiently weakened, such as Basculegion's Aqua Jet and Arcanine's Extreme Speed.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hammer798.641404/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/powerofmemes.583607/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
Raikou is a decent pivot and setup sweeper, using its high Speed and Special Attack, along with Calm Mind boosts, to wear down opposing walls like Copperajah and Bronzong. Its typing allows it to resist both Kilowattrel's STAB types and Brave Bird from Flamigo, allowing it to begin setting up with Calm Mind or using its high Speed to revenge kill non-Choice Scarf Flamigo. It has a variety of coverage, such as Scald and Shadow Ball, but to actually threaten the Ground-types like Gastrodon, Swampert, and Flygon that wall it, it usually requires Tera Blast Grass or Tera Blast Ice. Further, Raikou usually only has space for one coverage move, and so has to choose which checks to target; Tera Blast Grass doesn't seriously threaten Flygon, Tera Blast Ice doesn't do much to Swampert and Gastrodon, and Scald cannot hit Gastrodon at all, and if it doesn't burn, Flygon is still very threatening. Further, while Raikou can, given either time or sufficient Calm Mind boosts, break special walls like Bronzong and Alolan Muk, they can threaten it back with Earthquake or poison. Raikou can also be picked off by physical Choice Scarf users like Flygon, Flamigo, and Infernape.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Scald / Tera Blast / Shadow Ball
move 4: Volt Switch / Substitute
item: Heavy-Duty Boots / Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Grass / Ice / Ghost
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Raikou has a variety of options for coverage; it can use Scald to hit Electric-immunes like Flygon, Swampert, and Kilowattrel while threatening burns, Tera Blast Grass to OHKO foes like Gastrodon and Swampert, Tera Blast Ice to OHKO foes like Flygon and Altaria, or it can use Shadow Ball, often boosted by Tera Ghost, for solid neutral coverage. Raikou can carry Volt Switch to pivot out of bad matchups or it can lean harder into its identity as a setup sweeper with Substitute to avoid status. Heavy-Duty Boots allows Raikou to pivot in and out more freely without concerns about hazards, while Leftovers grants longevity and better supports Substitute sets. In addition to Tera Blast Grass's ability to hit Ground-types like Swampert and Gastrodon, Tera Grass gives Raikou a resistance to Ground-type attacks. In addition to boosting Shadow Ball, Tera Ghost also gives it an immunity to Fighting-type attacks from foes like Infernape, Heracross, and Scyther.
Raikou benefits from teammates that can switch into Ground-type attacks from foes that wall it, like Flygon and Swampert. As a result, teammates that can take advantage of Ground-types, such as Swords Dance Decidueye, Trailblaze Scyther, and Iron Defense Bronzong support it well. Particularly on sets that pivot with Volt Switch, hazard setting teammates like Gligar, Diancie, and Gastrodon can help it wear down opposing walls, along with Knock Off users like Incineroar and Alolan Muk to remove Heavy-Duty Boots and Leftovers. Other special attackers like Toxtricity, Uxie, and Munkidori can also help Raikou overload special walls like Gastrodon, Copperajah, and Alolan Muk.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Raikou can utilize Aura Sphere, along with Tera Fighting, to handle specially defensive Steel-types like Copperajah, but loses the ability to threaten Ground-types at all. It can also slot Roar over Volt Switch or Substitute to force out foes like Bronzong or Sylveon that may try to set up alongside it with Calm Mind. Protect can also see use on Substitute sets to restore more HP with Leftovers and stall out PP with Pressure, but this forces it to drop all coverage options.
Checks and Counters
====
**Ground-types**: Raikou is threatened by a variety of common Ground-types like Flygon, Swampert, and Gastrodon, and usually requires Tera Blast to deal with them. However, it struggles to hit all of them with any single coverage move; Tera Blast Grass does not hit Flygon super effectively, Tera Blast Ice does not hit Swampert and Gastrodon, and Scald cannot hit Gastrodon at all.
**Special Walls**: Specially defensive walls like Copperajah, Bronzong, and Alolan Muk are difficult for Raikou to break without several boosts and the former two often carry Earthquake to hit it super effectively, while Alolan Muk threatens to remove its item with Knock Off and to apply poison it.
**Revenge Killers**: Raikou's Speed is very good, but Choice Scarf users still threaten to revenge kill it, particularly physical attackers like Flygon, Flamigo, and Infernape that don't care about its Calm Mind boosts. Priority can also pick it off if it is sufficiently weakened, such as Basculegion's Aqua Jet and Arcanine's Extreme Speed.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hammer798.641404/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/powerofmemes.583607/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
Last edited:
