So, back in the days of XYORAS, Manaphy Rain was one of my favorite team archetypes. I loved the small goofy tech of running Rest so Hydration would instantly wake up Manaphy after the full heal, and who doesn't love getting 3 special attack boosts in one turn with Tail Glow? Unfortunately, I skipped out on USUM, and Manaphy was not in SWSH when I did return to playing Showdown. I very much missed the little raindrop, and seeing it return with the Teal Mask DLC truly made my day, and so I instantly jumped at the chance to build a new rain team with the stronger rain setter in Pelipper to more easily crush teams with Manaphy. That said...I found decent success with my current team, but it feels as though something's...missing. Thus, I turn to the RMT forums to hopefully get some feedback to make my team as strong as it can be!
So, let's start with the full team.
And here are the sets and descriptions for each:
Pelipper @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Hurricane
- Surf
- U-turn
- Roost
This is a pretty standard Pelipper set. Used for setting rain and pivoting to the rain sweepers, Pelipper is obviously a must-have for any rain team; he's kind of the entire basis of the archetype. Damp Rock for extending rain turns, minimum speed for a slow U-turn, Hurricane and Surf to threaten opposing pokemon and avoid being passive. Tera Ground helps for dodging Electric-type moves that would otherwise fry Pelipper, and is particularly good for baiting a Volt Switch and safely U-turning on it to gain momentum and bring in one of the hard hitters. I've considered switching Surf for Weather Ball as it's stronger in Rain, but I'm not big on the idea of losing my most reliable attacking move and Water STAB if the weather changes.
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Manaphy @ Leftovers
Ability: Hydration
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Stored Power
- Rest
- Tail Glow
The star of the team and the entire reason I wanted to build Rain in this metagame. It's bulky, it's strong with a boost, and Rest under rain is undoubtedly one of the funniest things to me. I admit to changing the set recently; I initially ran a Tera Grass Manaphy with Energy Ball over Stored Power, but I changed it to Tera Fairy and Stored Power based on the current Sample team running Manaphy rain, and I've been liking it a fair bit. Surf is stronger than Scald, and though I see the value in fishing for burns, I would rather just take KOs outright than mess around and get punished. Stored Power hits hard after a Tail Glow, and hits like a truck after two Tail Glows. Rest under rain is a full heal with no drawback; I've used it to recover from tanking Specs Dragapult's Draco Meteor and recover to full, among other things. It's just a good move, and one of my favorite choices for Manaphy.
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Basculegion @ Choice Band
Ability: Swift Swim
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Wave Crash
- Flip Turn
- Head Smash
- Aqua Jet
I love this pokemon. Swift Swim is one of my favorite things about Rain teams, and Basculegion uses it to great effect with a Choice Band. I went with Basculegion over Barraskewda because I like Basculegion's higher HP stat which allows it to take a hit in a pinch, unlike Barraskewda who folds to a slight breeze, as well as the power of Head Smash over something like Psychic Fangs or Close Combat, and finally the fact that it can't get revenged by a Dragonite Espeed, or the plethora of pokemon that now have access to Vacuum Wave. Tera Water for the strongest hits possible, Flip Turn to gain momentum, Head Smash to dome whatever thinks they can take a Wave Crash, and Aqua Jet to outspeed pokemon that are still faster in rain like Iron Valiant and Scarf Enamorus. That's my one issue with Basculegion over Barraskewda; even with Swift Swim, Basculegion still gets outsped by some prominent threats in the metagame.
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Zapdos @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Static
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hurricane
- Thunder
- Weather Ball
- Volt Switch
Zapdos is another pokemon that sticks out in my mind as a powerhouse in rain teams, and it's something I've seen and wanted to use last generation, but I never really did. Between Hurricane, Thunder, and Weather Ball, there are few pokemon that Zapdos can't break through under rain, and I typically try to use Zapdos to break some holes in the enemy team so that Manaphy and Basculegion can exploit the opponents being weakened. Volt Switch is used to gain momentum. I had initially run Tera Electric over Tera Dragon for stronger Thunders and Volt Switches, but I never really terastallized my Zapdos so I've switched it to a more defensive typing for when it's needed.
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Iron Treads @ Leftovers
Ability: Quark Drive
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- High Horsepower
- Iron Head
- Ice Spinner
- Rapid Spin
A new addition to the team, I initially ran Great Tusk in this spot as I simply wanted hazard removal and an Electric switch-in, but...quite frankly, I fear Alolan Ninetales and its Freeze-Dry, so I went with Iron Treads instead, which can tank Freeze-Drys much more effectively. High Horsepower because I've seen a lot of Rillaboom usage higher on the ladder, and I want to be prepared for it. Iron Head is there so I can deal with Ninetales more easily for a 2HKO through Aurora Veil. Ice Spinner hits Flying types that would laugh at my Ground-type moves otherwise. Looking at you, Gliscor and Dragonite. Rapid Spin is there because I don't want Pelipper taking rocks chip, so I want hazards off my side of the field as much as possible. Tera Grass is useful for tanking Water-type hits and Ground-type hits when necessary, while still serving as a decent Electric switch-in.
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Hatterene @ Eject Button
Ability: Magic Bounce
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 248 HP / 116 Def / 144 Spe
Bold Nature
- Psychic
- Dazzling Gleam
- Nuzzle
- Healing Wish
Hatterene is another new addition to my team, as I dislike the aforementioned hazards being on my side of the field, and Hatterene serves as a nice bulky pivot with Eject Button to more easily bring in my hard-hitters. I also appreciate the support in Nuzzle, as the rest of my team is a bit on the slower side, and Healing Wish can bring another pokemon back to dish out more damage, or save Pelipper to give more rain turns. In particular I like Hatterene's synergy with Basculegion, in theory; Nuzzle can slow down pokemon that might otherwise outspeed him, and Healing Wish can make up for the massive recoil moves Basculegion tends to click. Tera Steel helps to avoid Steel and Poison type hits, while also being able to tank Freeze-Dry more effectively. Could you tell I'm scared of Ninetales yet?
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With the team out of the way, here's what I perceive to be my biggest threats so far:
Walking Wake is very lethal to my team, since it comes in and clicks buttons and something usually gets hit hard, if not KO'd outright. My best option to play around it has seemed to be getting Manaphy in to tank with Rests, which isn't a great place to be to be honest.
Alolan Ninetales is one I've talked about during these summaries, and for good reason: Freeze-Dry shreds through so much of my team, and without Iron Treads to threaten it with Iron Head it kind of just clowns on me. Encore is also really, really frustrating to deal with, since it can stop my Manaphy from setting up and healing with Rest by locking it into those moves.
Ogerpon-Wellspring is a pokemon many teams struggle to deal with, and mine is no different. With rain powering up its already ridiculously-strong Ivy Cudgel, a faster speed stat than both Manaphy and Zapdos, and Water Absorb turning my Basculegion pathetically useless if I make a misstep, Waterpon is a massive threat to my team. Though Head Smash from Basculegion deals significant damage with a 56% chance to OHKO, it's not entirely unbeatable, though it usually comes at the cost of one of my pokemon.
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So, that's my team, and what I look to improve upon it. I would love to hear whatever suggestions you all could give me, and hopefully my team will change for the better in the end! Thank you all for reading.
So, let's start with the full team.
And here are the sets and descriptions for each:
Pelipper @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Hurricane
- Surf
- U-turn
- Roost
This is a pretty standard Pelipper set. Used for setting rain and pivoting to the rain sweepers, Pelipper is obviously a must-have for any rain team; he's kind of the entire basis of the archetype. Damp Rock for extending rain turns, minimum speed for a slow U-turn, Hurricane and Surf to threaten opposing pokemon and avoid being passive. Tera Ground helps for dodging Electric-type moves that would otherwise fry Pelipper, and is particularly good for baiting a Volt Switch and safely U-turning on it to gain momentum and bring in one of the hard hitters. I've considered switching Surf for Weather Ball as it's stronger in Rain, but I'm not big on the idea of losing my most reliable attacking move and Water STAB if the weather changes.
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Manaphy @ Leftovers
Ability: Hydration
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Stored Power
- Rest
- Tail Glow
The star of the team and the entire reason I wanted to build Rain in this metagame. It's bulky, it's strong with a boost, and Rest under rain is undoubtedly one of the funniest things to me. I admit to changing the set recently; I initially ran a Tera Grass Manaphy with Energy Ball over Stored Power, but I changed it to Tera Fairy and Stored Power based on the current Sample team running Manaphy rain, and I've been liking it a fair bit. Surf is stronger than Scald, and though I see the value in fishing for burns, I would rather just take KOs outright than mess around and get punished. Stored Power hits hard after a Tail Glow, and hits like a truck after two Tail Glows. Rest under rain is a full heal with no drawback; I've used it to recover from tanking Specs Dragapult's Draco Meteor and recover to full, among other things. It's just a good move, and one of my favorite choices for Manaphy.
-
Basculegion @ Choice Band
Ability: Swift Swim
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Wave Crash
- Flip Turn
- Head Smash
- Aqua Jet
I love this pokemon. Swift Swim is one of my favorite things about Rain teams, and Basculegion uses it to great effect with a Choice Band. I went with Basculegion over Barraskewda because I like Basculegion's higher HP stat which allows it to take a hit in a pinch, unlike Barraskewda who folds to a slight breeze, as well as the power of Head Smash over something like Psychic Fangs or Close Combat, and finally the fact that it can't get revenged by a Dragonite Espeed, or the plethora of pokemon that now have access to Vacuum Wave. Tera Water for the strongest hits possible, Flip Turn to gain momentum, Head Smash to dome whatever thinks they can take a Wave Crash, and Aqua Jet to outspeed pokemon that are still faster in rain like Iron Valiant and Scarf Enamorus. That's my one issue with Basculegion over Barraskewda; even with Swift Swim, Basculegion still gets outsped by some prominent threats in the metagame.
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Zapdos @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Static
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hurricane
- Thunder
- Weather Ball
- Volt Switch
Zapdos is another pokemon that sticks out in my mind as a powerhouse in rain teams, and it's something I've seen and wanted to use last generation, but I never really did. Between Hurricane, Thunder, and Weather Ball, there are few pokemon that Zapdos can't break through under rain, and I typically try to use Zapdos to break some holes in the enemy team so that Manaphy and Basculegion can exploit the opponents being weakened. Volt Switch is used to gain momentum. I had initially run Tera Electric over Tera Dragon for stronger Thunders and Volt Switches, but I never really terastallized my Zapdos so I've switched it to a more defensive typing for when it's needed.
-
Iron Treads @ Leftovers
Ability: Quark Drive
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Grass
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- High Horsepower
- Iron Head
- Ice Spinner
- Rapid Spin
A new addition to the team, I initially ran Great Tusk in this spot as I simply wanted hazard removal and an Electric switch-in, but...quite frankly, I fear Alolan Ninetales and its Freeze-Dry, so I went with Iron Treads instead, which can tank Freeze-Drys much more effectively. High Horsepower because I've seen a lot of Rillaboom usage higher on the ladder, and I want to be prepared for it. Iron Head is there so I can deal with Ninetales more easily for a 2HKO through Aurora Veil. Ice Spinner hits Flying types that would laugh at my Ground-type moves otherwise. Looking at you, Gliscor and Dragonite. Rapid Spin is there because I don't want Pelipper taking rocks chip, so I want hazards off my side of the field as much as possible. Tera Grass is useful for tanking Water-type hits and Ground-type hits when necessary, while still serving as a decent Electric switch-in.
-
Hatterene @ Eject Button
Ability: Magic Bounce
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 248 HP / 116 Def / 144 Spe
Bold Nature
- Psychic
- Dazzling Gleam
- Nuzzle
- Healing Wish
Hatterene is another new addition to my team, as I dislike the aforementioned hazards being on my side of the field, and Hatterene serves as a nice bulky pivot with Eject Button to more easily bring in my hard-hitters. I also appreciate the support in Nuzzle, as the rest of my team is a bit on the slower side, and Healing Wish can bring another pokemon back to dish out more damage, or save Pelipper to give more rain turns. In particular I like Hatterene's synergy with Basculegion, in theory; Nuzzle can slow down pokemon that might otherwise outspeed him, and Healing Wish can make up for the massive recoil moves Basculegion tends to click. Tera Steel helps to avoid Steel and Poison type hits, while also being able to tank Freeze-Dry more effectively. Could you tell I'm scared of Ninetales yet?
-
With the team out of the way, here's what I perceive to be my biggest threats so far:
Walking Wake is very lethal to my team, since it comes in and clicks buttons and something usually gets hit hard, if not KO'd outright. My best option to play around it has seemed to be getting Manaphy in to tank with Rests, which isn't a great place to be to be honest.
Alolan Ninetales is one I've talked about during these summaries, and for good reason: Freeze-Dry shreds through so much of my team, and without Iron Treads to threaten it with Iron Head it kind of just clowns on me. Encore is also really, really frustrating to deal with, since it can stop my Manaphy from setting up and healing with Rest by locking it into those moves.
Ogerpon-Wellspring is a pokemon many teams struggle to deal with, and mine is no different. With rain powering up its already ridiculously-strong Ivy Cudgel, a faster speed stat than both Manaphy and Zapdos, and Water Absorb turning my Basculegion pathetically useless if I make a misstep, Waterpon is a massive threat to my team. Though Head Smash from Basculegion deals significant damage with a 56% chance to OHKO, it's not entirely unbeatable, though it usually comes at the cost of one of my pokemon.
-
So, that's my team, and what I look to improve upon it. I would love to hear whatever suggestions you all could give me, and hopefully my team will change for the better in the end! Thank you all for reading.
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