CM Lefties Raikou Balance
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Used this team for RUGL, and while I didn’t win with it, I think it was more of a skill issue than a problem with the team, which seems really solid to me from the times I’ve played with it.
Decently standard Raikou set, running TBolt, Scald for Grounds, and Aura Sphere can catch Cyclizars off guard and deal decent damage. Tera Fighting gives you that extra kick to threaten Cyclizars, and can threaten very decent damage at +1. I ran lefties over boots just to have more chances to setup, Raikou is definitely threatening into the tier with its options for coverage, however it can feel somewhat lackluster at times in terms of sheer power, which the rest of the team attempt to make up for.
Wish pass Rachi helps elongate the longevity of the rest of the team, and spreading paralysis gives more chances for the rest of the team to setup or break through key defensive walls. I ran PhysDef on my Rachi, as Cyclizar is pretty much the perfect check into most special attackers in the tier, with those that may threaten it out, like Gardevoir, being walled by even uninvested Rachi, which isn’t even true in this case, as 252 EVs are still invested into HP for more general bulk. The rest of the EVs, plus a Jolly nature allow Rachi to outspeed most Moltres and get off a U-Turn. Tera Electric provides an extra form of absorption for Paralysis in a worst case scenario.
The team’s rocks setter, nothing out of the ordinary with this set. Tera Dragon helps into Rain matchups in conjunction with Volcanion.
I was maybe a little to worried about Slowbro going into the matchup, so I slotted the perfect counter to it on the team, being tera dark tera blast, which can threaten a non setup Slowbro from full. Taunt covers random T-Waves and bulky walls that may annoy my team otherwise.
While I do really enjoy special Mence, I figured this team already had enough Special pressure on it, and so I went for a DD Roost set instead, which can bait in Special walks expecting Dracos or Hurricanes, only to be hit with a DD and put into an iffy position. Tera Ground powers up Earthquake, and also blocks T-Waves as well.
Tera Fairy to help against stuff like Okidogi or Gapdos, along with special Mence or Noivern.
literally the same teams posted at the same time, you can't make this upI decided that, in traditional Flam fashion, I will not be building around the generic Heavy-Duty Boots / Leftovers / CM variants of Raikou and have decided that Choice Specs Raikou is the future.
Armarouge - HDB Armarouge with CM to take advantage of spin attempts
Cyclizar - Dragon Tail for phasing but otherwise standard stuff.
Hippowdon - Reliably RH mon that can rack up big damage and sit on a lot of physical attackers.
Jirachi - The embodiment of evil and our Wish support for the star of the show.
Raikou - Specs Raikou is something I wanted to try for a while now as Discharge can punish the Cyclizar switch-ins early and rack up lots of nice chip damage and momentum with strong Volt Switches.
Salamence - Mixed Salamence is a great mon in this meta and I like the spread provided to hit most of the tier hard.
No mine has a Specs Raikou and Armarouge and his has Lefties Raikou and Volcanion, totally different processesliterally the same teams posted at the same time, you can't make this up
The subject of the teambuilding comp this week, I decided to not go the setup route for this one. Instead, this is a volt switch set that aims to chip down opponents before cleaning up. Volt switch allows raikou to switch out easily, scald punishes the ground types that can block volt switch, t-bolt is a good stab option and aura sphere can hit cyclizar for big damage. Intially I had tera fighting to boost the power of aura sphere to suprise kill cyclizar, but I found tera electric to be more reliable. This makes sure raikou can squeeze out kills it usually needs to volt switch to get chip, but now it can cleanly ko them.
The second member of the initial core, fezandipiti gives a nice defensive backbone to the team by handling a lot of threats. This is just the standard set that works well. Mooblast for good stab damage, u-turn to pivot out, taunt to deny recovery (something which is big on this team) and roost to keep itself healthy.
The speed control of the team and third pivot mon, flygon can be quite the devestating mon. The moves are standard, e-quake and outrage for stabs, stone edge to hit flyers hard and u-turn to pivot out. Tera dragon was chosen to resist water moves (which helps against rain) while also super charging outrage to do obscene numbers to targets.
The rain check (I had to play a 1600s player while testing, which was not fun) of the team, volcanion can abuse the hazards laid down by its allies and be a dangerous threat. Tera fairy and stabs are of course standard, while earth power helps deal with opposing volcanion and fezandipiti. Finally, roar can help rack up hazard chip on targets in order to make them weaker to teammates
The spiker of the team, chesnaught provides a good defensive mon to the team. This is the standard set, with spikes to punish switching, body press to do good stab damage, knock off to remove items and deal with ghost types and synthesis to keep itself healthy. Tera steel is good defensively and allows it to stonewall most gengar sets.
The final pivot mon of the team and stealth rocker, azelf nicely cleans up the team by providing fire power and utility in one nice package. With stealth rock, azelf can help chip down opponents in order for teammates to clean up. Knock off removes items and with tera dark can do massive damage to slowbro. U-turn helps it pivot out and get chip, while zen headbutt is a good stab option. Leftovers can help azelf stay on the battlefield in order to set up rocks multiple times and annoy the opponent.
What I would KILL to have it rise to RU. Its such a nice Mon. Its a great early game Pivot as well as an excellent check to the rather broken Thundurus-Incarnate. Tbolt and Volt Switch for STAB and Scald and Aura Sphere for coverage. Pretty simple. Tera Water bcoz Scald is broken.
Another excellent Mon that LOVES partnering with any strong electric. A pretty simple scarf set with Tera Fire Ice Spinner for the icy heat.
It's broken use it more. Checks so much in one slot. Regen Shao + Regen bro is tons of fun.
Fezandipiti gives me Another fighting check and a very valuable dragon immune and Fairy resist. U-Turn ofc makes ur oppo more annoyed especially since both Kou and Shao do fine vs the steels.
This is the not cheap Umbreon set. Taunt + Toxic is great at whittling down opposing fat also good check to the (broken) psychics.
REALLY cool Mon. Thanks QoB, I love it. Defensive torterra is cool, Another thundy check, electric immune, ground resist.