SM OU rate my rain team.

[Michael Onstine]

so I wanted to try a weather gimick team. I thought rain would be fun and this is what have so far.
thoughts on potential move changes/pokemon switches?

Venusaur @ Venusaurite
Ability: Overgrow
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leech Seed
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Synthesis
The Idea for Venusaur is that it would be able to benefit from the rain by tanking fire moves even longer and letting it live some hard hits while still being able to recover from it's multiple healing moves making it a tough wall to take out. and potentially setting up leech seeds for cradily to make it even more of a nusince to take out.

Volcarona @ Leftovers
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hurricane
- Quiver Dance
- Roost
- Bug Buzz
Volcarona is put in as a weird unexpected hurricane user. but only against non water type users. plus with people generally being scared of hurricane possibly even giving it a chance to set up a few quiver dances to let it sweep with bug buzz/ hurricane later on.
roost to give it some extra bulk as well.

Pelipper @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Roost
- Hurricane
- Defog
- Hydro Pump
peliper is pretty much there to set up rain and take out hazards as far as I am concerned. maybe take out one pokemon on the way.

Galvantula @ Focus Sash
Ability: Compound Eyes
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunder
- Sticky Web
- Bug Buzz
- Energy Ball
kind of my one quick dead set up in a way. throw it out for a sticky web/thunder. maybe even both if it can out speed the pokemon on the other team. sometimes it even manages to take out a couple pokemon before it goes down.

Kingdra @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Electric]
kingdra is what I would prefer to think of as the glass cannon on my team. easy to take out but hits hard with stab hydro pump and stab draco meteor while still having a little bit of coverage incase it's needed.

Cradily @ Leftovers
Ability: Storm Drain
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic
- Recover
- Protect
- Energy Ball
cradily as just kind of a general nuisance. built entirely for bulk and pretty much nothing else. it can live off of venusaurs leech seed if they are stubborn and don't want to switch out. basically made it to try and live off of recover/leech seed while trying to take out the opposing pokemon with toxic. maybe even turning away a few set up pokemon by being bulky.

not an amazing team by any means but at least kind of fun some times. looking to change some things to hopefully get some more wins. sorry for the bad/short explanation. not sure how to explain each of their functions on the team very well.

Edit: First attempt at a weather based team. maybe trying to throw a couple of unexpected tricks in it was it's down fall.

 

[temp]

Hi Michael Onstine! This is an interesting rain team, but unfortunately doesn't meet the qualifications that most rain teams want to meet. Your only rain abuser is Kingdra, and Mega Venusaur's own recovery is mitigated by the rain. Some of the Pokemon simply aren't fit for OU, Galvantula and Cradily specifically. I'm gonna list some resources for rain in this rate while trying to keep it "your" team.

OVERVIEW

Like I mentioned before, this team only has 1 rain abuser. Sticky Webs aren't really needed on rain by any means, as the primary abusers are either Swift Swim users or naturally fast (Greninja, Mega Swampert, Kingdra). One of the main issues with this team is a lack of an Electric-immunity. You have Tapu Koko checks, Mega Venusaur and Cradily namely, but nothing is stopping it from clicking Volt Switch every time. It threatens out Pelipper, your only rain setter, and pivots out; giving it the ability to likely go to a teammate like Latios. Mega Pinsir completely destroys this team without rain being up. There are many threats to this team which I will later address in this rate.

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TEAM CHANGES

>

- Mega Swampert will be your main rain abuser and Stealth Rock setter. Mega Venusaur is trash on rain, as its only form of recovery, Synthesis, has its amount recovered nerfed during rain. Mega Pert gets a Swift Swim boost, being slower than the likes of Scarf Base 110 Speed Mons (525) and higher. It does monstrous damage with its rain boosted Waterfall and coverage in Ice Punch, while also being able to target things like Toxapex with EQ. Swampert also provides a much needed Electric-immune, which helps the Tapu Koko match-up a ton. Now, the opposing Koko player has to consider the possibility of Pert coming in and may consider U-turning instead.

[Fire Blast > Roost, Charti Berry > Leftovers, 4 Def / 252 Spe / 252 Spe Timid] - Despite this team being rain, Volcarona can still afford to run Fire STAB. This allows you to still pack the ability to sweep easier outside of rain. Charti Berry lets Volcarona beat out Scarf Stone Edge Keldeo. The EV spread is far more offensive, which lets Volcarona actually outspeed Pokemon and hit hard. I can understand the purpose of Hurricane on this set, so I'll keep it.

[Scald > Hydro Pump, U-turn > Hurricane] - Scald is a lot more reliable for defensive Pelipper. It can cripple common Water switch-ins like Amoonguss and Tangrowth, and has 100% accuracy. U-turn lets Pelipper pivot around and bring in its teammates without them taking the damage (assuming you're the slower Pokemon / you U-turn on the switch). Hurricane is still a fine option, but it doesn't find a place on this set when you have Defog.

>

- As I stated earlier, Sticky Webs aren't needed on rain. Zapdos now replaces Galvantula, acting as a solid check to Mega Pinsir and a soft rain abuser. Thunder will no longer check accuracy in rain, which benefits Zapdos more than Galv (Galvantula has Compound Eyes, so Thunder gets to 91 accuracy anyway). It can still use Heat Wave outside of rain to target and weaken Ferrothorn. Also, Zapdos provides another Ground-immunity.

[Choice Specs, Surf > HP Electric] - Scarf is completely unnecessary on Kingdra considering that you're using it as a rain wallbreaker. Specs allows it to actually do massive damage with Hydro Pumps. Surf is a secondary Water STAB, which allows you to clean teams without bringing the risk of missing Pump. HP Electric only really targets Mantine, which Mega Pert weakens and Zapdos kills. Also, don't see Kingdra as much of a "glass cannon." It can definitely switch into at least 1 move with its 75/95/95 bulk, but of course it's not eating many hits.

>

- Ferrothorn is superior to Cradily in every way—especially on rain—outside of reliable recovery. Ferro abuses that rain weakens Fire-type attacks, allowing it to take way less damage from things like Hidden Power Fire, etc. It sets up Spikes to help your rain abusers KO Pokemon, and it can cripple Pokemon with Leech Seed and Knock Off. It also tremendously helps against opposing Mega Swamperts.

This team will have slight issues breaking Chansey, so try to Knock Off its Eviolite, get up hazards to weaken it, and break it with Mega Swampert in rain.

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original team:
rated team:

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Rain Resources

http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/sm-ou-role-compendium.3591882/ - identifies reliable offensive rain pokemon
http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/sm-ou-sample-teams.3606650/ - has a rain sample team by TDK
http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/sm-ou-bazaar.3587317/ - should have some rain teams, just explore

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I hope you liked the rate! Good luck.

 

[Michael Onstine]

thank you for the critique. didn't realize how low I was on rain abusing pokemon on my team. had a ru/nu friend try to help me out with this team to begin with because he understands competitive more than me anyway despite being an ru/nu player. I have made the changes and look forward to testing it out soon. appreciate the help and hoping that this will help me secure a few more wins.

 

[legend slayer]

thank you for the critique. didn't realize how low I was on rain abusing pokemon on my team. had a ru/nu friend try to help me out with this team to begin with because he understands competitive more than me anyway despite being an ru/nu player. I have made the changes and look forward to testing it out soon. appreciate the help and hoping that this will help me secure a few more wins.

I would also consider replacing volcarona for waterium z qwilfish, as rocks are everywhere and ur only degogger is ur pelipper. The set im thinking is adamant swift swim with aqua tail sword dance poison jab and explosion, usually gets 1 or 2 kills. Another suggestion vould be defog zapdos, as he is a niche defogger but great typing defensively. Otherwise nice team, p standard now

 

[temp]

I would also consider replacing volcarona for waterium z qwilfish, as rocks are everywhere and ur only degogger is ur pelipper. The set im thinking is adamant swift swim with aqua tail sword dance poison jab and explosion, usually gets 1 or 2 kills. Another suggestion vould be defog zapdos, as he is a niche defogger but great typing defensively. Otherwise nice team, p standard now

ya any other changes are fine but i limit myself to changing only 3 mons maximum so I don't deviate from the original team, as the rmt rules say to :/

 

[Michael Onstine]

I am willing to make any necessary changes people might think is better than what I currently have. I don't know the s/m meta very well and this is my first rain team attempt so I didn't expect it to do amazingly. no problem with other recommendations on switching out moves/pokemon. sometimes originality doesn't always mean it will do well from what I have learned on my first attempt.