Gen 7 Doubles OU: (Peaked #5 on ladder) Psyshroom Rain

[Ryan5374]

Hello friends, I'm back with another DOU team. This happens to be my favorite team, the one I have used and perfected for the longest time, and also the one that has performed the best for me. It's a rain offense team that utilizes the tried and tested core of Mega Swampert and Pelipper in rain, as well as the offensive and defensive support needed to allow this core to thrive.

Rationale for choosing each member:
I started off with Swampert. I was wondering how to make my favorite Pokemon work competitively, and saw that its mega form had high base attack as well as the swift swim ability. Pelipper was a natural partner as a result, setting up the rain as well as tailwind to support Swampert, as well as dealing some decent damage of its own. Next, I wanted another swift swim Pokemon to work alongside Swampert, and I chose Kingdra for its high special attack and speed, as well as extra dragon stab. When testing the first interation of this team while I was new to competitive, I noticed that the team struggled against Mega Venusaur, and also generally needed a strong attacker to provide greater offensive coverage. This led me to Tapu Lele, which I chose for its excellent Psychic and Fairy stab combination. Psychic Terrain also helps to ease facing against strong priority moves and fake out that can disrupt the Swift Swim sweepers. Amoongus was a natural partner to Lele, as its rage powder support is greatly appreciated as demonstrated before by many others. Furthermore, with its low speed, it shores up the team's matchup against Trick Room, sporing the setters and abusers to help the rest of the team pivot around their attacks. Finally, I chose Kartana as a backup tailwind setter, as well as for its generally good STAB combination, helping to shore up the team's matchup against bulky water types like Tapu Fini.

Sets:

Finn (Swampert-Mega) (M) @ Swampertite
Ability: Damp
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Waterfall
- Ice Punch
- Protect

Generic offensive set, Adamant chosen for the power, as Jolly is only really relevant to outspeed Scarf Kartana. I chose Ice Punch to hit Grass and Dragon types.
Damp was chosen as the pre mega ability for its utility in countering any niche explosion strategies.

Pepper (Pelipper) (M) @ Eject Button
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hurricane
- Scald
- Tailwind
- Protect

Specially Defensive Pelipper with Tailwind support. Hurricane and Scald are its best accurate attacks in Rain, and Scald always has a useful burn chance. I chose Eject Button over Damp Rock because a turn has much more weight in Doubles, so keeping Rain up against non weather teams was a non issue, and a damp rock would not help much against opposing weather. Eject button gives Pelipper a better chance of coming out of the battlefield to come back later. Furthermore, Lele baits Steel moves, while Kartana baits fire, both excellent opportunities for Pelipper to switch in, set up rain, and keep up the momentum by ejecting away.

Pony (Kingdra) (F) @ Waterium Z
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Muddy Water
- Draco Meteor
- Ice Beam
- Protect

Generic special attacker set. I chose Muddy Water for spread damage, and Draco Meteor for strong single target damage. Waterium Z can power up Muddy Water into a strong, accurate, single target Hydro Vortex once per game. Ice beam is to hit dragons like Salamence-Mega and also certain grass types.

Pinky (Tapu Lele) @ Life Orb
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psyshock
- Moonblast
- Focus Blast
- Thunder

A strong all out attacker set with Life Orb. Psyshock is used to bypass specially defensive walls like Blissey, while Focus Blast handles the annoying Ferrothorn. Thunder is used for its higher power and accuracy in rain, and hits Tapu Fini and Celesteela.

hug me (Amoonguss) @ Wiki Berry
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Rage Powder
- Spore
- Sludge Bomb
- Protect

Generic Redirection set, used for minimum speed to underspeed Trick Room attackers. Wiki Berry used for longevity, while sludge bomb is the chosen attack in order to have something to hit all of the Tapus, and do allow it to do something if Misty or Electric terrain are up.

折り紙 (Kartana) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Sacred Sword
- Tailwind
- Protect

Offensive set with Sash for longevity. Sash allows Kartana to be more reckless in setting Tailwind in front of Pokemon like Mega Charizard Y and Mega Salamence. Sacred Sword is chosen for offensive coverage and the ability to hit Ferrothorn.

Problematic Opponents:

Mega Charizard Y can replace the rain with Sun and also fire off powerful Solar Beams, but with smart pivoting and keeping Pelipper healthy, this can be mitigated.

Ferrothorn can wall most of the team, and Kartana and Lele must be preserved in order to be able to dent it later on. Swampert's earthquakes and Pelipper's Hurricanes can also wear it down if it is chipped over time.

Tapu Bulu can weaken Swampert's Earthquake and hit it back hard, though it fears Sludge Bomb from Amoongus, Hurricanes from Pelipper, and Psychic Terrain boosted moves from Lele.

Celesteela can withstand many Rain Boosted attacks, but is worn down over time by repeated water moves or Lele's Thunder.

Summary:

This team is a labor of love that has evolved over time with many minor and major changes. It aims to support the offensive core of Mega Swampert and Pelipper in order to achieve success in battle.

Paste:
https://pokepast.es/1ba0b33d1a13518a

 

[Veecy]

Ever since this post was first made, I’ve been faced with a hefty mental block. This team absolutely deserves to have something said about it, but for a long time I wasn’t sure what. I tend to focus on what can be improved when writing reviews for anything, but I can’t think of many changes I would recommend at all. Instead, I’d just like to give an analysis on why I think this team is so great.

Part 1: Rain is Great​

Anyone who has played USUM DOU in any serious capacity is likely aware of the sheer power of rain. In fact, even the first sample team in the metagame thread, Ezrael’s rain (which I consider to be among the very best teams ever built for this metagame), is a rain team. The sheer power of Drizzle, which instantly doubles the speed and boosts the power of Swift Swim attackers, absolutely cannot be understated, especially in a Doubles environment.

Gen 7 brought this to a whole new level with the introduction of Drizzle Pelipper, among other changes. Mega Swampert now had a partner who could instantly set rain, was immune to Earthquake, and could even provide Tailwind for desperate situations. The introduction of Z-moves meant that Ludicolo and Kingdra no longer needed to worry about choosing between the low accuracy of Hydro Miss and the low power of Scald. Additionally, Rain matched up very well into several new metagame threats, including the Psyspam core of Deo-A and Scarf Lele, and (most notably) the fire-type emotional support cat that comes pre-installed on every team.

Part 2: When Rain Isn’t Great​

Though the last paragraph may make it seem that everything is all sunshine and rainbows for rain in Gen 7 DOU, this is not completely true. In fact, among those things that rain on Rain’s parade are the sunshine and rainbows brought by Mega Charizard Y and Torkoal. The strength of Trick Room, bolstered by the support of newcomers Tapu Bulu, Incineroar, and Psychium Z Bronzong, also provides a threat to rain, turning the speed boost of Swift Swim from a blessing to a curse. Thus, the true measure of a rain team’s strength is in how they are able to navigate these problematic matchups while still maximizing their damage output.

Part 3: This Specific Implementation of Rain is Great​

When I was first introduced to it, the very first thing that stood out to me about this team was Pelipper’s item. While Damp Rock is most frequently the chosen item for Pelipper, I think Eject Button is a brilliant choice, and suits this team style better. Eject Button lets Pelipper get on and off the field incredibly quickly, not needing its teammate to tank a hit to get in. U-turn can be used for this purpose, but due to Pelipper’s frailty and extreme value, it’s a risky play to allow the threat of Pelipper being doubled up on by two faster mons. While sacrificing the extra rain turns provided by Damp Rock may be risky, the extra longevity granted by Eject Button makes Pelipper more consistently able to enter the field multiple times. Ryan has shared with me previously that this also allows Pelipper to come in and reset rain for the late game, which alleviates the risk of rain running out at exactly the wrong time.

Kartana is obviously a fantastic choice for rain. It provides Tailwind support independent of Pelipper, and cleaves through bulky waters like Suicune and Fini with ease, boosting its own attack in the process. It even has an 81% chance to live 0 attack Incineroar Flare Blitz in rain with no defense or HP investment.

Amoonguss is also a fantastic pick. It can redirect would-be lethal electric attacks from the likes of Tapu Koko, Zapdos, and others, providing Pelipper an additional safety net. It can also redirect non-Dazzling Gleam Fairy attacks away from Kingdra, strong special attacks away from the frail Kartana, and, though it can’t redirect moves from Grass-type opponents, it can switch in for Swampert to very comfortably tank a Grass-type hit in its place. Like Kartana, its Fire weakness is alleviated by rain, but here it is even more meaningful. Between spread move damage reduction and Rain, the horrifying power of Camerupt-Mega’s Heat Wave is only barely enough to 2HKO standard Amoonguss, with Earth Power also only dealing around 60%. This, combined with its ability to withstand Stakataka, means that Amoonguss can fairly comfortably take a hit and Spore the very few Trick Room threats which underspeed it. It also underspeeds Bronzong to win the Sleep war, and easily walls Tapu Bulu.

While this team benefits greatly from enlisting Amoonguss, it can also crumple against opposing Amoonguss. While Pelipper’s Hurricane can threaten it, this is not too difficult to play around, and Amoonguss can be fantastically annoying to nearly everything else on this team. The nigh-unkillable Venusaur-Mega, who shares Amoonguss’ type and Ferrothorn’s propensity for stalling out Rain with Leech Seed and Protect, is also greatly threatening. (Notably Ferrothorn itself is well-accounted for by Kartana, who blocks Leech Seed, hits hard with Sacred Sword, and doesn’t rely on Rain for speed or power). This is where Tapu Lele comes in. Tapu Lele easily cleaves through opposing Venusaur-Mega and Amoonguss when boosted by the power of Life Orb and Psychic Terrain. Life Orb is, in my opinion, the correct choice of item here. The team already has fantastic speed control, as it features two Tailwind setters and two Swift Swim users, so Scarf on Lele would be somewhat redundant. Additionally, the threats Lele is meant to check are primarily slow and bulky, so the additional power goes further in those matchups than speed would.

The synergy in this team is on another level. For one, Psychic Terrain benefits many team members. Misty and Electric Terrain both annoy Amoonguss, as they block its Spore. The former also neuters Kingdra’s Draco Meteor. Grassy Terrain makes Camerupt instantly threatening to Swampert with Energy Ball, which can also be circumvented by Psychic Terrain. It also provides additional speed control by blocking priority moves. Ryan also mentions in the original post how both Kartana and Lele bait attacks which Pelipper can easily switch in on to reset rain, and then instantly pivot out with Eject Button. This keeps up the speed for this hyper-offensive team style. Amoonguss can also be seen as the glue which holds it all together, as its redirection support and Spore both go a long way in keeping its frail teammates alive.

Part 4: Closing Thoughts​

The strong execution of a powerful archetype, the seamless covering of major threats, and the synergy between the members are all among the reasons I consider this to be one of the strongest teams I have ever seen in the Gen 7 Doubles OU format. It’s nearly airtight. Except for one little thing.

Part 5: My Only Suggestion​

Pelipper literally has 4 EVs left over. Stick them on SpA or Defense to improve rolls slightly. Personally, I would put them on Defense in order to marginally improve Pelipper’s ability to switch in on physical attacks, since its role as a bulky pivot is more important than its damage output.

 

[Ryan5374]

Thank you for the kind words and in depth analysis Veecy. I'll make sure to invest those ever important 4 EVs too haha.

 

[Ryan5374]

Update: The team has reached #8 on the ladder in recent times.

 

[Rubiaa]

View attachment 478189View attachment 478190View attachment 478191View attachment 478192View attachment 478193View attachment 478194
Hello friends, I'm back with another DOU team. This happens to be my favorite team, the one I have used and perfected for the longest time, and also the one that has performed the best for me. It's a rain offense team that utilizes the tried and tested core of Mega Swampert and Pelipper in rain, as well as the offensive and defensive support needed to allow this core to thrive.

Rationale for choosing each member:
I started off with Swampert. I was wondering how to make my favorite Pokemon work competitively, and saw that its mega form had high base attack as well as the swift swim ability. Pelipper was a natural partner as a result, setting up the rain as well as tailwind to support Swampert, as well as dealing some decent damage of its own. Next, I wanted another swift swim Pokemon to work alongside Swampert, and I chose Kingdra for its high special attack and speed, as well as extra dragon stab. When testing the first interation of this team while I was new to competitive, I noticed that the team struggled against Mega Venusaur, and also generally needed a strong attacker to provide greater offensive coverage. This led me to Tapu Lele, which I chose for its excellent Psychic and Fairy stab combination. Psychic Terrain also helps to ease facing against strong priority moves and fake out that can disrupt the Swift Swim sweepers. Amoongus was a natural partner to Lele, as its rage powder support is greatly appreciated as demonstrated before by many others. Furthermore, with its low speed, it shores up the team's matchup against Trick Room, sporing the setters and abusers to help the rest of the team pivot around their attacks. Finally, I chose Kartana as a backup tailwind setter, as well as for its generally good STAB combination, helping to shore up the team's matchup against bulky water types like Tapu Fini.

Sets:
View attachment 478189
Finn (Swampert-Mega) (M) @ Swampertite
Ability: Damp
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Waterfall
- Ice Punch
- Protect

Generic offensive set, Adamant chosen for the power, as Jolly is only really relevant to outspeed Scarf Kartana. I chose Ice Punch to hit Grass and Dragon types.
Damp was chosen as the pre mega ability for its utility in countering any niche explosion strategies.
View attachment 478190
Pepper (Pelipper) (M) @ Eject Button
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hurricane
- Scald
- Tailwind
- Protect

Specially Defensive Pelipper with Tailwind support. Hurricane and Scald are its best accurate attacks in Rain, and Scald always has a useful burn chance. I chose Eject Button over Damp Rock because a turn has much more weight in Doubles, so keeping Rain up against non weather teams was a non issue, and a damp rock would not help much against opposing weather. Eject button gives Pelipper a better chance of coming out of the battlefield to come back later. Furthermore, Lele baits Steel moves, while Kartana baits fire, both excellent opportunities for Pelipper to switch in, set up rain, and keep up the momentum by ejecting away.
View attachment 478191
Pony (Kingdra) (F) @ Waterium Z
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Muddy Water
- Draco Meteor
- Ice Beam
- Protect

Generic special attacker set. I chose Muddy Water for spread damage, and Draco Meteor for strong single target damage. Waterium Z can power up Muddy Water into a strong, accurate, single target Hydro Vortex once per game. Ice beam is to hit dragons like Salamence-Mega and also certain grass types.
View attachment 478194
Pinky (Tapu Lele) @ Life Orb
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psyshock
- Moonblast
- Focus Blast
- Thunder

A strong all out attacker set with Life Orb. Psyshock is used to bypass specially defensive walls like Blissey, while Focus Blast handles the annoying Ferrothorn. Thunder is used for its higher power and accuracy in rain, and hits Tapu Fini and Celesteela.
View attachment 478192
hug me (Amoonguss) @ Wiki Berry
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Rage Powder
- Spore
- Sludge Bomb
- Protect

Generic Redirection set, used for minimum speed to underspeed Trick Room attackers. Wiki Berry used for longevity, while sludge bomb is the chosen attack in order to have something to hit all of the Tapus, and do allow it to do something if Misty or Electric terrain are up.
View attachment 478193
折り紙 (Kartana) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Sacred Sword
- Tailwind
- Protect

Offensive set with Sash for longevity. Sash allows Kartana to be more reckless in setting Tailwind in front of Pokemon like Mega Charizard Y and Mega Salamence. Sacred Sword is chosen for offensive coverage and the ability to hit Ferrothorn.

Problematic Opponents:

Mega Charizard Y can replace the rain with Sun and also fire off powerful Solar Beams, but with smart pivoting and keeping Pelipper healthy, this can be mitigated.

Ferrothorn can wall most of the team, and Kartana and Lele must be preserved in order to be able to dent it later on. Swampert's earthquakes and Pelipper's Hurricanes can also wear it down if it is chipped over time.

Tapu Bulu can weaken Swampert's Earthquake and hit it back hard, though it fears Sludge Bomb from Amoongus, Hurricanes from Pelipper, and Psychic Terrain boosted moves from Lele.

Celesteela can withstand many Rain Boosted attacks, but is worn down over time by repeated water moves or Lele's Thunder.

Summary:

This team is a labor of love that has evolved over time with many minor and major changes. It aims to support the offensive core of Mega Swampert and Pelipper in order to achieve success in battle.

Paste:
https://pokepast.es/1ba0b33d1a13518a

Congrats. M alakazam looks annoying, same with greninja

 

[Ryan5374]

Congrats. M alakazam looks annoying, same with greninja

Who even uses those mons seriously in DOU?