Gen 7 My Personal Spin on a Rain Strategy

Hey there! Welcome to my first attempt to build a rain team that's not just the conventional Mega Swampert + Ferrothorn routine. Rain is one of my favorite strategies, and after playing with it for a while, I thought that having only one team structure didn't do it justice, so here we are!

Pelipper @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
  • U-Turn
  • Roost
  • Hurricane
  • Scald
Here we have a rather common Pelipper set. It's a very common opinion that Pelipper outpaces Politoed greatly as a rain setter, which is why it made it into this team! Max defensive EVs allow Pelipper to tank some good hits and even switch in against threatening physical attackers to set rain. U-Turn is essential for Pelipper, as its slower speed and high defense mean it can take a hit and give a free switch-in for any of the rest of the team. Roost is also necessary to keep Pelipper healthy throughout the match and continuing to set that rain!. Hurricane is a great way to take advantage of the 100% accuracy in rain while threatening dangerous grass types such as Serperior and Mega Venusaur, neither of whom have the coverage to force Pelipper out. Scald is a great rain-boosted STAB option for Pelipper, and the 30% chance to burn only adds to the walling capabilities of this Pokemon.

Scizor @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 112 HP / 96 Def / 44 SpD
Adamant Nature
  • Swords Dance
  • Bullet Punch
  • U-Turn
  • Roost
Scizor is an offensive powerhouse for this team, using its STAB boosted, technician boosted, Life Orb boosted moves to shred through opposing teams. One reason I chose Scizor was for what its typing added to the team as well. A 4x grass resistance can come in extremely handy on a rain team. Its main weakness is fire, whose damage is severely diminished by the rain. Most of the tier outspeeds Scizor, which is why instead of investing in speed (on a Pokemon that already has a very powerful priority move) just to get outsped anyways, I decided to invest in survivability, giving Scizor the added bonus of a slow U-Turn for easy switching. This bad boy can now tank powerful hits while dealing out devastating blows! Another great way Scizor helps this team is by destroying opposing weather setters such as Abomasnow and Tyranitar with Bullet Punch. Roost helps with the survivability even more, keeping Scizor alive and negating life orb damage, and taking advantage of resists and Pokemon lacking in damage such as Clefable, Gliscor, and Chansey. U-Turn helps Scizor to switch in on grass types and punish them, or get a free Roost / SD on their inevitable switch-out. Swords Dance increases Scizor's ability to destroy everything it encounters with a +2 Bullet Punch.

Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
  • Spikes
  • Whirlwind
  • Stealth Rock
  • Roost
Skarmory is a wonderful hazard setter on any team, but with its fire weakness nullified by the rain, it excels as a physical wall, getting off spikes and rocks like its nobody's business. I'm using a custom set of mine that can be incredibly annoying as well as incredibly funny. It may normally run spikes only, but with stealth rock it can take the pressure off of Seismitoad as a rock setter and let it focus on offense, while complimenting whirlwind to whittle down the opposing teams's health. Whirlwind can also remove the boosts of setup mons, which will usually boost freely on Skarmory. With rocks and spikes up, the rest of the team can OHKO a lot more Pokemon. Spam hazards, Roost when needed, and Whirlwind the crap out of them. If a Pokemon even THINKS about attacking, Rocky Helmet will only add to the chip damage they suffer.

Blastoise @ Blastoisite
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
  • Rapid Spin
  • Water Pulse
  • Aura Sphere
  • Dark Pulse
With dual hazards being such an important aspect of this team, running Defog just didn't feel right. Enter Blastoise, the Rapid Spinner with the power to wipe out entire teams with its ridiculous ability, Mega Launcher. If you know your opponent is about to try to predict a Rapid Spin with a ghost type switch-in, Mega Launcher boosted dark pulse will screw them over with ease, leaving you free to spin your heart out. I would say I prefer to run Surf over Hydro Miss... I mean... Hydro Pump for the accuracy, but that no longer applies to Blastoise, as Water Pulse has equal power while making a difference with its 20% confuse chance, and the rain / STAB boost only makes this attack even more destructive. Aura Sphere is a great coverage move, and now has power to rival Focus Miss... er... Focus Blast, while never missing! Overall a great addition to my rain team!

Seismitoad @ Groundium Z
Ability: Swift Swim
252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
  • Scald
  • Earth Power
  • Sludge Wave
  • Substitute
Hey, just because I'm not using Mega Swampert doesn't mean I can't run the discount version! Jokes aside, Seismetoad is a force to be reckoned with in its own right. With one Groundium Z at its disposal, it can threaten electric types even more in addition to its immunity, while providing great neutral coverage to hit most of the tier for big damage with its STAB. Swift Swim allows it to outspeed every other viable Pokemon save Mega Alakazam. Earth Power provides the electric coverage that every good rain team needs, and sludge wave can destroy grass types that Seismistoad outspeeds, which is all of them. Scald is a great STAB move under the rain, and the 30% chance to burn will cripple physical attackers. I'll admit, substitute is a play on the popular menci rain team Mega Swampert, but the idea does have merit. Seismitoad forces out a lot of Pokemon, allowing it to get off a free sub that can ensures a safe switch, or just get off another powerful STAB attack.

Greninja @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
  • Dark Pulse
  • Water Shuriken
  • Ice Beam
  • Surf
Battle Bond Greninja is a staple that not even my unconventional rain team couldn't avoid, as the sheer power combined with its STAB, rain, specs, and prio boosted Water Shuriken can solo entire teams. Dark Pulse is its secondary STAB move, shredding down ghost and psychic types like paper. Ice Beam is a much needed coverage move for hitting opposing grass, ground, dragon, and flying types. Surf is used over Hydro Mi... Pump, as I don't feel particularly comfortable being locked into a move that could lose me the game with 80% accuracy. Max SpA and Spe investment will ensure that Greninja secures a kill whenever it hits the field.

Threatlist

Mega Alakazam is a threat for any rain team out there, though much less so for this team as the only swift swim user is Seismetoad. Be very careful when this Pokemon is on the field, as if you don't play around it correctly, you could end up getting swept. Try switching in to either Greninja (or Scizor is you have hazards up) to get off a priority move, as there is no way for this team to outspeed it normally. If you manage this, it will faint due to its frailty, though you may have to sack a mon to do this.

There are probably other glaring threats that I can't see. If you find any, any CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is welcome! Feel free to drop suggestions for moveset changes and such, and thank you for taking the time to read this!
 
Last edited:

Clementine

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Hello TheSandMan888 and welcome to Smogon!
I'm a huge fan or Rain in SM OU and I'm very glad to see people trying to innovate and trying out other options for such a tried and true playstyle.

Movesets and spreads changes:

:pelipper:
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD -> EVs: 248 HP / 36 Def / 224 SpD
Hurricane -> Defog
This spread allows Pelipper to eat +2 Z-Fly from Landorus-Therian or +2 Acrobatics from Hawlucha while maximizing Pelipper's special bulk, making it able to freely switch into Charizard-Y.
I like Defog over Hurricane as I'm suggesting removing Blastoise, leaving you with no Hazards control, and while I get that you're going all-in on hazards with Skarmory, you're gonna need to Defog yourself more often than not, especially vs bulkier builds.

:seismitoad:
Scald -> Hydro Pump
Substitute -> Focus Blast
Groundium Z -> Fightinium Z (but Groundium Z is somewhat fine)
I just think having the biggest damage output possible on your primary Rain abuser is much better than the added accuracy / Burn chance that Scald has.
Focus Blast + Fightinium Z is a very nice way to lure in Ferrothorn and get rid of it for Greninja to go in; however, Seismitoad is really, really weak without a boosting item, Focus Blast into All Out Pummeling doesn't always KO standard Ferrothorn, and Seismitoad will struggle to do significant damage to bulkier Pokemon. Assault Vest Magearna, for example, is not even guaranteed 3HKOd by Modest Earth Power, and Toxapex isn't 2HKOd without hazards. Tectonic Rage is still a good option for those two.

Bigger changes:

:scizor: -> :scizor-mega:
Scizor is quite a nice addition on rain as a sturdy Grass resist that can U-Turn, and a way of dealing with Alakazam to some extent. However, as Scizor is your only "real" resist to Tapu Lele, Alakazam and Latias, I would run a bulkier spread, and Mega-Scizor is much better for this.
Mega Zor's bulk is much better than regular Scizor's, and even though you're gonna lose a bit of firepower without Life Orb, I think the longevity and added sturdiness is a welcomed addition to the team.
Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 64 Atk / 168 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Roost

This spread allows you to 2HKO Latias-Mega with +2 Bullet Punch, and 3HKO Mawile at neutral.

:blastoise-mega: -> :tapu-bulu:

At this point, the team gets absolutely destroyed by opposing Battle Bond Greninja, so having a sturdy resist on the squad was mandatory.
While I'm not a fan of this set at all, I think Specially Defensive Bulu is your best option here. While being our dedicated water-type switch in on the team, Tapu Bulu's Grassy Surge provides Terrain for Seismitoad and Scizor to give them passive recovery.
Specially Defensive Bulu is also decent at taking on Alakazam one-on-one, but I wouldn't advise switching it hard into Zam, as a SpDef drop puts you in a dire situation.
Tapu Bulu @ Leftovers
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 152 SpD / 100 Spe
Careful Nature
- Swords Dance
- Horn Leech
- Superpower
- Protect / Synthesis / ???

This Tapu Bulu set maximizes its Special Bulk while giving it enough speed for Adamant Crawdaunt, Azumarill, Tyranitar-Mega and most Specially Defensive Heatrans.
Synthesis is pretty bad in Rain, which is why I'm suggesting Protect over it, but I'm not the biggest fan about stalling out your own Rain turns; feel free to experiment with other options.

Team with edits: :pelipper: :scizor-mega: :skarmory: :tapu-bulu: :seismitoad: :greninja-ash:
As a disclaimer, you're going to struggle with bulkier builds a LOT. Rain without Manaphy and using worse breakers than Swampert on purpose is not gonna do well vs Ferrothorn Latias Balance. Stall is straight up impossible to break unless your opponent throws away their Sableye, or your face Hazeless Pex and don't get burn over the course of the 10 turns you need to 1v1 Pex with Zor, which is very, very unlikely. Also, Seismitoad just isn't it, it's worst Swampert in every possible way, I do not advise using the team in its current state for serious tournament games.
I faced some bulkier build while testing the team, here's the replay if you're interested, but it was on low ladder and my opponent wasn't the best player around.
 
I
Hey there! Welcome to my first attempt to build a rain team that's not just the conventional Mega Swampert + Ferrothorn routine. Rain is one of my favorite strategies, and after playing with it for a while, I thought that having only one team structure didn't do it justice, so here we are!

Pelipper @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
  • U-Turn
  • Roost
  • Hurricane
  • Scald
Here we have a rather common Pelipper set. It's a very common opinion that Pelipper outpaces Politoed greatly as a rain setter, which is why it made it into this team! Max defensive EVs allow Pelipper to tank some good hits and even switch in against threatening physical attackers to set rain. U-Turn is essential for Pelipper, as its slower speed and high defense mean it can take a hit and give a free switch-in for any of the rest of the team. Roost is also necessary to keep Pelipper healthy throughout the match and continuing to set that rain!. Hurricane is a great way to take advantage of the 100% accuracy in rain while threatening dangerous grass types such as Serperior and Mega Venusaur, neither of whom have the coverage to force Pelipper out. Scald is a great rain-boosted STAB option for Pelipper, and the 30% chance to burn only adds to the walling capabilities of this Pokemon.

Scizor @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 Atk / 112 HP / 96 Def / 44 SpD
Adamant Nature
  • Swords Dance
  • Bullet Punch
  • U-Turn
  • Roost
Scizor is an offensive powerhouse for this team, using its STAB boosted, technician boosted, Life Orb boosted moves to shred through opposing teams. One reason I chose Scizor was for what its typing added to the team as well. A 4x grass resistance can come in extremely handy on a rain team. Its main weakness is fire, whose damage is severely diminished by the rain. Most of the tier outspeeds Scizor, which is why instead of investing in speed (on a Pokemon that already has a very powerful priority move) just to get outsped anyways, I decided to invest in survivability, giving Scizor the added bonus of a slow U-Turn for easy switching. This bad boy can now tank powerful hits while dealing out devastating blows! Another great way Scizor helps this team is by destroying opposing weather setters such as Abomasnow and Tyranitar with Bullet Punch. Roost helps with the survivability even more, keeping Scizor alive and negating life orb damage, and taking advantage of resists and Pokemon lacking in damage such as Clefable, Gliscor, and Chansey. U-Turn helps Scizor to switch in on grass types and punish them, or get a free Roost / SD on their inevitable switch-out. Swords Dance increases Scizor's ability to destroy everything it encounters with a +2 Bullet Punch.

Skarmory @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
  • Spikes
  • Whirlwind
  • Stealth Rock
  • Roost
Skarmory is a wonderful hazard setter on any team, but with its fire weakness nullified by the rain, it excels as a physical wall, getting off spikes and rocks like its nobody's business. I'm using a custom set of mine that can be incredibly annoying as well as incredibly funny. It may normally run spikes only, but with stealth rock it can take the pressure off of Seismitoad as a rock setter and let it focus on offense, while complimenting whirlwind to whittle down the opposing teams's health. Whirlwind can also remove the boosts of setup mons, which will usually boost freely on Skarmory. With rocks and spikes up, the rest of the team can OHKO a lot more Pokemon. Spam hazards, Roost when needed, and Whirlwind the crap out of them. If a Pokemon even THINKS about attacking, Rocky Helmet will only add to the chip damage they suffer.

Blastoise @ Blastoisite
Ability: Rain Dish
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
  • Rapid Spin
  • Water Pulse
  • Aura Sphere
  • Dark Pulse
With dual hazards being such an important aspect of this team, running Defog just didn't feel right. Enter Blastoise, the Rapid Spinner with the power to wipe out entire teams with its ridiculous ability, Mega Launcher. If you know your opponent is about to try to predict a Rapid Spin with a ghost type switch-in, Mega Launcher boosted dark pulse will screw them over with ease, leaving you free to spin your heart out. I would say I prefer to run Surf over Hydro Miss... I mean... Hydro Pump for the accuracy, but that no longer applies to Blastoise, as Water Pulse has equal power while making a difference with its 20% confuse chance, and the rain / STAB boost only makes this attack even more destructive. Aura Sphere is a great coverage move, and now has power to rival Focus Miss... er... Focus Blast, while never missing! Overall a great addition to my rain team!

Seismitoad @ Groundium Z
Ability: Swift Swim
252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
  • Scald
  • Earth Power
  • Sludge Wave
  • Substitute
Hey, just because I'm not using Mega Swampert doesn't mean I can't run the discount version! Jokes aside, Seismetoad is a force to be reckoned with in its own right. With one Groundium Z at its disposal, it can threaten electric types even more in addition to its immunity, while providing great neutral coverage to hit most of the tier for big damage with its STAB. Swift Swim allows it to outspeed every other viable Pokemon save Mega Alakazam. Earth Power provides the electric coverage that every good rain team needs, and sludge wave can destroy grass types that Seismistoad outspeeds, which is all of them. Scald is a great STAB move under the rain, and the 30% chance to burn will cripple physical attackers. I'll admit, substitute is a play on the popular menci rain team Mega Swampert, but the idea does have merit. Seismitoad forces out a lot of Pokemon, allowing it to get off a free sub that can ensures a safe switch, or just get off another powerful STAB attack.

Greninja @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
  • Dark Pulse
  • Water Shuriken
  • Ice Beam
  • Surf
Battle Bond Greninja is a staple that not even my unconventional rain team couldn't avoid, as the sheer power combined with its STAB, rain, specs, and prio boosted Water Shuriken can solo entire teams. Dark Pulse is its secondary STAB move, shredding down ghost and psychic types like paper. Ice Beam is a much needed coverage move for hitting opposing grass, ground, dragon, and flying types. Surf is used over Hydro Mi... Pump, as I don't feel particularly comfortable being locked into a move that could lose me the game with 80% accuracy. Max SpA and Spe investment will ensure that Greninja secures a kill whenever it hits the field.

Threatlist

Mega Alakazam is a threat for any rain team out there, though much less so for this team as the only swift swim user is Seismetoad. Be very careful when this Pokemon is on the field, as if you don't play around it correctly, you could end up getting swept. Try switching in to either Greninja (or Scizor is you have hazards up) to get off a priority move, as there is no way for this team to outspeed it normally. If you manage this, it will faint due to its frailty, though you may have to sack a mon to do this.

There are probably other glaring threats that I can't see. If you find any, any CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is welcome! Feel free to drop suggestions for moveset changes and such, and thank you for taking the time to read this!
Def go mega zor over reg zor. That’ll help this team a lot
 

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