Cycle 2 was so much more intense than the first. The preparing that went into rain from ladderers made it so any rain user couldnt flawlessly keep their wins as consistent as cycle 1. For example my alt in cycle 1 had 91.8 gxe compared to a less stellar 87.8 in cycle 2. I ran rain until the last two hours of the previous cycle where I just had enough and felt a different approach was needed, so yeah Mannat summed up my experience quite well. In particular it was mainly due to the high volume of rotom, mega latias, mawile, medichams and even ditto that would be consistently keep forcing out aggressive play from me. After awhile it gets tiresome having to play like a try hard to bust out wins and laddering on auto pilot is dreadful.
Anyway I'm just going to go into detail about some specifics on my rain variant because its mainly all i used, maybe I'll list the other team later. Now I know rain is generic with the 'big 5' and clearly boring at times because of this but come take a gander to the detail on the way you should ev rain and put together move sets. It makes all the difference on overall consistency which at times will decide the fate of a game
https://pokepast.es/3c54a5646e30e63f
Jolly Swampert should imo be the only swampert at this point in time. Its able to revenge kill a far larger pool of speedy mons such as +2 magearna, timid magearna outside of rain, scarf kartana, celebrate victini are a few examples. This plays a massive role in saving face in some heated moments. It's worth running every time in my experience
252 Atk Swampert-Mega Superpower vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Kartana: 230-272 (88.8 - 105%) -- guaranteed OHKO after 1 layer of Spikes
When dealing with kartana which is not ideal for a rain team to be pivoting from, a bit of chip damage goes a very long way. Whether it be from iron barbs, helmet torn, or hazards its helpful in the stretch
The Tornadus spread is excellent with 240/64/204+ and objectively the perfect helmet spread. The evs still outspeed scarf zone and deals with its main grass targets being kartana and serperior while also having a guaranteed survival from ice punch medicham unlike the max timid sets. Everyone i played on the ladder would every single time out-speed me with their own helmet torns which leads me to believe more people than not opt for max speed and the calc even has that locked in as well for 252/252. Again compare these torn calcs my fellow defiant speed demons
252 Atk Pure Power Medicham-Mega Ice Punch vs. 240 HP / 64 Def Tornadus-Therian: 304-358 (84.6 - 99.7%)
252 Atk Pure Power Medicham-Mega Ice Punch vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Tornadus-Therian: 328-388 (90.6 - 107.1%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Kartana Breakneck Blitz (200 BP) vs. 240 HP / 64 Def Tornadus-Therian: 311-367 (86.6 - 102.2%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Kartana Breakneck Blitz (200 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Tornadus-Therian: 337-397 (93 - 109.6%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO
Yikes. You accomplish everything with the bulkier spread, the window between 361-375 is worthless anyway and you dont miss anything.
Manaphy has now been exposed, the first cycle it was easy to abuse but alas the ladder has adapted. It bamboozles me why anyone would ever use azumarill as a slot when manaphy exists with a more reliable boosting move, better bulk, better speed, broken recovery. It outclasses azu in every way (whys it even ou). That of course changed in a weeks time but this to me is the ideal manaphy set. Now a lot of people don't run ice beam as the filler, i see more people go for psychic which has basically one function at nailing pex without a z move. This is erroneous to go such a route. You need to be nailing bulky grasses with ice beam especially bulu who can even tect ur Z waterium with impunity. Not only that but mega latias is super annoying for rain too and ice beam will leave it unable to check you.
+3 252+ SpA Manaphy Ice Beam vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Tapu Bulu: 334-394 (97.3 - 114.8%) (no one even runs 252/252+ anyway, so it'll always go down but just to show you the reliability of the power)
+3 252+ SpA Manaphy Ice Beam vs. +1 252 HP / 0 SpD Latias-Mega: 212-250 (58.2 - 68.6%)
Usually through my experience a latias user will try to rush in and try to wall you by calm minding respectively, them assuming ur going for a water z but their plan goes out the window once u start beaming. Z chomper is also a nasty threat that gets manhandled without a zmove or boost with icebeam and theres a 3/4 chance you win the fight with minimal hp
252 Atk Garchomp Devastating Drake (190 BP) vs. 48 HP / 0 Def Manaphy: 310-366 (87.8 - 103.6%) -- 25% chance to OHKO
Notice the modest nature is incredibly important for taking out pex/ferro after a layer of hazards
+3 252+ SpA Manaphy Hydro Vortex (175 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Toxapex in Rain: 275-324 (90.4 - 106.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO after rocks
+3 252 SpA Manaphy Hydro Vortex (175 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Toxapex in Rain: 250-294 (82.2 - 96.7%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO after rocks
+3 252+ SpA Manaphy Hydro Vortex (175 BP) vs. 252 HP / 232+ SpD Ferrothorn in Rain: 322-380 (91.4 - 107.9%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
+3 252 SpA Manaphy Hydro Vortex (175 BP) vs. 252 HP / 232+ SpD Ferrothorn in Rain: 294-346 (83.5 - 98.2%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
Very important when trying to sweep and maintain momentum, pretty sure no one wants to get hazed or power whipped to the dome.The speed hits 288 which creeps gyarados which the flynium Z set is very annoying for rain to face. getting even an unboosted waterium on gyara for chip can end up being super reliable and also if ur sweeping it wont cut it short. The remains of the team is just standard stuff. Sp def ferro with double hazards that throws some people off balance on the ladder. Knock is tempting to use along side but dual stabs offers the most pressure dealing with opposing rain types with whip and most importantly pressuring tornadus therians and magearnas with gyro. Leech is not the goal here, you're looking to deal with water types and set hazards. Greninja uses ice beam as the filler since spikes is already on ferro. Does wonderfully in luring in grasses that are eager to prevent you from getting a battle bond off. Pelliper is just there to fog and u turn, I see some people who prefer having hurricane on peliper and leaving torn as a more reliable fogger but taunt tornadus is so useful in asserting pressure and stall breaking. Its far too valuable to give up so I'd leave the grass removal for torn alone or to take ferro and jam up ur hazards if ur opponent wants to just sit there with their grasses
Good luck to the final two cyclists. I'm pretty bummed that you guys can no longer io next your games. It isn't right imo to have restricted privatizing matches this far along since the first two cyclists like me had the freedom to play undisturbed by potential set leakers and cringe commentary. This shouldn't of been implemented half way thru but it is what it is. May the greatest trainers prevail
also people please do not hide your games in the last 2 hours .-.
in PO !
