Introduction:
Rain has always been a play style that I have enjoyed and with the way the OU tier has been shaped as far a meta goes this form of weather has a potent way of breaking teams and sweeping through them. I didn't have as much fun playing balanced although I am open to building any type of team but the team i've been most successful on the ladder with is this rain team of mine. Also since two of my favorite pokemon Swampert and Greninja are huge rain abusers just gave me more vindication to use them on a rain setting team. Please rate and be nice i'm not the highest laddered OU nor am I as experienced, but I am really trying to learn and striving to improve my skills.
Greninja-Ash @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Dark Pulse
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Water Shuriken
Ash Greninja is one of the best sweepers in the rain and can easily abuse the rain with 100% boostest hydro pumps and water shurikens for getting that KO that you need. Dark pulse also is a neutral coverage move that hits many mons for decent damage and the chance to flinch. Instead of spikes I opted to use Ice Beam which hits many common threats such as Zygarde, Garchomp, Hawlucha, Latios, Pinsir, Landorus T, and Zapdos a lot harder the stab combination Greninja has. This move also hits assault vest Tangroth and Tapu bulu very hard when transformed in Ash Greninja. If you are already in your Ash Greninja form then Ice Beam will sweep through these threats with relative ease.
Pelipper (M) @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 32 Def / 228 SpD
Bold Nature
- Hurricane
- Roost
- Scald
- U-turn
Pelipper is a solid rain setter and with damp rock it increases my weather settings for Swampert to come in sweep teams or bring in a rain boosted with 100% accuracy hydro pump Greninja to sweep his way through teams. Pelipper as another function for my team is a u-turn user that can bring in my team while getting momentum for me. Also having scald to fish for burns on physical hitters and bulky mons that are not easy to break helps out a lot as well. My choice in using Hurricane over defog for the last slot is that it's a 100% accurate flying move in rain that can OHKO Kartana which is a huge threat and can OHKO non assault vest tapu bulu sets with stealth rock damage.
Swampert-Mega (M) @ Swampertite
Ability: Damp
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Stealth Rock
- Waterfall
Swampert is one of the best Rain abusers in the OU tier and he has very little switch ins with the rain boosted speed he can cut through teams. the dual stab combination he has with earthquake and waterfall which hits many common threats along with the damage boost that he gets for waterfall along with a chance to flinch. Ice Punch deals with some of the grass types he has trouble with allowing hit to 2 hit KO them. His final move is stealth rocks which under rain he can set up most of the time for free with his speed boost swift swim gives. Due to his typing he is also a electric type check which can be a problem due to Pelipper and Greninja being weak to electric types he can answer them by switch into them.
Tapu Koko @ Electrium Z
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Taunt
- U-turn
- Wild Charge
The Physical set for Tapu Koko helps rain check a lot of it's problems such as Chansey and Magerna being huge problems and it punches holes through them with Giga volt Havoc which in turn opens the doors for Greninja to come in and Sweep. Taunt is a nice move to have to check slow hazard setters and break through stall players attempting to spread hazards or statuses. Since Koko is a fairy type he is small check to dragon types which he can switch into dragon moves, but most of the times you would use hp ice or u-turn out upon a dragon type switch. Koko also pressures many water types and forces them out if they come in and most of the time outspeeds them outside of some choice scarf users such as Keldeo and some swift swim users.
Ferrothorn (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 208 SpD
Careful Nature
- Knock Off
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip
- Spikes
Ferrothron is a excellent spikes setter since due to it's natural bulk and typing it resists a lot of common mons and allows it to set up many hazards. I picked knock off as one of my moves due to it's great utility of taking off pokemon items like leftovers from Celesteela, evolite from chansey, and Assault Vest from Tapu Bulu which all of those can be huge problems with their ability to eat hits and stall. Power whip allows Ferrothorn to deal with any water types switching into him and they can't set up in front of Ferrothorn. The rain also halves it's weakness to fire so it can take fire moves easier than normal so it takes off some pressure.
Latios @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Trick
Latios with a choice scarf comes in as a revenge killer that outspeeds most other scarfers along with being an answer to other dragon types. Kyurem Black was a huge problem for this team and with a scarf I always out speed it and can OHKO it in return. This is also my defogger for hazard control so I can keep hazards out for my sweepers such as Greninja, Tapu Koko, and Swampert to come in and do their jobs without any issues. Psyshock also hits Toxapex which is very annoying stall mon in the tier that is everywhere and Psyshock forces it to switch out and it cannot keep hazards up in front of Latios. Trick is used to break stall teams items if I can't use knock off from Ferothorn to switch items if my scarf speed isn't needed.
Threats:
The most common threats to the team is Bulky Grass types such as AV Bulu and Tangroth which can eat most of the hits my team can dish out unless I knock of or trick the Assault vest off of them. Also Ferrothorn can be a huge pain due to how it resists a lot of my stab moves and can force me to use my Z move on it to break through it. Charizard Y can be a huge problem as well with taking away my rain with it's ability and instant solar beams which can OHKO Swampert and Greninja upon switch in. I am not really aware of any other major threats that i've had problems dealing with so any suggestions would be helpful since I am relatively new to competitive in the OU tier. Please let me know if I need to give any other info.
Rain has always been a play style that I have enjoyed and with the way the OU tier has been shaped as far a meta goes this form of weather has a potent way of breaking teams and sweeping through them. I didn't have as much fun playing balanced although I am open to building any type of team but the team i've been most successful on the ladder with is this rain team of mine. Also since two of my favorite pokemon Swampert and Greninja are huge rain abusers just gave me more vindication to use them on a rain setting team. Please rate and be nice i'm not the highest laddered OU nor am I as experienced, but I am really trying to learn and striving to improve my skills.
Greninja-Ash @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Dark Pulse
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Water Shuriken
Ash Greninja is one of the best sweepers in the rain and can easily abuse the rain with 100% boostest hydro pumps and water shurikens for getting that KO that you need. Dark pulse also is a neutral coverage move that hits many mons for decent damage and the chance to flinch. Instead of spikes I opted to use Ice Beam which hits many common threats such as Zygarde, Garchomp, Hawlucha, Latios, Pinsir, Landorus T, and Zapdos a lot harder the stab combination Greninja has. This move also hits assault vest Tangroth and Tapu bulu very hard when transformed in Ash Greninja. If you are already in your Ash Greninja form then Ice Beam will sweep through these threats with relative ease.
Pelipper (M) @ Damp Rock
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 248 HP / 32 Def / 228 SpD
Bold Nature
- Hurricane
- Roost
- Scald
- U-turn
Pelipper is a solid rain setter and with damp rock it increases my weather settings for Swampert to come in sweep teams or bring in a rain boosted with 100% accuracy hydro pump Greninja to sweep his way through teams. Pelipper as another function for my team is a u-turn user that can bring in my team while getting momentum for me. Also having scald to fish for burns on physical hitters and bulky mons that are not easy to break helps out a lot as well. My choice in using Hurricane over defog for the last slot is that it's a 100% accurate flying move in rain that can OHKO Kartana which is a huge threat and can OHKO non assault vest tapu bulu sets with stealth rock damage.
Swampert-Mega (M) @ Swampertite
Ability: Damp
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Ice Punch
- Stealth Rock
- Waterfall
Swampert is one of the best Rain abusers in the OU tier and he has very little switch ins with the rain boosted speed he can cut through teams. the dual stab combination he has with earthquake and waterfall which hits many common threats along with the damage boost that he gets for waterfall along with a chance to flinch. Ice Punch deals with some of the grass types he has trouble with allowing hit to 2 hit KO them. His final move is stealth rocks which under rain he can set up most of the time for free with his speed boost swift swim gives. Due to his typing he is also a electric type check which can be a problem due to Pelipper and Greninja being weak to electric types he can answer them by switch into them.
Tapu Koko @ Electrium Z
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Taunt
- U-turn
- Wild Charge
The Physical set for Tapu Koko helps rain check a lot of it's problems such as Chansey and Magerna being huge problems and it punches holes through them with Giga volt Havoc which in turn opens the doors for Greninja to come in and Sweep. Taunt is a nice move to have to check slow hazard setters and break through stall players attempting to spread hazards or statuses. Since Koko is a fairy type he is small check to dragon types which he can switch into dragon moves, but most of the times you would use hp ice or u-turn out upon a dragon type switch. Koko also pressures many water types and forces them out if they come in and most of the time outspeeds them outside of some choice scarf users such as Keldeo and some swift swim users.
Ferrothorn (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 208 SpD
Careful Nature
- Knock Off
- Leech Seed
- Power Whip
- Spikes
Ferrothron is a excellent spikes setter since due to it's natural bulk and typing it resists a lot of common mons and allows it to set up many hazards. I picked knock off as one of my moves due to it's great utility of taking off pokemon items like leftovers from Celesteela, evolite from chansey, and Assault Vest from Tapu Bulu which all of those can be huge problems with their ability to eat hits and stall. Power whip allows Ferrothorn to deal with any water types switching into him and they can't set up in front of Ferrothorn. The rain also halves it's weakness to fire so it can take fire moves easier than normal so it takes off some pressure.
Latios @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Defog
- Draco Meteor
- Psyshock
- Trick
Latios with a choice scarf comes in as a revenge killer that outspeeds most other scarfers along with being an answer to other dragon types. Kyurem Black was a huge problem for this team and with a scarf I always out speed it and can OHKO it in return. This is also my defogger for hazard control so I can keep hazards out for my sweepers such as Greninja, Tapu Koko, and Swampert to come in and do their jobs without any issues. Psyshock also hits Toxapex which is very annoying stall mon in the tier that is everywhere and Psyshock forces it to switch out and it cannot keep hazards up in front of Latios. Trick is used to break stall teams items if I can't use knock off from Ferothorn to switch items if my scarf speed isn't needed.
Threats:
The most common threats to the team is Bulky Grass types such as AV Bulu and Tangroth which can eat most of the hits my team can dish out unless I knock of or trick the Assault vest off of them. Also Ferrothorn can be a huge pain due to how it resists a lot of my stab moves and can force me to use my Z move on it to break through it. Charizard Y can be a huge problem as well with taking away my rain with it's ability and instant solar beams which can OHKO Swampert and Greninja upon switch in. I am not really aware of any other major threats that i've had problems dealing with so any suggestions would be helpful since I am relatively new to competitive in the OU tier. Please let me know if I need to give any other info.
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