Intro
So I like to listen to lots of music. Most of my RMTs starting now will have something to do with music, just for you guys. I guess it's part of my never-ending scheme to get you Beachers to listen to quality music that isn't the mainstream trash you guys listen to now. The first RMT in this series was Ecstatic Waters. I promise, this song is less than half as long as the last one.
The song this time is October by Eric Whitacre. It's a very slow song that makes its intense moments more about beauty through chords and key signature, rather than using intense speed, or technical rhythyms that are difficult to play. This team works much in the same way, it wins matches by stacking hazards, and forcing opponents out with Residual damage, rather than going on an all-out offensive and setting up a sweep. (Sometimes.)
I'd love to give you an estimate of my ladder peak, but since PS's ladder has been down so much lately, and I went to Canada last weak decaying my rating even further, I couldn't tell you what it was at. I also don't have a teambuilding process because I made this team when BW2 first came out, so I don't remember it. Yeah. I know, I'm a big help so far. Read on, it gets better, I promise.
At a Glance
In-Depth Analysis
Devil's Snare @Rocky Helmet
Relaxed Nature
Trait: Iron Barbs
252 HP/88 Def/168 SpDef
0 Speed IVs
~Spikes
~Leech Seed
~Gyro Ball
~Power Whip
Well, in a stall team, Ferrothorn is almost a shoe-in for a spot. It's one of, if not THE best spiker in the game. It has no troubles switching in multiple times during a match, and getting spikes up again and again, even if they get spun away. Rocky Helmet combined with Iron Barbs also makes life miserable for Rapid Spinners, as they will take quite a bit of damage if they try to rapid spin away my hazards. Leech Seed needs to be used in this set, as without Leftovers, Ferrothorn has no access to recovery at all. Gyro Ball is used to hit threats like Dragonite and Haxorus for huge damage. Iron Barbs and Rocky Helmet should put them in KO range of Gyro Ball, and they will also break Multiscale on Dragonite. Power Whip is just there so So Ferrothorn doesn't get walled by bulky water-types. Plus, Spikes, Leech Seed, and Stealth Rock all on the same set would be overkill. You could argue Protect over one of the STAB moves to scout for choice-locked stuff, and to add up recovery with Leech Seed, but this means you either lose to Dragon-types, or lose to bulky water-types, and I want to be able to force both of them out to rack up hazard damage as much as possible.
Predator @Toxic Orb
Impish Nature
Trait: Poison Heal
252 HP/184 Def/72 Spe
~Stealth Rock
~Earthquake
~Roost
~Ice Fang
In generation four, with Roost, Stealth Rock, and Taunt, Britscor was one of the best stallbreakers in the game, as well as one of the best physical walls in the game. In generation five, it got Poison Heal, but lost Roost and Stealth Rock. It still had Protect though, so it could use Taunt to break walls, Protect to heal itself, and then Ice Fang to check dragons. Then we got BW2 move tutors. Gliscor got even better than it already was. Now, it's got the ability to Roost and Poison Heal at the same time, making it almost impossible to kill. It can set up Stealth Rock consistantly too, while providing a great check to dragons, and counter to all the new Fighting-types. Earthquake is still the main STAB option of any defensive set as all of Gliscor's flying-type moves outside of Acrobatics are terribad. Ice Fang is used in the last spot to help KO stuff like Dragonite. Gliscor functions extremely well with Ferrothorn, as it can switch into any Fighting moves aimed at Ferrothorn, who can in turn absorb the water attacks aimed at Gliscor. These two form a great defensive core that get hazards up consistantly in almost every single match.
Trevor @Leftovers
Bold nature
Trait: Drizzle
252 HP/252 Def/4 SpDef
~Scald
~Protect
~Toxic
~Perish Song
I had a cooler ev spread than 252/252 Bold once upon a time, but I lost it and can't find it now, so I'll just stick with this. This is a pretty standard DrizzleToed. As physically bulky as possible because the metagame is tipped more towards the physical side of the scale. Scald gives a great burn chance and gets powered up by rain. Toxic is used instead of Ice Beam as it will cripple more threats than Ice Beam would. I have enough Pokémon to take out dragons and grass-types anyways. Scald will KO Gliscor, so it's not as if I need the extra coverage. Toxic will instead cripple common switch-ins, like Rotom-W and Jellicent. Protect gives me a turn of Leftovers recovery, as well as a turn to add up Toxic damage. It's also great for scouting whether or not Rotom-W uses Trick. Perish Song is the last move as it's my way of trolling Baton Pass teams, as well as slow set-up sweepers, like Calm Mind Latias, Reuniclus, and Jirachi.
Lust @Eviolite
Bold Nature
Trait: Natural Cure
252 HP/252 Def/6 SpDef
~Wish
~Protect
~Seismic Toss
~Toxic
With Eviolite attatched, Chansey is the 2nd best Wisher, and the best special wall in the game. It's gigantic HP means almost anything will be back to full health after a wish. Protect is the means of healing itself, as well as scouting random Choiced stuff, most notably CB Tyranitar. Seismic Toss is Chansey's only way of doing any sort of consistant damage, and Toxic will hit any ghosts not named Gengar. It also LOLs at Technician Breloom that switches in. I originally was going to use chansey as a Stealth Rock/Cleric, but with 2 Natural Cureres, 2 Steels, and a mon with Poison Heal, I didn't really think the extra help with status would really be neccessary, so I changed to a wish set and dropped Stealth Rock onto Gliscor. I elected Chansey over Blissey because although Iose Leftovers recovery, Chansey will easily switch into Thundurus-T and Tornadus-T Superpowers, while Blissey is easily 2HKO'd and disposed of. I run the risk of losing health at the end of each turn if I lose the weather war to Sand, but with Rain being at gigantic popularity levels right now, and Sun even getting more attention (thanks Roost Volcarona and Giga Drain Venusaur), I figured it was a risk I was willing to take.
gamercal @Leftovers
Timid Nature
Trait: Serene Grace
252 HP/4 Def/252 Spe
~Substitute
~Calm Mind
~Thunder
~Water Pulse
Jirachi is really the only Pokémon I've got that can attempt a sweep, but with proper support, it's all I need. Jirachi was added to the team because it's a great check to Tornadus-T, and it runs all over Amoonguss. Who cares about 100% accurate Spore and Clear Smog when you're behind a sub for one, and your typing makes you immune to the other. Jirachi is also a nice counter to opposing rain teams, as it uses Ferrothorn as setup bait, and uses 100% accurate Thunder to scare off other water-type threats, as well as having a threatening 60% paralysis chance on anything that comes in. Water Pulse gets boosted by rain, and has a 20% Confusion Rate thanks to Serene Grace, and it also provides great coverage against Ground-types who are immune to thunder. Gastrodon and extremely rare Quagsire and Lanturn are the only Pokémon who can wall this Jirachi completely, as the first two have the double immunity, and the second one is immune to Thunder while tanking Water Pulse like a boss. With proper hazard support, even just a +1, this Jirachi can be a very threatening sweeper.
Aquamarine @Leftovers
Timid Nature
Trait: Natural Cure
252 SpAtk/6 SpDef/252 Spe
~Hydro Pump
~Ice Beam
~Thunderbolt
~Rapid Spin
I knew I needed a spinner, so I perused all possible spinners in OU. Forretress is just outclassed by Ferrothorn on this team, Cloyster is weak to all hazards, and Donphan in rain just plain sucks. That left me with Tentacruel and Starmie. I originally chose Rain Dish Tentacruel, but I switched to Starmie because it is a more threatening offensive presence that forces more switches on my opponents. Its great speed and awesome coverage makes it a threat to anything in OU not named Blissey and Chansey. The only spinblockers in OU are Gengar and Jellicent, and both of them have trouble switching in due to possibly getting nailed by the appropriate move, so Starmie will pretty much always keep hazards off my side of the field. Rain-Boosted Hydro Pump is a beast of an attack, even Ferrothorn has trouble switching in on repetitive assaults. Ice Beam plus base 115 Speed makes Starmie a great threat to Dragon-types like Salamence and Dragonite, as well as giving it a more accurate option for Gliscor. Thunderbolt hits Jellicent and other bulky-water types. Much like Jirachi, the starfish is walled by Gastrodon, Quagsire, and Lanturn (rofl), so having hazards up, as well as being able to Toxic them with Politoed make for a couple of Pokémon that synergize very well with Starmie, which is extremely important because Starmie is the spinner. I also lack Recover, so Wish from Chansey is once again, very much appreciated, especially since Starmie will switch into Close Combats and Drain Punches no problem.
Threats
Breloom-
As is the case with most Rain teams, Breloom trolls this team. Technician hits most of this team very hard, although between Toxic on various Pokémon, Ice Beam on Starmie, the Physical Defense of Gliscor, Iron Barbs, Rocky Helmet, and stacked hazards, I can normally take it down. It just rips a hole or two sometimes first. Poison Heal Breloom is actually significantly harder to deal with. Although Gliscor beats it, every single other Pokémon on this team loses if it's behind sub. Bulk Up Breloom is also a threat if Starmie has been KO'd.
Celebi-
Celebi is another big threat to this team, the Nasty Plot version especially. IT has no problems setting up on anything, and has enough bulk to survive Starmie's Ice Beam. Chansey walls it at first, but at +6, Celebi will actually beat me since I don't have Leftovers. Earth Power will beat Jirachi since both of my moves can't do much in return.
Alakazam and Reuniclus-
Although rarely seen, Alakazam would pose huge problems for this team. Focus Blast would beat Ferrothorn, Psyshock would ruin Chansey, Shadow Ball would beat Starmie, and it will just set up all over anything else. Jirachi is my only check thanks to Thunder's paralysis rate, but since my Jirachi lacks Wish, damage eventually adds up and overpowers it, so if I miss the paralysis, I'm usually out of luck. Reuniclus works in the same way, although since it can't carry both Focus Blast and Shadow Ball on the same set if it's Calm Mind, Starmie and Jirachi eventually overpower it. And if all else fails, there's Perish Song.
Kyurem-
SubRoost Kyurem is annoying, and my only way to beat it is to overpower it. Jirachi sets up on it, but pressure ruins my PP a lot. Chansey walls it, but due to Pressure, a 1 on 1 ends in a struggle war. Ferrothorn beats it with Gyro Ball, but again, Pressure makes it 10 times more annoying to deal with. Politoed forces it out with Perish Song, but that just means I'll have to deal with it later. If I lose the weather war, 100% accurate Blizzard becomes a pain as well.
Conslusion
Thanks for reading, all that stuff. Do please click the link to the song above, you will enjoy it a lot. I promise. Credit to anybody where it's deserved. Honestly, I made this team so long ago I don't even remember who to credit. I'm sure it's some combination of Pride, PDC, ComfortEagle, and Bippa. Maybe PMJ too. Throw me an edit or two, and help me make this team better! Thanks!
