[SET]
name: Rain Sweeper
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Grass
item: Mystic Water
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
While Seaking completely outclasses Horsea as a rain sweeper due to its higher bulk, Horsea's good Special Attack and access to Swift Swim let it carve a niche in the same role when being used alongside Seaking. Hydro Pump is Horsea's strongest STAB option; in rain it OHKOes every neutral offensive threat, such as Elekid and Aipom, and can even 2HKO most special walls like Dustox. When holding a Mystic Water, it is also Horsea's strongest attack against Water-types while in Rain, notably OHKOing opposing Horsea, 2HKOing offensive Chinchou and uninvested variants of Castform, and 3HKOing defensive Chinchou, rain sweeper Seaking, and tank Castform. The boost from Mystic Water also increases damage ranges against foes like offensive Staryu, giving Horsea a higher change to break through them in fewer turns. Ice Beam targets Grass- and Dragon-types, 2HKOing foes like Exeggcute and Bayleef and OHKOing Bagon. It is also a perfectly accurate way to OHKO Flying-types such as Taillow and Pidgeotto. Hidden Power Grass targets Water-types; while it's slightly weaker than rain- and Mystic Water-boosted Hydro Pump, it is perfectly accurate and stronger outside of rain.
Horsea should always be used alongside Seaking on dedicated rain teams. Together, they form a potent offensive core able to weaken each other's checks, and they pair well with other rain wallbreakers like Castform. Horsea's extreme frailty means it usually cannot set up rain itself, and it thus relies on teammates that can set it up like Castform and Voltorb; the former is notable for its ability to check sun sweepers like Sunflora thanks to Forecast, while the latter is especially effective at this role due to its high Speed and access to Explosion, making three turns of rain almost guaranteed. Naturally speedy physical wallbreakers like Aipom can take advantage of the holes Horsea and its teammates create and sweep late-game, though they can also weaken special walls and tanks such as Delcatty and Castform to allow Horsea to have an easier time sweeping. Horsea struggles against Grass- and Water-types like Bayleef and Chinchou, which can tank Horsea's attacks and OHKO it, making special walls like Grimer helpful; they have the added benefit of checking fast special attackers like Elekid, which can threaten Horsea's team once rain ends. Fast physical wallbreakers like Aipom also pose issues, leaving checks to it like Rhyhorn useful partners—specially defensive variants of Rhyhorn are notable for their ability to check both Elekid and Normal-type wallbreakers.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sleid.601970/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bp.272450/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tea-guzzler.577920/
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Lum Berry can be used to avoid status, but Horsea's extreme frailty means that most foes can OHKO it, meaning opponents rarely use status. Surf can be used over Hydro Pump for its greater PP and accuracy, though the loss in power is noticeable against foes like Dustox, which its fails to 2HKO in rain. Horsea has access to Dragon Dance, though its terrible bulk and physical movepool largely consisting of Double-Edge and Hidden Power make it unviable.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Opposing Water-types**: Chinchou can easily tank a rain-boosted Hydro Pump or Hidden Power Grass and OHKO Horsea back, with specially defensive Chinchou not even being 2HKOed by any of Horsea's moves. Seaking carrying Hidden Power Grass can OHKO Horsea, while Megahorn 2HKOes it. In return, Horsea can threaten a 2HKO on offensive variants of Seaking with rain-boosted Hydro Pump and Hidden Power Grass, though it struggles to 4HKO specially defensive variants. Rain sweeper Seaking also outspeeds Horsea thanks to its higher base Speed and Swift Swim. Other Water-types like Staryu can threaten to OHKO Horsea, though they must be wary of being outsped and OHKOed in rain.
**Castform**: Forecast lets Castfrom resist Horsea's boosted STAB attacks, while it has the bulk to take Hidden Power Grass. In return, Castform OHKOes with Thunderbolt, and depending on its set, Double-Edge.
**Grass-types**: Even with Ice Beam, Horsea cannot OHKO Grass-types like Bayleef, Sunflora, and Lileep, while they can OHKO it back with their Grass-type STAB moves. Sunflora deserves a special mention, as its specially defensive set isn't 2HKOed by any of Horsea's attacks, while its Sunny Day set can replace the weather, turning it into setup fodder.
**Faster Offensive Threats**: Outside of rain, Horsea is both extremely frail while being fairly slow, making it easy KOed by foes like Aipom, Pidgeotto, and Elekid.
name: Rain Sweeper
move 1: Rain Dance
move 2: Hydro Pump
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Grass
item: Mystic Water
ability: Swift Swim
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
While Seaking completely outclasses Horsea as a rain sweeper due to its higher bulk, Horsea's good Special Attack and access to Swift Swim let it carve a niche in the same role when being used alongside Seaking. Hydro Pump is Horsea's strongest STAB option; in rain it OHKOes every neutral offensive threat, such as Elekid and Aipom, and can even 2HKO most special walls like Dustox. When holding a Mystic Water, it is also Horsea's strongest attack against Water-types while in Rain, notably OHKOing opposing Horsea, 2HKOing offensive Chinchou and uninvested variants of Castform, and 3HKOing defensive Chinchou, rain sweeper Seaking, and tank Castform. The boost from Mystic Water also increases damage ranges against foes like offensive Staryu, giving Horsea a higher change to break through them in fewer turns. Ice Beam targets Grass- and Dragon-types, 2HKOing foes like Exeggcute and Bayleef and OHKOing Bagon. It is also a perfectly accurate way to OHKO Flying-types such as Taillow and Pidgeotto. Hidden Power Grass targets Water-types; while it's slightly weaker than rain- and Mystic Water-boosted Hydro Pump, it is perfectly accurate and stronger outside of rain.
Horsea should always be used alongside Seaking on dedicated rain teams. Together, they form a potent offensive core able to weaken each other's checks, and they pair well with other rain wallbreakers like Castform. Horsea's extreme frailty means it usually cannot set up rain itself, and it thus relies on teammates that can set it up like Castform and Voltorb; the former is notable for its ability to check sun sweepers like Sunflora thanks to Forecast, while the latter is especially effective at this role due to its high Speed and access to Explosion, making three turns of rain almost guaranteed. Naturally speedy physical wallbreakers like Aipom can take advantage of the holes Horsea and its teammates create and sweep late-game, though they can also weaken special walls and tanks such as Delcatty and Castform to allow Horsea to have an easier time sweeping. Horsea struggles against Grass- and Water-types like Bayleef and Chinchou, which can tank Horsea's attacks and OHKO it, making special walls like Grimer helpful; they have the added benefit of checking fast special attackers like Elekid, which can threaten Horsea's team once rain ends. Fast physical wallbreakers like Aipom also pose issues, leaving checks to it like Rhyhorn useful partners—specially defensive variants of Rhyhorn are notable for their ability to check both Elekid and Normal-type wallbreakers.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sleid.601970/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bp.272450/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tea-guzzler.577920/
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Lum Berry can be used to avoid status, but Horsea's extreme frailty means that most foes can OHKO it, meaning opponents rarely use status. Surf can be used over Hydro Pump for its greater PP and accuracy, though the loss in power is noticeable against foes like Dustox, which its fails to 2HKO in rain. Horsea has access to Dragon Dance, though its terrible bulk and physical movepool largely consisting of Double-Edge and Hidden Power make it unviable.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Opposing Water-types**: Chinchou can easily tank a rain-boosted Hydro Pump or Hidden Power Grass and OHKO Horsea back, with specially defensive Chinchou not even being 2HKOed by any of Horsea's moves. Seaking carrying Hidden Power Grass can OHKO Horsea, while Megahorn 2HKOes it. In return, Horsea can threaten a 2HKO on offensive variants of Seaking with rain-boosted Hydro Pump and Hidden Power Grass, though it struggles to 4HKO specially defensive variants. Rain sweeper Seaking also outspeeds Horsea thanks to its higher base Speed and Swift Swim. Other Water-types like Staryu can threaten to OHKO Horsea, though they must be wary of being outsped and OHKOed in rain.
**Castform**: Forecast lets Castfrom resist Horsea's boosted STAB attacks, while it has the bulk to take Hidden Power Grass. In return, Castform OHKOes with Thunderbolt, and depending on its set, Double-Edge.
**Grass-types**: Even with Ice Beam, Horsea cannot OHKO Grass-types like Bayleef, Sunflora, and Lileep, while they can OHKO it back with their Grass-type STAB moves. Sunflora deserves a special mention, as its specially defensive set isn't 2HKOed by any of Horsea's attacks, while its Sunny Day set can replace the weather, turning it into setup fodder.
**Faster Offensive Threats**: Outside of rain, Horsea is both extremely frail while being fairly slow, making it easy KOed by foes like Aipom, Pidgeotto, and Elekid.
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