FOR DRIZZLE, MY NIZZLE
(It's okay for me to say that because I'm black.)
Hey guys, long-time listener, first-time caller. I've been stalking the RMT forums for a while and finally worked up the balls to post a thread of my own. I've been using this team for a while now, and I'm hoping to take my game to the next level. So far, I'm at over 1700 on PS! (not amazing, but not terrible) and would like to see this go further. Although it might seem like a run-of-the-mill Drizzle team, there are some surprises...Here we go!
TEAM AT A GLANCE:
Let's begin, shall we?
Swampert (Politoed) @ Leftovers
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Protect
- Refresh / Toxic
- Perish Song
What is a Drizzle team without Politoed? Truth be told, I've always been a fan of Politoed (I have been known to use his Whirlpool-Perish Song set...) and BW just gave me more reasons to love him. I decided to go with a specially defensive spread because Politoed's highest stat is actually his Special Defense, and I really wanted to highlight that. He is actually a bit of a special tank, only being 3HKO-ed by Volt Switch from Modest Rotom-W and Scarf Thundurus-T, so I can usually send him out as my lead without concern and try to burn the switch-in with Scald. I usually run Refresh over Toxic: Although being able to cripple other weather starters and bulky waters is important, I find that most people think that a poisoned Toed is a dead Toed, so Refresh is that fuck-you that I love. Perish Song is the icing on the cake, allowing him to pHaze out set-up sweepers and ruin Baton Pass chains. Really, he's my only solution to Calm Mind Reuniclus and Sub-DD Gyarados, but he's a damn good response.
Blaziken (Latias) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd / 164 SAtk / 92 HP
Timid Nature
- Dragon Pulse
- Psyshock
- Roost
- Calm Mind
To be honest, I didn't immediately get Latias. Originally, this teamslot was occupied by Specially Defensive Jirachi, but I realized that I needed a good response to Sun teams. I've never been much of a Latias fan, but this has certainly changed. Latias forces a ton of switches, which can help me rack up entry hazard damage, and has enough juice to blast through most defensive cores after a boost or two. I wanted to outspeed the Musketeers and speed-tie with other Lati@s, so I maxed out speed. I got the Special Attack investment from the analysis, but it also gives her an extra punch that most don't initially expect from Calm Mind Latias. Dragon Pulse and Psyshock are two hard-hitting and reliable STABs, giving me neutral damage against most pokes, and Roost gives me instant recovery that is so frustrating for the enemy.
As much as I now love Latias, having a reliable check/counter to opposing Tornadus-T might be more important, since even with max-HP and -SDef investment, she's still 2HKO-ed by his Hurricane.
Venusaur (Forretress) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 20 SAtk / 220 Def
Bold Nature
IVs: 30 Spd
- Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Forretress is the MAN! He does so much for my team: physical wall, entry hazard setter, Rapid Spinner, and death fodder (occasionally). With him setting up Spikes and spinning away SR, he makes Tornadus-T's life so much easier, giving Torny the chance to switch in at full health and break down most pokes for a 2HKO (after entry hazard damage). I chose a special spread after reading The Smog's article on underrated movesets, and I've never looked back. Volt Switch lets me escape Magnezone, and can break Gyarados' subs if it tries to set up. HP Ice is the real gem, allowing me to 2HKO Gliscor, Landorus, Offensive Dragonite (with broken Multiscale), Salamence, as well as do respectable damage to a myriad of pokes. Trading off Gyro Ball was the hardest thing I've had to do, as now he loses to Pokemon he once countered, like Lati@s and Gengar. But with a little teamwork, these guys are never too much of a problem.
Serperior (Mamoswine) @ Life Orb
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Icicle Spear
- Stealth Rock
In the dictionary, next to the definition for BAMF, it says "see also, Mamoswine". He hits hard and dies hard, also setting up Stealth Rocks, always useful. Earthquake and Ice Shard are his obligatory STABs, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I chose Icicle Spear over Icicle Crash to give him the chance to beat Sub Gliscor, Sub Hydreigon, and Dragonite, among others, without hesitation. Moreover, if I know the opponent will switch in Skarmory or non-Scarf Rotom-W, I'll use Icicle Spear and hope that it lands 5 hits. This has come in handy other times, as a 5-hit Icicle Spear does min. 55% damage to Standard Ferrothorn. It is a little chancy, but totally worth the risk.
Typhlosion (Tornadus-Therian) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Hurricane
- Focus Blast
- Sleep Talk
- U-turn
The moment I saw Tornadus-T, I thought, "What would Liz Lemon do?" And I did it, and it's changed my life. Torny-T has just the biggest balls this side of the Mississippi. He's fast as shit and hits like a tank from that sexy base-110 Special Attack. The moves are a no-brainer: Hurricane basically 1-2HKOs everything, except for the things that Focus Blast 1-2HKOs. That includes, but is not limited to (some with a little prior damage): Blissey, Skarmory, Tyranitar, Heatran, Gastrodon, Jellicent, Ferrothorn, Lati@s, etc. He's such a great partner for Forretress (for reasons stated above) and makes a great Specs user, thanks to Regenerator. Sleep Talk might seem odd, but being able to switch into Breloom and Amoonguss (and Roserade lol) and scare them back underground is priceless. Plus, what else does Torny-T need?
Meganium (Breloom) @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 212 SDef / 236 HP / 60 Spd
Careful Nature
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Seed Bomb
- Spore
Breloom is always one of the hardest Pokemon to switch into, and with Spore and his monstrous attack, he puts a lot of pressure on the opponent. With the release of Technician, most have chosen to take advantage of this boon. Incidentally, so have I. I can bluff a Technician set as I switch in post-KO and force out Scizor, Scarf Terrakion, Tyranitar, Heatran, Ninetales, Hydreigon, and anyone else who fears a LO Technician-boosted Mach Punch. Then, I set up. With some smart playing, I can usually get two boosts in fairly easily and proceed to rip through teams. I figured, if I'm going to use Poison Heal, I might as well take advantages of his convenient resistances and Bulk Up. He's an asset on my team and still a threat to be reckoned with.
Thanks for reading, and I appreciate all the help I can get.
Team in Review:
Importable:
Threatlist:
Reuniclus: This guy is a nuissance: nothing on my team can hit it for super-effective damage, and the best I can manage is Perish Song to the Calm Mind users. Other than that, elbow grease is all I can hope for.
Gyarados: Although he struggles to switch in to most of my team, Sub versions can use Politoed (and Forretress, to a lesser a extent) as set-up fodder. With more of them running more speed to beat out Torny-T after a Dragon Dance, I have to play very carefully, as he can easily crush my whole team.
Starmie: Life Orb Starmie is a dangerous sweeper, and no one on my team can safely switch into it. Starmie's fairly predictable, so I can usually bait it with Forretress and Volt Switch to Torny-T to threaten it. But it's not always so simple.
Jirachi: This thing is a pain in my cooch. I'm powerless against speedy Calm Minders, and Scarfers usually make me over-predict and fail hard. It's the only Pokemon that I can't even come close to a 2HKO with Tornadus-T's Hurricane, and can in turn paralyze or begin to set up. Spikes can help with this, but it's often a stretch.
(It's okay for me to say that because I'm black.)
Hey guys, long-time listener, first-time caller. I've been stalking the RMT forums for a while and finally worked up the balls to post a thread of my own. I've been using this team for a while now, and I'm hoping to take my game to the next level. So far, I'm at over 1700 on PS! (not amazing, but not terrible) and would like to see this go further. Although it might seem like a run-of-the-mill Drizzle team, there are some surprises...Here we go!
TEAM AT A GLANCE:
Let's begin, shall we?
Swampert (Politoed) @ Leftovers
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Protect
- Refresh / Toxic
- Perish Song
What is a Drizzle team without Politoed? Truth be told, I've always been a fan of Politoed (I have been known to use his Whirlpool-Perish Song set...) and BW just gave me more reasons to love him. I decided to go with a specially defensive spread because Politoed's highest stat is actually his Special Defense, and I really wanted to highlight that. He is actually a bit of a special tank, only being 3HKO-ed by Volt Switch from Modest Rotom-W and Scarf Thundurus-T, so I can usually send him out as my lead without concern and try to burn the switch-in with Scald. I usually run Refresh over Toxic: Although being able to cripple other weather starters and bulky waters is important, I find that most people think that a poisoned Toed is a dead Toed, so Refresh is that fuck-you that I love. Perish Song is the icing on the cake, allowing him to pHaze out set-up sweepers and ruin Baton Pass chains. Really, he's my only solution to Calm Mind Reuniclus and Sub-DD Gyarados, but he's a damn good response.
Blaziken (Latias) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd / 164 SAtk / 92 HP
Timid Nature
- Dragon Pulse
- Psyshock
- Roost
- Calm Mind
To be honest, I didn't immediately get Latias. Originally, this teamslot was occupied by Specially Defensive Jirachi, but I realized that I needed a good response to Sun teams. I've never been much of a Latias fan, but this has certainly changed. Latias forces a ton of switches, which can help me rack up entry hazard damage, and has enough juice to blast through most defensive cores after a boost or two. I wanted to outspeed the Musketeers and speed-tie with other Lati@s, so I maxed out speed. I got the Special Attack investment from the analysis, but it also gives her an extra punch that most don't initially expect from Calm Mind Latias. Dragon Pulse and Psyshock are two hard-hitting and reliable STABs, giving me neutral damage against most pokes, and Roost gives me instant recovery that is so frustrating for the enemy.
As much as I now love Latias, having a reliable check/counter to opposing Tornadus-T might be more important, since even with max-HP and -SDef investment, she's still 2HKO-ed by his Hurricane.
Venusaur (Forretress) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 20 SAtk / 220 Def
Bold Nature
IVs: 30 Spd
- Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Forretress is the MAN! He does so much for my team: physical wall, entry hazard setter, Rapid Spinner, and death fodder (occasionally). With him setting up Spikes and spinning away SR, he makes Tornadus-T's life so much easier, giving Torny the chance to switch in at full health and break down most pokes for a 2HKO (after entry hazard damage). I chose a special spread after reading The Smog's article on underrated movesets, and I've never looked back. Volt Switch lets me escape Magnezone, and can break Gyarados' subs if it tries to set up. HP Ice is the real gem, allowing me to 2HKO Gliscor, Landorus, Offensive Dragonite (with broken Multiscale), Salamence, as well as do respectable damage to a myriad of pokes. Trading off Gyro Ball was the hardest thing I've had to do, as now he loses to Pokemon he once countered, like Lati@s and Gengar. But with a little teamwork, these guys are never too much of a problem.
Serperior (Mamoswine) @ Life Orb
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Icicle Spear
- Stealth Rock
In the dictionary, next to the definition for BAMF, it says "see also, Mamoswine". He hits hard and dies hard, also setting up Stealth Rocks, always useful. Earthquake and Ice Shard are his obligatory STABs, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I chose Icicle Spear over Icicle Crash to give him the chance to beat Sub Gliscor, Sub Hydreigon, and Dragonite, among others, without hesitation. Moreover, if I know the opponent will switch in Skarmory or non-Scarf Rotom-W, I'll use Icicle Spear and hope that it lands 5 hits. This has come in handy other times, as a 5-hit Icicle Spear does min. 55% damage to Standard Ferrothorn. It is a little chancy, but totally worth the risk.
Typhlosion (Tornadus-Therian) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Hurricane
- Focus Blast
- Sleep Talk
- U-turn
The moment I saw Tornadus-T, I thought, "What would Liz Lemon do?" And I did it, and it's changed my life. Torny-T has just the biggest balls this side of the Mississippi. He's fast as shit and hits like a tank from that sexy base-110 Special Attack. The moves are a no-brainer: Hurricane basically 1-2HKOs everything, except for the things that Focus Blast 1-2HKOs. That includes, but is not limited to (some with a little prior damage): Blissey, Skarmory, Tyranitar, Heatran, Gastrodon, Jellicent, Ferrothorn, Lati@s, etc. He's such a great partner for Forretress (for reasons stated above) and makes a great Specs user, thanks to Regenerator. Sleep Talk might seem odd, but being able to switch into Breloom and Amoonguss (and Roserade lol) and scare them back underground is priceless. Plus, what else does Torny-T need?
Meganium (Breloom) @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 212 SDef / 236 HP / 60 Spd
Careful Nature
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Seed Bomb
- Spore
Breloom is always one of the hardest Pokemon to switch into, and with Spore and his monstrous attack, he puts a lot of pressure on the opponent. With the release of Technician, most have chosen to take advantage of this boon. Incidentally, so have I. I can bluff a Technician set as I switch in post-KO and force out Scizor, Scarf Terrakion, Tyranitar, Heatran, Ninetales, Hydreigon, and anyone else who fears a LO Technician-boosted Mach Punch. Then, I set up. With some smart playing, I can usually get two boosts in fairly easily and proceed to rip through teams. I figured, if I'm going to use Poison Heal, I might as well take advantages of his convenient resistances and Bulk Up. He's an asset on my team and still a threat to be reckoned with.
Thanks for reading, and I appreciate all the help I can get.
Team in Review:
Importable:
Code:
Swampert (Politoed) @ Leftovers
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
- Scald
- Protect
- Refresh
- Perish Song
Blaziken (Latias) @ Leftovers
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 252 Spd / 164 SAtk / 92 HP
Timid Nature
- Dragon Pulse
- Psyshock
- Roost
- Calm Mind
Venusaur (Forretress) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 20 SAtk / 220 Def
Bold Nature
IVs: 30 Spd
- Spikes
- Rapid Spin
- Volt Switch
- Hidden Power [Ice]
Serperior (Mamoswine) @ Life Orb
Trait: Thick Fat
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Ice Shard
- Icicle Spear
- Stealth Rock
Typhlosion (Tornadus-Therian) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Regenerator
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature
- Hurricane
- Focus Blast
- Sleep Talk
- U-turn
Meganium (Breloom) @ Toxic Orb
Trait: Poison Heal
EVs: 212 SDef / 236 HP / 60 Spd
Careful Nature
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Seed Bomb
- Spore
Reuniclus: This guy is a nuissance: nothing on my team can hit it for super-effective damage, and the best I can manage is Perish Song to the Calm Mind users. Other than that, elbow grease is all I can hope for.
Gyarados: Although he struggles to switch in to most of my team, Sub versions can use Politoed (and Forretress, to a lesser a extent) as set-up fodder. With more of them running more speed to beat out Torny-T after a Dragon Dance, I have to play very carefully, as he can easily crush my whole team.
Starmie: Life Orb Starmie is a dangerous sweeper, and no one on my team can safely switch into it. Starmie's fairly predictable, so I can usually bait it with Forretress and Volt Switch to Torny-T to threaten it. But it's not always so simple.
Jirachi: This thing is a pain in my cooch. I'm powerless against speedy Calm Minders, and Scarfers usually make me over-predict and fail hard. It's the only Pokemon that I can't even come close to a 2HKO with Tornadus-T's Hurricane, and can in turn paralyze or begin to set up. Spikes can help with this, but it's often a stretch.
