As if you need me to tell you, this gen is all about Weather Wars. After fiddling around with the various weathers at my disposal, I found Rain to be the most alluring. Perhaps because I'm a Seattleite? Sands constant residual damage just didnt fit my tastes, and Suns lack of really good abusers that AREN'T Stealth Rock weak was also a turn off. Then there's Hail, which is like Sand and Sun taking their worst attributes and producing some sort of illegitimate love child that is allergic to everything.
Anyways, with my poison picked, it was time to assemble a team.
Team Building
This team has been a loooong time coming, starting sometime around early March, or late February. At this point in time, it was meant for play in Betas DW Tier. A lot of Pokemon passed through the team, so this may take a bit.
First up was, of course, Politoed. I could have gone the hipster route and done manual Rain, but uh, that's just stupid.
Next up, I needed something that could make use of the Rain, while also not being heavily dependent on it being around. I had been using Starmie on my recent teams at the request of my GF, and found it to be as good as they say, so it got a slot on the team.
Next I wanted a Swift Swim abuser. After trying out both Kingdra and Ludicolo, I eventually settled on the Dragon, both for his great typing and because I love his design.
Things get a little hazy here, so Ill just improvise how I think things went. Ferrothorn is good. I knew this since the games were released in japan, and had been using one since then. I had gotten to the point where I couldn't make a team without him, I was hooked. Anyways, this guy provides tone of useful resistances, as well as hazards. At the time, I was running a SubSeed set.
It's my philosophy, and I'm sure most everyone else's, to always have a Ground immunity and an Electric immunity. In comes Zapdos, one of my favorite Pokemon to use, who got a boost with Lightning Rod. I had to drop Heatwave though, because hurr durr no tutors.
There was another filler Pokemon before Toxicroak, but I don't even remember the thing. Anyways, after Ferrothorn got loved tenderly by Sub Bulk Up Toxicroak, I decided he would make a fine addition to my team, providing a great counter to other Ferrothorns and Conkeldurrs.
I felt Starmie and Zapdos were too redundant, and I was not a fan of Zapdos's Undercover Mineral weakness, so I switched him out for Special Landorus. Let me tell you, this thing is GOOD. Sheer Force LO boosted Psychics are enough to bring down even Machamp. I also needed a better Dragon Counter, and Sneaky Pebble support, so I swapped out Ferro for Bronzong. At this point in the process, I felt I had a complete DW Team for Betas DW OU. Smogons server was still young at this time. According to my E4 Record, this team was done at least by March 10.
Smogon's server has opened with enough people on it to warrant me wanting to play on it. I started out in its DW tier as well, however I finally decided that I was SICK of ST Chandelure, and so moved over to Standard OU. This was also post DrizzleSwim ban, so that meant even more changes needed to be made. Firstly, as a long time Garchomp fan, I thought he would make a great addition to the team, providing me with an absolutely deadly physical sweeper, as well as retaining a Dragon for the team. Landorus also had to go, a Special Landorus just doesn't hit as hard without that Sheer Force boost. In comes his brother, Tornadus. Nothing enjoyed taking those Spec'd STAB Hurricanes. I also switched up the order of my team, because Im OCD about those things.
My innate fear of Secretive Flintstones strikes again! Tornadus had to go, and was replaced by physically defensive Rotom-W, whose superb typing helped to counter things like Gyarados, or give no fucks about Flinchrachi. Along with this, he could provide WoW support, which would help neuter things like Tyranitar. STAB Hydro Pumps and Thunders also hurt like a bitch.
Almost there. 2 levitators seemed like it would be nothing to worry about. However, the fact that Haxorus existed meant the whole team was in danger of getting swept should one set up. This meant I needed an actual Ground immunity, so in comes Skarm. He still provides the Rocks I crave, and the resistances I need, while also providing my team with a phazer to fuck with Baton Pass chains, among other things.
Finally, I felt that RW and Starmie yet again had redundant coverage. For a long time, I had been craving a Grass type for the team. It would provide much wanted Grass STAB, as well as useful resistances to Electric and Ground. First I tried Tinker Bell Celebi, which I was fairly pleased with. STAB LO Leaf Storms were extremely lethal, and TWave support was nice. But it wasnt fast enough, nor did it have that great of coverage I wanted. Fortunately for me, Gamefreak actually made something that fit the bill. Sceptile is strong, fast, and has superb type coverage. It was also able to threaten a lot of tanks and walls that I have trouble with, such as Ferro, Jellicent, Skarm, and TTar. And with that, my team felt complete.
The team
Ah, finally, the actual team.
Politoed (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 16 HP / 252 SAtk / 240 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Surf
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Ice Beam
I hate Politoed. Aesthetically, its derp, and not in the good way like with Stunfisk. Its stats are horribly mediocre too. Thankfully for it, it was blessed with being a water type, and more importantly, Drizzle. I tried various other sets for Politoed, and all of them were underwhelming. Finally, I just settled on a straightforward Scarf Set. A Modest nature lets Politoed hit as hard as it can, which is actually pretty good thanks to Rain Boosted STAB Surfs. Surf used to be Hydro Pump, however the accuracy was always a pain, and Starmie already has Hydro Pump. Obviously, max Special Attack investment to hit hard, but the speed is the main focus. Politoed is a slow son of a bitch, but with a Scarf, it can get juuuuusssst enough speed to outrun important threats, most notably, Base 111s, aka, the Genies. I chose this speed tier to outrun, because Politoed happens to have just enough power to KO them with a bit of residual damage, usually provided in the form of Stealth Rock damage, or LO recoil. Politoed can also net things like OHKOs on other Glass Cannons like Gengar or Mienshao, and 2HKOs on most anything that is neutral to Water, and doesn't have significant Sp Def investment. Even then, it can sometimes power its way though things like CM Reuniclus who think they can take a hit and set up in Politoeds face. In a pinch, Politoed has been known to pull of late game sweep by spamming Surf, another reason why I chose the more accurate move. One last thing, putting Politoed in the lead slot helps to draw out Rotom-Ws to the lead position, letting me set a match off on the right foot with Sceptile.
Starmie @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Thunder
- Ice Beam
- Recover
Ah, Starmie. I know I shouldn't say it, but whatever. Starmie is the star of the show. The set is fairly straight forward, so I don't think I really need to do a lot of explaining. Thunder over Thunderbolt because Sp Def Jellicent can Toxic Stall the fuck out of Starmie. Recover keeps him healthy throughout the match. Natural Cure allows Starmie to act as a scout for status moves, usually coming off of Blisseys and Chanseys that switched in to counter Starmie. It really helps in determining my next move. Now the main attraction to using Starmie is Hydro Pump. NOTHING says FUCK YOU like a STAB, Rain boosted LO Hydro Pump. Hydro Pump can easily 2HKO +1 Reun, and even if you switched in on the Calm Mind, it can't live though another Hydro Pump. Hydro Pump also OHKOs Scizor, 2-3HKOs standard offensive Rotom-W, OHKOs Garchomp, and 2HKOs Latios after Stealth Rock, among many other things. Basically, anything that doesn't resist it is going to die in 1-2 shots.
Sceptile (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Overgrow
EVs: 24 HP / 252 SAtk / 232 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Leaf Storm
- Focus Blast
- Dragon Pulse
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Sceptile is on this team because of power, speed, and typing. This is basically the 4th gen set, actually, it is the 4th gen set. I saw no need to tweak it for 5th gen. Speed outruns max speed Choice Scarf TTar, which although uncommon, I may as well be prepared for, since the next speed tier down is base 115, a mere 5 points away. The rest is put into HP for a very, very slight touch of added "bulk." Leaf Storm is his main Stab, and hits everything really hard. Focus Blast hits pesky Steel types, but most notably, it puts a huge dent in TTar, though it fails to KO the standard 252/76 sets due to Sandstorm. This is mostly inconsequential, as it maims him enough that missing out on the KO isnt a big deal. Dragon Pulse gives me another option to hit Dragons with, though really, Sceptile just has a lack of special moves. Yeah fuck you GF. Lastly, HP Fire. Yes, HP Fire, on a RAIN TEAM. Stupid, right? Not quite. The heavy abundance of Rotom Ws and Ferrothorns wanting to lead against Politoed makes it very worthwhile thanks to Team Preview. Many Sand teams carry one, or both of these Pokemon, meaning Sceptile can lead against them, forcing RW out for fear of Leaf Strorm, and bringing Ferro, or even Scizor, in to take it. Scizor promptly dies, and Ferro is so badly hurt, it is no longer a worry for even the likes of Starmie, who can pick it off with Hydro Pump. If the opponent leads with Ferro, HP Fire still puts a huge dent in it as it sets up rocks. Be warned though, Gyro Ball is a clean OHKO due to Sceptiles insane physical frailty. Finally, if the opponent leads with TTar, he is most likely to switch, fearing Leaf Storm, to Scizor or Ferro. Focus Blast will do about 50% to both Scizor and Ferro, allowing Sceptile to finish them off with HP Fire. Scizors OHKO with Bullet Punch, however they usually tend to opt for U Turn or Pursuit, allowing them to be surprised by HP Fire. Be wary, an unhealthy Scizor is VERY likely to Bullet Punch. As well as being my most often chosen lead because of his great coverage, Sceptile is also a good check to the tanks and walls roaming around OU, such as Skarm, RW, Jellicent, etc, all of which can give the team's other sweepers trouble. Also, as I've mentioned, Sceptile is very frail, and can't really switch into many attacks throughout the match. Most of his work will be done early game. This is his main downfall. Leaf Storms recoil also means you need to do well to predict when your opponent will switch and when he won't. A miss prediction can easily lose Sceptile.
Croaker (Toxicroak) (M) @ Black Sludge
Trait: Dry Skin
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Drain Punch
- Bulk Up
- Sucker Punch
- Substitute
Probably the biggest abuser of Rain on the team. Toxicroak is my go to man for countering bulky fighting types, most notably Conkeldurr, who ALWAYS loses out to Toxicroak. Unless he scores a crit... Now then, a bulky set on Toxicroak seems foolish at first glance, with his 83/65/65 defenses. However, what he lacks in sheer defense, he makes up for in superb typing. Along with Heracross, he is the only Pokemon that resists the ever popular Fighting/Dark moves that so many Pokemon rely on for coverage, which is usually accompanied by Stone Edge, if anything at all, for SE coverage. Resisting ALL of those types allows toxicroak to work his magic. The EV are quite honestly, arbitrary. 136 Def brings Toxicroak to 200 defense, making those Bulk Ups actually count, and the rest is dumped into HP for better all around bulk. I used to run a set with slight speed investment to always outrun max speed TTar, but found that to be unnecessary, since DD TTar is very rare these days. Dry Skin recovery + Black Sludge allows Toxicroak to heal off nearly an entire Subs worth of HP every turn. This allows him to things such as PP Stall low PP moves, like Machamps Dynamic Punch, which is the only move Machamp commonly carries that can break a sub in one shot. Substitute is very important to this set, allowing Toxicroak to avoid status from slower opponents, as well as safely hit faster targets that could potentially OHKO for lots of damage. Things that come to mind that fit that bill are Reun, Hydreigon, and Latios. Reun, however, is tricky, as even after several boosts from Bulk Up, Sucker Punch can still have trouble securing a KO. Sucker Punch is also not ideal due to its low PP and the mind games that accompany it. Toxicroak's biggest problems are Bulky Ghosts, who sport support moves, and Gengars with Substitute. Gengar is especially annoying to deal with, because everything that can check it also takes hefty damage from it.
Jupiter (Garchomp) (M) @ Yache Berry
Trait: Sand Veil
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
- Aqua Tail
A pretty straightforward Garchomp. Yache helps Garchomp take Ice attacks from the likes of TTar, Verizion, Gliscor, Thundurus, etc, allowing him to set up in their face or tank the hit and KO back with +2 Dragon Claw. The most notable thing about this Garchomp, is the the use of Aqua Tail. With Rain support, Garchomp now practically has 3 STAB options. The best use for Aqua Tail, however, is that it ruins Gliscors, hoping to tank a few hits and KO with Ice Fang. In the Rain, it's a clean OHKO at +2, and out of rain, it's a clean 2HKO. Aqua Tail also allows Garchomp to check Balloon Excadrill in a pinch. Garchomp also functions as the teams Electric immunity, however this is a bit tricky to accomplish, due to his severe allergy to Ice attacks. Sure he has Yache, but wasting that on a mis-predicted Electric attack is not good. Also, +2 Aqua Tail is capable of 2HKOing physically defensive Skarm in the rain, however, this is difficult to manage since he will just phaze you after the first hit.
Mercury (Skarmory) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Brave Bird
- Stealth Rock
- Roost
- Whirlwind
Skarmory is my defensive pivot, I suppose. He provides tons of resistances, and is the only thing that's going to be resisting Dragon. In the rain, he's a full stop to Garchomps, even when they carry Fire Fang/Blast, taking only about 25% from either of them. He's also a full stop to Haxorus, unless it has a Rivalry boost. I chose the specially defensive set because it does a better job of covering all the bases, as well as providing me with a good switch in to Spec'd Latios's Draco Meteors. However, they still hurt a lot, taking out about 50% of Skarms HP. On the other hand, since Latios is Spec'd and is at essentially -1, it won't be able to KO Skarm before it can Roost off the damage. Being specially defensive also lets Skarm give less fucks about other non STAB fire attacks. The moveset is the standard one. Brave Bird is good STAB and avoids Skarm becoming Taunt bait, SR for entry hazard support, because fuck you Volcarona and Dragonite, Roost for recovery, and Whirlwind for phazing.
Time for
THE THREAT DOWN
These are the Pokemon that the team tends to have moderate, to severe trouble with. I'll put asterisks next to anything that give me really bad trouble. Of the ones listed, only RW and Zapdos give me trouble on their own. The rest usually involve some pairing such as SkarmBliss. Number of asterisks sorta indicates threat level. This section is LONG. I don't think reading it is extremely relevant to rating the team, but more relevant if you intend to use it. Skipping it is quite alright.
Aerodactyl - Usually in the lead position, don't risk Politoed, so send in Starmie to take care of it.
Azelf - Pretty much the same as Aero.
Breloom - Toxicroak easily deals with both STABs, as well as the odd Stone Edge. Just avoid losing Toxicroak to Spore.
Chandelure - Stealth Rock support+ Sucker Punch can easily put an end to them. They like taking on Toxicroak because of Dry Skin.
Conkeldurr - Toxicroak is your man.
Darmanitan - SR Support, you really just gotta abuse resistances and Rain to take those Flare Blitzses.
Deoxys-S - Not much you can do to stop it from shitting hazards/setting up screens. It usually leads, so hit it hard with Starmie usually the best course of action.
Dragonite - Yeesh. Rev up them Rocks. After that, Starmie and Garchomp can easily dispatch of it, Sceptile too, but you would want a bit more residual damage than just one SR switch in.
Electivire - Hydro Pump it to death. if it manages to get a speed boost, Garchomp can take an Ice Punch thanks to Yache.
Empoleon - Toxicroak handles most everything Empoleon can throw at him, leaving him with only Ice Beam as an attacking option.
Espeon - Hydro Pump it baby. Surf or Sucker Punch work too.
Excadrill - Big, bad Excadrill. >implying he's big. Neutering his speed is your first priority. After that, he is babbies. However, in the event you can't do that, your best bet is getting Toxicroak behind a Sub, or Garchomp, who, if healthy, can tank an EQ and OHKO with +0 Aqua Tail. Skarm is you best switch in mid game, unless Rock Slide flinches you to death. Assuming it doesn't, you can pop the balloon with BB, roost, and WW it away for another day. But in the end, the most important thing to do is to take out TTar or the hippo.
Garchomp - Skarmory. Duh. In the rain, Skarm gives no fucks about +2 Fire fangs and Fire Blasts, and can easily BB or WW Garchomp away. Skar is also the best way to figure out if he's Scarfed or not, or if he has a Yache. If there's no Yache or Scarf, Starmie can easily make mincemeat out of him. Sceptile may have D Pulse, but STAB Leaf Storms hit harder.
Gengar - This tricky ghost is tricky. Toxicroak can Sucker Punch it to death, easily, but it if carries Sub, it's a whole nother story. Most anything on the team can hit it for hefty amounts of Damage. Your most preferred course of action is to surprise it with CS Politoed, who easily OHKOs with Surf. Double Switching to Starmie from Skarm means you can get an Easy OHKO in with Hydro Pump.
Gyarados - This is one of the biggest threats to the team. Rain boosts his STAB Waterfalls, meaning Skarm is out of the question. Sceptile can 2HKO with Leaf Storm if on decides to set up on it. Your best bet is to send in a healthy Starmie and OHKO with Thunder. If youre lucky, and your opponent lacks Taunt and EQ, Toxicroak can come in on Gyarados and alternate between Sub and Bulk Up to avoid Bounce. Non bulky full out offense variants are VERY tricky, but also very uncommon.
Haxorus - Skarm. No fucks will be given if it has Brick break.
Heatran - Find out if it's Scarfed. No Scarfed? Garchomp, Starmie, Politoed, and Sceptile all put it in the ground. Toxicroak too, but you may want a sub up. He has been known to occasionally take an Earth Power at full health and strike back with Drain Punch, but that's a last ditch effort scenario.
Heracross - Scarfed? Toxicroak can deal with it, resisting both STABs and threatening to set up. No Scarfed? Toxicroak again, unless EQ for some stupid reason, or Starmies Hydro Pump will OHKO.
Hydreigon - Again, find out if it's choiced, and what item it's choiced into. Anything but Scarf can be taken care of by Sceptile's Focus Miss. Some residual damage will be wanted if you plan on taking it out with Dragon Claw or Ice Beam. If it's Scarfed, just predict correctly to take the Draco Meteors or other moves it may lob at you, and work it into a check mate position.
Infernape - Starmie, though he doesn't like them U Turns, so be careful of that. It isnt the end of the world if you switch into one. Toxicroak, thanks to the rain, gives very few fucks about Infernapes Fire attacks, in a pinch.
Jirachi - Another tricky devil. Garchomp can deal with it just fine, but if you get Body Slammed instead of TWaved, then you have a problem. If that's the case, then your next best bet is Starmies Hydro Pumps, which can 2HKO sp def variants in the rain.
Jolteon - It may be crude, but your best bet against it is to use Yache Chomp to take the HP Ice. No HP Ice? Lucky you, Garchomp just plain curb stomps it. Sceptile too, as Leaf Storm OHKOs.
Kingdra - Avoid setting up rain until this fucker is gone. Garchomp can outrun and OHKO with Dragon Claw, and Toxicroak can Bulk Up alongside it.
Landorus - Garchomp Aqua Tails are a nasty surprise for this guy, looking to switch into EQs. Watch our for Scarfed HP Ice though, as that would be a terrible thing to waste the yache on. Starmie and Politoed also can deal with this guy.
Latios - I hate these things. The only thing standing between Draco meteor and my whole team is Skarmory. And geuss what? Latio can and will carry Thunderbolt. First order of business is to determine if it's Scarfed or not. Skarm is our best way of doing this, as Spec'd DMs will do ~50%. If you don't get those results, it's either Scarfed, or mayyyybe Expert Belted. From there, try to rack up residual damage on it. 2-3 switch ins with Stealth Rock puts Latios in KO range for Starmie, Sceptile, and Toxicroak. For Toxicroak, however, it is preferred you be behind a sub, so as to avoid Trick.
Lucario - Starmie and Sceptile can OHKO with Hydro Pump and Focus Miss, respectively. Toxicroak can take a +2 ESpeed, provided hes at +1 Def, and can then OHKO with Drain Punch, Garchomp OHKOs with EQ, naturally.
Machamp - This guy is tricky too. If leading against it, your best bet is to double switch to Toxicroak from Starmie to avoid Dynamic Punch, and then to PP Stall with Sub, provided it's raining. Overall, Toxicroak is your best bet against this guy.
Magnezone - Is it Scarfed? No? Starmie OHKOs with Hydro Pump. The other options should be obvious.
Mamoswine - Starmie or Politoed give no fucks.
Metagross - Guess what. Hydro Pump it. EQ works too, ofcourse.
Mienshao - People use this? Anyways, it's usually a lead. Lead with Politoed against it, and OHKO with Surf after the fake Out. They almost never see it coming. Watch out for the occasional Scarf. If that doesn't work, Hydro Pump it, Leaf Storm it, or set up on it with Toxicroak.
Reuniclus - Calm Mind sets are easily dealt with using Hydro Pump. if you miss, Skarm has enough special bulk to WW it away. Reun only gets really tricky if it's the TR Set. When you get this instead of Calm Mind, it's best to just keep switching until TR wears out, so that Starmie can take care of it with Hydro Pump. Politoed may be a safer bet though, as it doesn't fear Shadow Ball like Starmie does.
Salamence - Ice Beam it. it isnt that hard. If it gets a boost, Scarmory has Rain to fall back on to take a Fire Blast with and WW him away.
Scizor - Starmie OHKOs with Hydro Pump. As mentioned in Sceptiles overview, HP Fire is a great way to surprise kill it early game.
Scrafty- Toxicroak is a full stop, resisting both STABs and killing with with SE Drain Punches. However, once in a blue moon, someone will carry Zen Headbutt on it, usually on a DD set.
Serperior - AHAHAHAHAHA
Shaymin - Skarm in the rain. After enough residual damage, feel free to Ice Beam it.
Sigilyph - These can be tricky if you let them get out of control. The way to deal with them is to hit them very hard, very fast. No one does that better than Starmie.
Starmie - Oh my. Bolt Beam actually covers this whole team quite well. Sceptile can easily out speed and OHKO, but if that's not an option, Toxicroak is only 3HKOed by BoltBeam, and threatens to set up or Sucker Punch.
Terakion - Pretty much everything hits it for SE except Skarm.
Thundurus - Ive heard a lot of people comment on how potent this guy is, but he is almost always securely checked by this team. Garchomp can take a TBolt and can then attract HP Ice, letting Starmie switch in an OHKO with Hydro Pump after LO recoil, and ALWAYS OHKO in the rain. But it's tricky, because of Garchomps Ice weakness. Yache helps to alleviate a one time mistake, but even then, your opponent may see the next switch coming.
Togekiss - Hydro Pump it/Thunder it with Starmie. Natural Cure means you can shrug off paralysis.
Tornadus - Hydro Pump it. Hydro Pump solves everything. But wait, Starmie can't take a STAB Spec'd Hurricane! Youll have to do some maneuvering with Skarm to get it into a check mate position.
Tyranitar - Hes big, hes bad, and even though everything but Skarm hits it with SE STAB, he still manages to give no fucks. As described in the Sceptile overview, Sceptile is your best bet to not only lead against one of these monsters, but also to put the hurt on it. However, Focus Miss won't OHKO the standard Spe Def sets running around these days, but it will do enough. Garchomp scares him away like no one business, and Toxicroak threatens to set up on him or Drain punch him into oblivion. Starmie and Politoed, despite having SE Stab against TTar, are not recommended for taking him out without prior damage.
Virizion - Toxicroak resists both STABs, but can still be overwhelmed by Focus Miss with enough boosts under the belt. +2 Garchomp can take the HP Ice thanks to Yache and can OHKO with DClaw. Skamr threatens to OHKO with BB, but takes hefty damage from +1 Focus Misses.
Volcarona - While Volcarona is my favorite Gen 5 Pokemon, it's also one of my biggest nightmares, which is od for a Rain team. First and foremost, you GOTTA pack them rocks. If you see this thing coming, do everything in your power to set up Rocks ASAP. or you could be in a world of hurt. If things don't work out as planned. Skarm can take a fire attack in the Rain, if very healthy, and KO with BB. Sturdy can help too if rain isnt an option. Garchomp can also put the hurt on ith Aqua Tail, however he runs the distinct rick of being burned. Starmie can of course deal with Volc, provided it has no boosts.
Weavile - Skarm and Toxicroak.
Zoroark - Well, it's hard to say. You need to keep track of it on the opponents team. If you can do that, Starmie, Politoed, and Sceptile can all deal with it. If you can't, then you need to play safe until you can. A well played Zoroark, though rare, is dangerous.
***Blissey - Find out what Status move it has using Starmie. If it Toxic, feel free to switch Toxicroak in, if it's TWave, feel fee to send Garchomp in. Skarmbliss still causes this team a world of hurt. There's almost no sure fire way to deal with it.
Bronzong - Hydro Pump it to death, or set up on it with Toxicroak.
Celebi - Ticky Grass type. It's too sturdy to be OHKOed by Ice Beam, so you need to wittle it down as much as possible to get it into KO range.
***Chansey - Same as Blissey.
**Dusclops - Starmie can 2HKO, but it's a toughy, as it hits back with Shadow Sneak.
**Ferrothorn - Sceptile can take out half of its health with Focus Miss, and 80% with HP Fire. In both scenarios, Starmie can actually finish it off with Rain boosted hydro pumps, if it decides to switch in on them later in the match. Otherwise, Toxicroak can easily set up on it. Ferrocent limits that option to only Sceptile to cover both threats well.
Forretress - Hydro Pump it or set up on it with Toxicroak.
Gliscor - Garchomp is your best way to deal with this fucker. After him, Sceptile can OHKO most variants with Leaf Storm.
Hippowdon - Starmie and Sceptile can deal with it. Garchomp too.
**Jellicent - On its own, this guys is no big problem. Sceptile easily dispatches of it with Leaf Storm, and Starmie can spam Thunders to get rid of it. Just look out for the odd Ghost STAB.
***Latias - A VERY tough nut to crack. Ice beam can only do around 50%, allowing it to easily CM and recover. Skarm can cock block it, as most only carry DPulse, and WW it away to be dealt with later. but there are really no secure ways to deal with it. If it has Roar though, it threatens to steam roll the whole team.
Ninetales - Garchomp says hi. Starmie can OHKO after Stealth Rock due to the sun.
Politoed - Starmie, Sceptile, and Toxicroak all can handle this guy.
Porygon2 - Toxicroak can Sub up before being Twaved and start to set up on P2, eventually driving it out with Drain Punch.
****Rotom-W - This guys is very tricky. Your best bet against it is Sceptile. But Sceptile is frail, can can't always be around to check it. If you can rack up enough damage on it, Starmie can manage a KO with Thunder, or even Hydro Pump. However, he threatens to burn or kill everything on the team.
**Skarmory - Really only a problem when accompanied by Blissey. Hydro Pump it, thunder it, Focus Blast it, any special attack will do.
Snorlax - Toxicroak and Skarm.
Swampert - Hydro pump yet again comes to the rescue, easily 2HKOing the mudfish. Sceptile is a given.
Tentacruel - URFQUAKE up in here.
Vaporeon - Starmie can easily take him out with Thunder, and doesn't care too much about Toxic. If it lacks Roar, Toxicroak can set up on it.
Whimsicott - These guys are annoying, nothing more. Constant switching helps to resolve this thing the best, preventing it from successfully Sub Seeding anything, and forcing it to constantly set up a new sub, eventually wearing it down. Heaven forbid if someone was smart enough to set up hazards first.
****Zapdos - My much loved Zapdos comes back to haunt me. Seriously, this is one of the biggest threats to the team, as nothing I have can reliably dispatch of it. If Garchomp had Stone Edge, sure, but then that opens up a world of hurt from the likes of Gliscor and Balloon Excadrill, who are both much more common. Best thing to do is to sac something to get enough damage racked up on it so Starmie can take it out with Hydro Pump.
Conclusion
Oh thank god it's almost over. I haven't written this much in fucking ages. Overall, I am fairly happy with this team, and am currently in the high 1300s, about to break 1400, again. I tried to cover all my bases, but god knows I missed something. So feel free to ask any questions on things I may have missed. Don't bother recommending a set to use over the one I have for Toxicroak now, I'm too attached to it, and it works fine anyways.
Anyways, with my poison picked, it was time to assemble a team.
Team Building
This team has been a loooong time coming, starting sometime around early March, or late February. At this point in time, it was meant for play in Betas DW Tier. A lot of Pokemon passed through the team, so this may take a bit.
First up was, of course, Politoed. I could have gone the hipster route and done manual Rain, but uh, that's just stupid.
Next up, I needed something that could make use of the Rain, while also not being heavily dependent on it being around. I had been using Starmie on my recent teams at the request of my GF, and found it to be as good as they say, so it got a slot on the team.
Next I wanted a Swift Swim abuser. After trying out both Kingdra and Ludicolo, I eventually settled on the Dragon, both for his great typing and because I love his design.
Things get a little hazy here, so Ill just improvise how I think things went. Ferrothorn is good. I knew this since the games were released in japan, and had been using one since then. I had gotten to the point where I couldn't make a team without him, I was hooked. Anyways, this guy provides tone of useful resistances, as well as hazards. At the time, I was running a SubSeed set.
It's my philosophy, and I'm sure most everyone else's, to always have a Ground immunity and an Electric immunity. In comes Zapdos, one of my favorite Pokemon to use, who got a boost with Lightning Rod. I had to drop Heatwave though, because hurr durr no tutors.
There was another filler Pokemon before Toxicroak, but I don't even remember the thing. Anyways, after Ferrothorn got loved tenderly by Sub Bulk Up Toxicroak, I decided he would make a fine addition to my team, providing a great counter to other Ferrothorns and Conkeldurrs.
I felt Starmie and Zapdos were too redundant, and I was not a fan of Zapdos's Undercover Mineral weakness, so I switched him out for Special Landorus. Let me tell you, this thing is GOOD. Sheer Force LO boosted Psychics are enough to bring down even Machamp. I also needed a better Dragon Counter, and Sneaky Pebble support, so I swapped out Ferro for Bronzong. At this point in the process, I felt I had a complete DW Team for Betas DW OU. Smogons server was still young at this time. According to my E4 Record, this team was done at least by March 10.
Smogon's server has opened with enough people on it to warrant me wanting to play on it. I started out in its DW tier as well, however I finally decided that I was SICK of ST Chandelure, and so moved over to Standard OU. This was also post DrizzleSwim ban, so that meant even more changes needed to be made. Firstly, as a long time Garchomp fan, I thought he would make a great addition to the team, providing me with an absolutely deadly physical sweeper, as well as retaining a Dragon for the team. Landorus also had to go, a Special Landorus just doesn't hit as hard without that Sheer Force boost. In comes his brother, Tornadus. Nothing enjoyed taking those Spec'd STAB Hurricanes. I also switched up the order of my team, because Im OCD about those things.
My innate fear of Secretive Flintstones strikes again! Tornadus had to go, and was replaced by physically defensive Rotom-W, whose superb typing helped to counter things like Gyarados, or give no fucks about Flinchrachi. Along with this, he could provide WoW support, which would help neuter things like Tyranitar. STAB Hydro Pumps and Thunders also hurt like a bitch.
Almost there. 2 levitators seemed like it would be nothing to worry about. However, the fact that Haxorus existed meant the whole team was in danger of getting swept should one set up. This meant I needed an actual Ground immunity, so in comes Skarm. He still provides the Rocks I crave, and the resistances I need, while also providing my team with a phazer to fuck with Baton Pass chains, among other things.
Finally, I felt that RW and Starmie yet again had redundant coverage. For a long time, I had been craving a Grass type for the team. It would provide much wanted Grass STAB, as well as useful resistances to Electric and Ground. First I tried Tinker Bell Celebi, which I was fairly pleased with. STAB LO Leaf Storms were extremely lethal, and TWave support was nice. But it wasnt fast enough, nor did it have that great of coverage I wanted. Fortunately for me, Gamefreak actually made something that fit the bill. Sceptile is strong, fast, and has superb type coverage. It was also able to threaten a lot of tanks and walls that I have trouble with, such as Ferro, Jellicent, Skarm, and TTar. And with that, my team felt complete.
The team
Ah, finally, the actual team.
Politoed (M) @ Choice Scarf
Trait: Drizzle
EVs: 16 HP / 252 SAtk / 240 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Surf
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Grass]
- Ice Beam
I hate Politoed. Aesthetically, its derp, and not in the good way like with Stunfisk. Its stats are horribly mediocre too. Thankfully for it, it was blessed with being a water type, and more importantly, Drizzle. I tried various other sets for Politoed, and all of them were underwhelming. Finally, I just settled on a straightforward Scarf Set. A Modest nature lets Politoed hit as hard as it can, which is actually pretty good thanks to Rain Boosted STAB Surfs. Surf used to be Hydro Pump, however the accuracy was always a pain, and Starmie already has Hydro Pump. Obviously, max Special Attack investment to hit hard, but the speed is the main focus. Politoed is a slow son of a bitch, but with a Scarf, it can get juuuuusssst enough speed to outrun important threats, most notably, Base 111s, aka, the Genies. I chose this speed tier to outrun, because Politoed happens to have just enough power to KO them with a bit of residual damage, usually provided in the form of Stealth Rock damage, or LO recoil. Politoed can also net things like OHKOs on other Glass Cannons like Gengar or Mienshao, and 2HKOs on most anything that is neutral to Water, and doesn't have significant Sp Def investment. Even then, it can sometimes power its way though things like CM Reuniclus who think they can take a hit and set up in Politoeds face. In a pinch, Politoed has been known to pull of late game sweep by spamming Surf, another reason why I chose the more accurate move. One last thing, putting Politoed in the lead slot helps to draw out Rotom-Ws to the lead position, letting me set a match off on the right foot with Sceptile.
Starmie @ Life Orb
Trait: Natural Cure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Hydro Pump
- Thunder
- Ice Beam
- Recover
Ah, Starmie. I know I shouldn't say it, but whatever. Starmie is the star of the show. The set is fairly straight forward, so I don't think I really need to do a lot of explaining. Thunder over Thunderbolt because Sp Def Jellicent can Toxic Stall the fuck out of Starmie. Recover keeps him healthy throughout the match. Natural Cure allows Starmie to act as a scout for status moves, usually coming off of Blisseys and Chanseys that switched in to counter Starmie. It really helps in determining my next move. Now the main attraction to using Starmie is Hydro Pump. NOTHING says FUCK YOU like a STAB, Rain boosted LO Hydro Pump. Hydro Pump can easily 2HKO +1 Reun, and even if you switched in on the Calm Mind, it can't live though another Hydro Pump. Hydro Pump also OHKOs Scizor, 2-3HKOs standard offensive Rotom-W, OHKOs Garchomp, and 2HKOs Latios after Stealth Rock, among many other things. Basically, anything that doesn't resist it is going to die in 1-2 shots.
Sceptile (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Overgrow
EVs: 24 HP / 252 SAtk / 232 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Leaf Storm
- Focus Blast
- Dragon Pulse
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Sceptile is on this team because of power, speed, and typing. This is basically the 4th gen set, actually, it is the 4th gen set. I saw no need to tweak it for 5th gen. Speed outruns max speed Choice Scarf TTar, which although uncommon, I may as well be prepared for, since the next speed tier down is base 115, a mere 5 points away. The rest is put into HP for a very, very slight touch of added "bulk." Leaf Storm is his main Stab, and hits everything really hard. Focus Blast hits pesky Steel types, but most notably, it puts a huge dent in TTar, though it fails to KO the standard 252/76 sets due to Sandstorm. This is mostly inconsequential, as it maims him enough that missing out on the KO isnt a big deal. Dragon Pulse gives me another option to hit Dragons with, though really, Sceptile just has a lack of special moves. Yeah fuck you GF. Lastly, HP Fire. Yes, HP Fire, on a RAIN TEAM. Stupid, right? Not quite. The heavy abundance of Rotom Ws and Ferrothorns wanting to lead against Politoed makes it very worthwhile thanks to Team Preview. Many Sand teams carry one, or both of these Pokemon, meaning Sceptile can lead against them, forcing RW out for fear of Leaf Strorm, and bringing Ferro, or even Scizor, in to take it. Scizor promptly dies, and Ferro is so badly hurt, it is no longer a worry for even the likes of Starmie, who can pick it off with Hydro Pump. If the opponent leads with Ferro, HP Fire still puts a huge dent in it as it sets up rocks. Be warned though, Gyro Ball is a clean OHKO due to Sceptiles insane physical frailty. Finally, if the opponent leads with TTar, he is most likely to switch, fearing Leaf Storm, to Scizor or Ferro. Focus Blast will do about 50% to both Scizor and Ferro, allowing Sceptile to finish them off with HP Fire. Scizors OHKO with Bullet Punch, however they usually tend to opt for U Turn or Pursuit, allowing them to be surprised by HP Fire. Be wary, an unhealthy Scizor is VERY likely to Bullet Punch. As well as being my most often chosen lead because of his great coverage, Sceptile is also a good check to the tanks and walls roaming around OU, such as Skarm, RW, Jellicent, etc, all of which can give the team's other sweepers trouble. Also, as I've mentioned, Sceptile is very frail, and can't really switch into many attacks throughout the match. Most of his work will be done early game. This is his main downfall. Leaf Storms recoil also means you need to do well to predict when your opponent will switch and when he won't. A miss prediction can easily lose Sceptile.
Croaker (Toxicroak) (M) @ Black Sludge
Trait: Dry Skin
EVs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Def
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Drain Punch
- Bulk Up
- Sucker Punch
- Substitute
Probably the biggest abuser of Rain on the team. Toxicroak is my go to man for countering bulky fighting types, most notably Conkeldurr, who ALWAYS loses out to Toxicroak. Unless he scores a crit... Now then, a bulky set on Toxicroak seems foolish at first glance, with his 83/65/65 defenses. However, what he lacks in sheer defense, he makes up for in superb typing. Along with Heracross, he is the only Pokemon that resists the ever popular Fighting/Dark moves that so many Pokemon rely on for coverage, which is usually accompanied by Stone Edge, if anything at all, for SE coverage. Resisting ALL of those types allows toxicroak to work his magic. The EV are quite honestly, arbitrary. 136 Def brings Toxicroak to 200 defense, making those Bulk Ups actually count, and the rest is dumped into HP for better all around bulk. I used to run a set with slight speed investment to always outrun max speed TTar, but found that to be unnecessary, since DD TTar is very rare these days. Dry Skin recovery + Black Sludge allows Toxicroak to heal off nearly an entire Subs worth of HP every turn. This allows him to things such as PP Stall low PP moves, like Machamps Dynamic Punch, which is the only move Machamp commonly carries that can break a sub in one shot. Substitute is very important to this set, allowing Toxicroak to avoid status from slower opponents, as well as safely hit faster targets that could potentially OHKO for lots of damage. Things that come to mind that fit that bill are Reun, Hydreigon, and Latios. Reun, however, is tricky, as even after several boosts from Bulk Up, Sucker Punch can still have trouble securing a KO. Sucker Punch is also not ideal due to its low PP and the mind games that accompany it. Toxicroak's biggest problems are Bulky Ghosts, who sport support moves, and Gengars with Substitute. Gengar is especially annoying to deal with, because everything that can check it also takes hefty damage from it.
Jupiter (Garchomp) (M) @ Yache Berry
Trait: Sand Veil
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Swords Dance
- Aqua Tail
A pretty straightforward Garchomp. Yache helps Garchomp take Ice attacks from the likes of TTar, Verizion, Gliscor, Thundurus, etc, allowing him to set up in their face or tank the hit and KO back with +2 Dragon Claw. The most notable thing about this Garchomp, is the the use of Aqua Tail. With Rain support, Garchomp now practically has 3 STAB options. The best use for Aqua Tail, however, is that it ruins Gliscors, hoping to tank a few hits and KO with Ice Fang. In the Rain, it's a clean OHKO at +2, and out of rain, it's a clean 2HKO. Aqua Tail also allows Garchomp to check Balloon Excadrill in a pinch. Garchomp also functions as the teams Electric immunity, however this is a bit tricky to accomplish, due to his severe allergy to Ice attacks. Sure he has Yache, but wasting that on a mis-predicted Electric attack is not good. Also, +2 Aqua Tail is capable of 2HKOing physically defensive Skarm in the rain, however, this is difficult to manage since he will just phaze you after the first hit.
Mercury (Skarmory) (F) @ Leftovers
Trait: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Brave Bird
- Stealth Rock
- Roost
- Whirlwind
Skarmory is my defensive pivot, I suppose. He provides tons of resistances, and is the only thing that's going to be resisting Dragon. In the rain, he's a full stop to Garchomps, even when they carry Fire Fang/Blast, taking only about 25% from either of them. He's also a full stop to Haxorus, unless it has a Rivalry boost. I chose the specially defensive set because it does a better job of covering all the bases, as well as providing me with a good switch in to Spec'd Latios's Draco Meteors. However, they still hurt a lot, taking out about 50% of Skarms HP. On the other hand, since Latios is Spec'd and is at essentially -1, it won't be able to KO Skarm before it can Roost off the damage. Being specially defensive also lets Skarm give less fucks about other non STAB fire attacks. The moveset is the standard one. Brave Bird is good STAB and avoids Skarm becoming Taunt bait, SR for entry hazard support, because fuck you Volcarona and Dragonite, Roost for recovery, and Whirlwind for phazing.
Time for
THE THREAT DOWN
These are the Pokemon that the team tends to have moderate, to severe trouble with. I'll put asterisks next to anything that give me really bad trouble. Of the ones listed, only RW and Zapdos give me trouble on their own. The rest usually involve some pairing such as SkarmBliss. Number of asterisks sorta indicates threat level. This section is LONG. I don't think reading it is extremely relevant to rating the team, but more relevant if you intend to use it. Skipping it is quite alright.
Aerodactyl - Usually in the lead position, don't risk Politoed, so send in Starmie to take care of it.
Azelf - Pretty much the same as Aero.
Breloom - Toxicroak easily deals with both STABs, as well as the odd Stone Edge. Just avoid losing Toxicroak to Spore.
Chandelure - Stealth Rock support+ Sucker Punch can easily put an end to them. They like taking on Toxicroak because of Dry Skin.
Conkeldurr - Toxicroak is your man.
Darmanitan - SR Support, you really just gotta abuse resistances and Rain to take those Flare Blitzses.
Deoxys-S - Not much you can do to stop it from shitting hazards/setting up screens. It usually leads, so hit it hard with Starmie usually the best course of action.
Dragonite - Yeesh. Rev up them Rocks. After that, Starmie and Garchomp can easily dispatch of it, Sceptile too, but you would want a bit more residual damage than just one SR switch in.
Electivire - Hydro Pump it to death. if it manages to get a speed boost, Garchomp can take an Ice Punch thanks to Yache.
Empoleon - Toxicroak handles most everything Empoleon can throw at him, leaving him with only Ice Beam as an attacking option.
Espeon - Hydro Pump it baby. Surf or Sucker Punch work too.
Excadrill - Big, bad Excadrill. >implying he's big. Neutering his speed is your first priority. After that, he is babbies. However, in the event you can't do that, your best bet is getting Toxicroak behind a Sub, or Garchomp, who, if healthy, can tank an EQ and OHKO with +0 Aqua Tail. Skarm is you best switch in mid game, unless Rock Slide flinches you to death. Assuming it doesn't, you can pop the balloon with BB, roost, and WW it away for another day. But in the end, the most important thing to do is to take out TTar or the hippo.
Garchomp - Skarmory. Duh. In the rain, Skarm gives no fucks about +2 Fire fangs and Fire Blasts, and can easily BB or WW Garchomp away. Skar is also the best way to figure out if he's Scarfed or not, or if he has a Yache. If there's no Yache or Scarf, Starmie can easily make mincemeat out of him. Sceptile may have D Pulse, but STAB Leaf Storms hit harder.
Gengar - This tricky ghost is tricky. Toxicroak can Sucker Punch it to death, easily, but it if carries Sub, it's a whole nother story. Most anything on the team can hit it for hefty amounts of Damage. Your most preferred course of action is to surprise it with CS Politoed, who easily OHKOs with Surf. Double Switching to Starmie from Skarm means you can get an Easy OHKO in with Hydro Pump.
Gyarados - This is one of the biggest threats to the team. Rain boosts his STAB Waterfalls, meaning Skarm is out of the question. Sceptile can 2HKO with Leaf Storm if on decides to set up on it. Your best bet is to send in a healthy Starmie and OHKO with Thunder. If youre lucky, and your opponent lacks Taunt and EQ, Toxicroak can come in on Gyarados and alternate between Sub and Bulk Up to avoid Bounce. Non bulky full out offense variants are VERY tricky, but also very uncommon.
Haxorus - Skarm. No fucks will be given if it has Brick break.
Heatran - Find out if it's Scarfed. No Scarfed? Garchomp, Starmie, Politoed, and Sceptile all put it in the ground. Toxicroak too, but you may want a sub up. He has been known to occasionally take an Earth Power at full health and strike back with Drain Punch, but that's a last ditch effort scenario.
Heracross - Scarfed? Toxicroak can deal with it, resisting both STABs and threatening to set up. No Scarfed? Toxicroak again, unless EQ for some stupid reason, or Starmies Hydro Pump will OHKO.
Hydreigon - Again, find out if it's choiced, and what item it's choiced into. Anything but Scarf can be taken care of by Sceptile's Focus Miss. Some residual damage will be wanted if you plan on taking it out with Dragon Claw or Ice Beam. If it's Scarfed, just predict correctly to take the Draco Meteors or other moves it may lob at you, and work it into a check mate position.
Infernape - Starmie, though he doesn't like them U Turns, so be careful of that. It isnt the end of the world if you switch into one. Toxicroak, thanks to the rain, gives very few fucks about Infernapes Fire attacks, in a pinch.
Jirachi - Another tricky devil. Garchomp can deal with it just fine, but if you get Body Slammed instead of TWaved, then you have a problem. If that's the case, then your next best bet is Starmies Hydro Pumps, which can 2HKO sp def variants in the rain.
Jolteon - It may be crude, but your best bet against it is to use Yache Chomp to take the HP Ice. No HP Ice? Lucky you, Garchomp just plain curb stomps it. Sceptile too, as Leaf Storm OHKOs.
Kingdra - Avoid setting up rain until this fucker is gone. Garchomp can outrun and OHKO with Dragon Claw, and Toxicroak can Bulk Up alongside it.
Landorus - Garchomp Aqua Tails are a nasty surprise for this guy, looking to switch into EQs. Watch our for Scarfed HP Ice though, as that would be a terrible thing to waste the yache on. Starmie and Politoed also can deal with this guy.
Latios - I hate these things. The only thing standing between Draco meteor and my whole team is Skarmory. And geuss what? Latio can and will carry Thunderbolt. First order of business is to determine if it's Scarfed or not. Skarm is our best way of doing this, as Spec'd DMs will do ~50%. If you don't get those results, it's either Scarfed, or mayyyybe Expert Belted. From there, try to rack up residual damage on it. 2-3 switch ins with Stealth Rock puts Latios in KO range for Starmie, Sceptile, and Toxicroak. For Toxicroak, however, it is preferred you be behind a sub, so as to avoid Trick.
Lucario - Starmie and Sceptile can OHKO with Hydro Pump and Focus Miss, respectively. Toxicroak can take a +2 ESpeed, provided hes at +1 Def, and can then OHKO with Drain Punch, Garchomp OHKOs with EQ, naturally.
Machamp - This guy is tricky too. If leading against it, your best bet is to double switch to Toxicroak from Starmie to avoid Dynamic Punch, and then to PP Stall with Sub, provided it's raining. Overall, Toxicroak is your best bet against this guy.
Magnezone - Is it Scarfed? No? Starmie OHKOs with Hydro Pump. The other options should be obvious.
Mamoswine - Starmie or Politoed give no fucks.
Metagross - Guess what. Hydro Pump it. EQ works too, ofcourse.
Mienshao - People use this? Anyways, it's usually a lead. Lead with Politoed against it, and OHKO with Surf after the fake Out. They almost never see it coming. Watch out for the occasional Scarf. If that doesn't work, Hydro Pump it, Leaf Storm it, or set up on it with Toxicroak.
Reuniclus - Calm Mind sets are easily dealt with using Hydro Pump. if you miss, Skarm has enough special bulk to WW it away. Reun only gets really tricky if it's the TR Set. When you get this instead of Calm Mind, it's best to just keep switching until TR wears out, so that Starmie can take care of it with Hydro Pump. Politoed may be a safer bet though, as it doesn't fear Shadow Ball like Starmie does.
Salamence - Ice Beam it. it isnt that hard. If it gets a boost, Scarmory has Rain to fall back on to take a Fire Blast with and WW him away.
Scizor - Starmie OHKOs with Hydro Pump. As mentioned in Sceptiles overview, HP Fire is a great way to surprise kill it early game.
Scrafty- Toxicroak is a full stop, resisting both STABs and killing with with SE Drain Punches. However, once in a blue moon, someone will carry Zen Headbutt on it, usually on a DD set.
Serperior - AHAHAHAHAHA
Shaymin - Skarm in the rain. After enough residual damage, feel free to Ice Beam it.
Sigilyph - These can be tricky if you let them get out of control. The way to deal with them is to hit them very hard, very fast. No one does that better than Starmie.
Starmie - Oh my. Bolt Beam actually covers this whole team quite well. Sceptile can easily out speed and OHKO, but if that's not an option, Toxicroak is only 3HKOed by BoltBeam, and threatens to set up or Sucker Punch.
Terakion - Pretty much everything hits it for SE except Skarm.
Thundurus - Ive heard a lot of people comment on how potent this guy is, but he is almost always securely checked by this team. Garchomp can take a TBolt and can then attract HP Ice, letting Starmie switch in an OHKO with Hydro Pump after LO recoil, and ALWAYS OHKO in the rain. But it's tricky, because of Garchomps Ice weakness. Yache helps to alleviate a one time mistake, but even then, your opponent may see the next switch coming.
Togekiss - Hydro Pump it/Thunder it with Starmie. Natural Cure means you can shrug off paralysis.
Tornadus - Hydro Pump it. Hydro Pump solves everything. But wait, Starmie can't take a STAB Spec'd Hurricane! Youll have to do some maneuvering with Skarm to get it into a check mate position.
Tyranitar - Hes big, hes bad, and even though everything but Skarm hits it with SE STAB, he still manages to give no fucks. As described in the Sceptile overview, Sceptile is your best bet to not only lead against one of these monsters, but also to put the hurt on it. However, Focus Miss won't OHKO the standard Spe Def sets running around these days, but it will do enough. Garchomp scares him away like no one business, and Toxicroak threatens to set up on him or Drain punch him into oblivion. Starmie and Politoed, despite having SE Stab against TTar, are not recommended for taking him out without prior damage.
Virizion - Toxicroak resists both STABs, but can still be overwhelmed by Focus Miss with enough boosts under the belt. +2 Garchomp can take the HP Ice thanks to Yache and can OHKO with DClaw. Skamr threatens to OHKO with BB, but takes hefty damage from +1 Focus Misses.
Volcarona - While Volcarona is my favorite Gen 5 Pokemon, it's also one of my biggest nightmares, which is od for a Rain team. First and foremost, you GOTTA pack them rocks. If you see this thing coming, do everything in your power to set up Rocks ASAP. or you could be in a world of hurt. If things don't work out as planned. Skarm can take a fire attack in the Rain, if very healthy, and KO with BB. Sturdy can help too if rain isnt an option. Garchomp can also put the hurt on ith Aqua Tail, however he runs the distinct rick of being burned. Starmie can of course deal with Volc, provided it has no boosts.
Weavile - Skarm and Toxicroak.
Zoroark - Well, it's hard to say. You need to keep track of it on the opponents team. If you can do that, Starmie, Politoed, and Sceptile can all deal with it. If you can't, then you need to play safe until you can. A well played Zoroark, though rare, is dangerous.
***Blissey - Find out what Status move it has using Starmie. If it Toxic, feel free to switch Toxicroak in, if it's TWave, feel fee to send Garchomp in. Skarmbliss still causes this team a world of hurt. There's almost no sure fire way to deal with it.
Bronzong - Hydro Pump it to death, or set up on it with Toxicroak.
Celebi - Ticky Grass type. It's too sturdy to be OHKOed by Ice Beam, so you need to wittle it down as much as possible to get it into KO range.
***Chansey - Same as Blissey.
**Dusclops - Starmie can 2HKO, but it's a toughy, as it hits back with Shadow Sneak.
**Ferrothorn - Sceptile can take out half of its health with Focus Miss, and 80% with HP Fire. In both scenarios, Starmie can actually finish it off with Rain boosted hydro pumps, if it decides to switch in on them later in the match. Otherwise, Toxicroak can easily set up on it. Ferrocent limits that option to only Sceptile to cover both threats well.
Forretress - Hydro Pump it or set up on it with Toxicroak.
Gliscor - Garchomp is your best way to deal with this fucker. After him, Sceptile can OHKO most variants with Leaf Storm.
Hippowdon - Starmie and Sceptile can deal with it. Garchomp too.
**Jellicent - On its own, this guys is no big problem. Sceptile easily dispatches of it with Leaf Storm, and Starmie can spam Thunders to get rid of it. Just look out for the odd Ghost STAB.
***Latias - A VERY tough nut to crack. Ice beam can only do around 50%, allowing it to easily CM and recover. Skarm can cock block it, as most only carry DPulse, and WW it away to be dealt with later. but there are really no secure ways to deal with it. If it has Roar though, it threatens to steam roll the whole team.
Ninetales - Garchomp says hi. Starmie can OHKO after Stealth Rock due to the sun.
Politoed - Starmie, Sceptile, and Toxicroak all can handle this guy.
Porygon2 - Toxicroak can Sub up before being Twaved and start to set up on P2, eventually driving it out with Drain Punch.
****Rotom-W - This guys is very tricky. Your best bet against it is Sceptile. But Sceptile is frail, can can't always be around to check it. If you can rack up enough damage on it, Starmie can manage a KO with Thunder, or even Hydro Pump. However, he threatens to burn or kill everything on the team.
**Skarmory - Really only a problem when accompanied by Blissey. Hydro Pump it, thunder it, Focus Blast it, any special attack will do.
Snorlax - Toxicroak and Skarm.
Swampert - Hydro pump yet again comes to the rescue, easily 2HKOing the mudfish. Sceptile is a given.
Tentacruel - URFQUAKE up in here.
Vaporeon - Starmie can easily take him out with Thunder, and doesn't care too much about Toxic. If it lacks Roar, Toxicroak can set up on it.
Whimsicott - These guys are annoying, nothing more. Constant switching helps to resolve this thing the best, preventing it from successfully Sub Seeding anything, and forcing it to constantly set up a new sub, eventually wearing it down. Heaven forbid if someone was smart enough to set up hazards first.
****Zapdos - My much loved Zapdos comes back to haunt me. Seriously, this is one of the biggest threats to the team, as nothing I have can reliably dispatch of it. If Garchomp had Stone Edge, sure, but then that opens up a world of hurt from the likes of Gliscor and Balloon Excadrill, who are both much more common. Best thing to do is to sac something to get enough damage racked up on it so Starmie can take it out with Hydro Pump.
Conclusion
Oh thank god it's almost over. I haven't written this much in fucking ages. Overall, I am fairly happy with this team, and am currently in the high 1300s, about to break 1400, again. I tried to cover all my bases, but god knows I missed something. So feel free to ask any questions on things I may have missed. Don't bother recommending a set to use over the one I have for Toxicroak now, I'm too attached to it, and it works fine anyways.
