First team!

[ThisDarkNight]

Hey guys,

I decided to try make my first competitive team and decided on a rain dance team for my heart gold. Im not sure how good the team is but im open to suggestions.

Crobat @ Damp Rock
Inner Focus
Hardy Nature
104 HP 152 Def 252 Spe
-Rain dance
-Taunt
-U-turn
-Roost

I decided to use Crobat as a lead so that i can get a quick rain dance on as well as taunting the opponent in the next turn, after setting up he will be U-turning out to one of my sweepers. Roost was given just in case i need to make him last more than two turns.

Ludicolo @ Life Orb
Swift Swim
Modest Nature
32 HP 252 SpAtk 224 Spe
-Hydro Pump
-Energy Ball
-Ice Beam
-Rain Dance

Ludicolo will be used as a special sweeper early on in the game. I gave him energy ball to take out any water types that might cause me trouble (my friends Swampert) and Ice Beam to take out any nasty dragon types.

Floatzel @ Focus Sash
Swift Swim
Adamant Nature
200 HP 252 Atk 56 Spe
-waterfall
-Return
-Ice Punch
-Aqua Jet

Floatzel will be used as my physical sweeper mainly relying on waterfall for its STAB damage. I didnt give it much speed because i figured that in the rain it would be fast enough as it is.

Kabutops @ Choice Band
Swif Swim
Jolly Nature
4 HP 252 Atk 252 Spe
-Aqua Jet
-Stone Edge
-Slash
-Aqua tail

Another sweeper raping in the effects of swift swim. Not much to say about him as he will be used in the same way as Floatzel.

Kingdra @ Choice Specs
Swift Swim
Rash Nature
208 HP 136 SpAtk 164 Spe
-Waterfall
-Hydro Pump
-Rain Dance
-Draco Meteor

Another Sweeper (Do i have too many?) with rain dance incase i need to bring another downpour, and two water moves for STAB damage. (draco Meteor is just there because its an awesome move)

Magnezone @ Leftovers
Magnetpull
Hardy nature
40 HP 252 SpAtk 216 Spe
-Light screen
-Thunder
-Explosion
-Gyro Ball

Magnezone will be used to take advantage of a thunder that will never miss. Explosion was added for when it gets low on HP in order to take out an enemy pokemon that could be a threat to the lest of the team.

Anyway thats the team, comments an suggestions would be great.

Cheers ThisDarkNight

 

[B-Zard]

Hi ThisDarkNight, nice team.

There are three things that rain dance teams like yours don't like: opposing sandstorm teams and hail teams and thirdly opposing rain dance teams with electric types + STAB thunder. Ttar, Hippowdow and Abomasnow can switch in and with their ability change the weather conidition to either sandstorm (Ttar and Hippow) or Hail (Abomasnow) without making an attack. It is really important for your team to take care of this treads since otherwise they will constantly changing your weather condition. A CB Scizor set can take on this treads and since Scizor has a 4 times fire weakness it also benefits from rain dance since fire type moves are weakend. This is the set:

Scizor @ Choice Band
Adamant Nature, 244 hp, 252 att, 12 speed
- Bullet Punch
- Pursuit
- Superpower
- U-turn

Scizor is a very dominant poke in the game, allowing him to take down many pokes. It is pretty bulky, has a few resistances and only one weakness. BP allows him to take down Ttar and Abomasnow, Pursuit is to trap Ghost types and Psychic types. Superpower is to hit steel types and stuff whereas U-turn gets STAB and combined with max att and an choice band can do some nice damage on the switch. I would use this set over Magnezone since you didn't really have an answer to hail and sandstorm teams and to me your only benefit from Magnezone was that it had STAB Thunder so without rain dance it is pretty much useless.

As I noticed before your team doesn't really have an answer to electric types. A good poke that can handle these is a Dugtrio and with its amazing ability can trap pokes. It is fast and with its STAB Earthquake can take down electric type pokes. I would use it over Floatzel since you already have a good physical poke in rain dance: Kabutops. Here is the set:

Dugtrio @ Choice Band/ Life Orb
Jolly/ Adamant Nature, 4 hp, 252 att, 252 speed
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Sucker Punch
- Substitute/ Pursuit/ Aerial Ace

Nature and item depends on what you like. Jolly Nature makes you really fast whereas Adamant nature gives more power. Choice Band lockes you in one move and Life Orb lets you switch between it at the cost of 10% health every move you make.

I would change Kabutops item to a Life Orb. You won't be happy if you're locked into the wrong move, having to switch out and wasting another turn of rain dance. This is the set I recommend:

Kabutops @ Life Orb
Adamant/ Jolly Nature, 4 hp, 252 att, 252 speed
- Swords Dance
- Aqua Jet
- Stone Edge
- Waterfall

With Swords Dance, great STAB moves combined with an impressive Attack stat, this version of Kabutops can be a devastating sweeper. Stone Edge and Waterfall + Aqua Jet provide a very good coverage, only resisted by a few pokes. Waterfall is a deadly, reliable STAB move that has a chance to flinch. A Swords Dance and Life Orb boosted Aqua Jet is a very potent weapon and can OHKO many fast but frail sweepers. Stone Edge is there to hit pokes that resist Water Type moves.

Lastly there's Kingdra. It is a really good rain dance sweeper but with a choice item it just doesn't have the chance to switch between its moves just like your CB Kabutops had. Your moveset looks okay but I would change the item to a Life Orb and your hp evs into attack.

Good luck with your team!

 

[ThisDarkNight]

Hello,

thanks for the input B-Zard!
I am in the process of getting a scizor ready now to replace Magnezone.
I was wondering if there is any other way i can take advantage of STAB thunder with this team?
Do you recomend adding it to another of my pokemon?

Thanks again for the help!

ThisDarkNight

 

[B-Zard]

Well Rotom-W has STAB Thunder and it has Hydro Pump meaning Rain Dance really helps Rotom-W, although I don't really know which poke you should replace it for; maybe Ludicolo since you really need Kingdra and Scizor to take down Bliss who is otherwise a pain in the ass. Rotom-W is pretty fast and has electric type resistance which also helps against opposing electric types with Thunder. It can also support your team by setting up Rain Dance. This is the set I recommend:

Rotom-W @ Damp Rock/Life Orb/Leftovers
Modest/Timid Nature
- Rain Dance
- Thunder
- Hydro Pump
- Shadow Ball/ Hp Ice

Rain Dance is there to support your team as I told you before and Rotom-W also benefits from it. Thanks to STAB Thunder to scare most Water-type, barring Swampert, it makes it difficult for the opponent to use the rain effectively against Rotom-W. While Shadow Ball gets STAB, Hp Ice hits Grass-types such as Roserade and Breloom harder. The item depends what you think is more important to you. Damp Rock means you get 8 turns of rain meaning you can make use of it longer. Life Orb is there for some extra power, whereas Leftovers gives you some health back every turn, meaning Rotom-W can live longer. Although Modest is the recommended nature, Timid can be used to outrun Adamant Lucario.
Hope I helped you!

 

[ThisDarkNight]

Hey mate,

After considering all my options i added a scizor and the dugtrio as you suggested.

Thanks for all the help, Im much more pleased with this team.

ThisDarkNight

 

[Watswrong]

I would like to suggest an Electrode as lead as it has an insane base speed at 140,

Electrode @ Damp Rock
EV : atk 252 / hp 4 / speed 252
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Static

Explosion
Mirror Coat
Rain Dance
Taunt

This has helped me so much as a lead, as it is able to out speed and taunt, or just set up rain dance straight away, once you've set up, its your choice, switch or Explode on them.