One Night In Bangkok
"One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble . . .
Not much between despair and ecstasy.
One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble . . .
Can't be too careful with your company.
I can feel the devil walking next to me."
. . .
"One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster . . .
The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free.
You'll find a god in every golden cloister . . .
A little flesh, a little history.
I can feel an angel sliding up to me."
~One Night In Bangkok, Chess/Murray Head
"One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble . . .
Not much between despair and ecstasy.
One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble . . .
Can't be too careful with your company.
I can feel the devil walking next to me."
. . .
"One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster . . .
The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free.
You'll find a god in every golden cloister . . .
A little flesh, a little history.
I can feel an angel sliding up to me."
~One Night In Bangkok, Chess/Murray Head
Hello to you all. I'm Arceus Of Heaven, but you just call me AoH. I've been inspired by competitive battling (at last) and decided to hop on the "bandwagon" with this. I read up on Blue Thunder's team here, and was inspired to create a variation of his awesome team. I based it on my two favorite legendaries from way back when, Zapdos and Latios (partially due to the fact that I don't like to use Thundurus), but I've recently switched to Raikou (and then to Jolteon). My team seems loosely based on his team, and it is, but I decided to switch the sets and a few Pokemon around. Now, without further adieu, my team, One Night In Bangkok. (Keep in mind, I'm relatively new to the competitive scene, so I am less experienced with the metagame than most of you.)
[align=center]Team Building Process
[align=center]Team Building Process
First and foremost, what would the Rain Team be without the Rain? Drizzletoed was my obvious first pick, and the fact that I used a Kyogre in Ubers back when SS+Drizzle was legal made sure I knew what I was doing. Because of Blue Thunder's description, I chose Specs Politoed over others.
After that, I inserted the first member of the offensive core, Latios. This one is mostly a clone of Blue Thunder's Latios, though I considered a few move swaps. His main job is to be my back-up special sweeper and absorb common water weaknesses without a scratch, such as his relation to Politoed. I don't regret this addition at all.
Next, I needed a Dragon resistance, and one who could abuse the rain well. Two Pokemon jumped my mind, Ferrothorn and Scizor, and since I needed a physical sweeper here, Scizor became my choice. His Steel typing is the only one to resist Dragon, and his one weakness (Fire) is nullified by Rain. He made the perfect addition to this team.
Next up, I needed a wall, a wall that could fire back. I also needed some Sandstorm haters, so given the fact that I had Scizor on my team, Rotom-W was added on. They have perfect defensive synergy, cover each other's checks, and can cripple a vast amount of the metagame. Plus they both aid in Latios's sweeps by smashing down Tyranitars and other Scizors and the like. Rotom-W also has the advantages of STABRain Hydro Pump and STAB 100% accuracy Thunder in this weather.
Next, I found myself having a problem, a HUGE problem, with Thundurus itself. (Surprise!) None of my team could reliably fight it, so I put on the best Thundurus check I think possible, good ol' Gastrodon. This slug is also a great switch-in to many Rain Dance staples like Rotom-W, as it stops both his STAB attacks cold. This has to be my most valuable tech choice. Now, I could have placed Ferrothorn in, but what good would that have done with Focus Blast royally owning him? Gastrodon was much better.
Finally, it came down to my main sweeper. I held this off for last so I could decide what my team worked best around. Since this team resembles Blue Thunder's, Thundurus came to mind very quickly. But the problem is, I think Thundurus is too broken, and thus, I consider using him juvenile. That broiled my options down to a handful. Zoroark Movie Raikou appeared to me as a great choice due to his blistering speed, great coverage attacks, and exceptional Sp. Defense. But his Defense scared me away. And so, an old favorite from Gen Four made his way to the team, Zapdos. His Defenses were the best of every Electric Type I could choose from save Magnezone, and he nearly duplicated Thundurus. Sure he has only 100 speed, but his BoltBeam coverage along with Steel-destroyer Heat Wave sold him to me. Thus, Zapdos became the second part of the offensive core, and my primary sweeper go-to.
After some testing, I found Gastrodon, that while serving as a great Thundurus check and Rain counter, lacked the set of resistances I needed. It also lost the entry hazards set up needed with Scizor and Rotom-W. So, with Thundurus banned from PO, I switched off to the most defensive Steel-type I've ever seen, and I think it has some worth over Ferrothorn - Registeel.
After some more thinking, and Bippa's suggestion, I found I lacked any Excadrill counters with Gastrodon gone. So, with Registeel helpless against Excadrill, a bigger counter and self-healing bird was put on, Skarmory. This addition is the physical defensive pivot I've lacked, and due to it being able to cause residual damage on its own, I found it worthwhile.
After the startling revelation of having no Rock coverage for Zapdos and having no Electric resistance, a shift again came- this time the main sweeper. Raikou replaces Zapdos in my most interesting move. I gain an Electric resist and lose my Rock weakness, plus I gain a Pokemon much faster than Thundurus ever was. It can boost to insane levels as well. This CM-Offense Raikou I came to is my best sweeper possible with Thundurus out.
About 4 weeks later, after extreme testing, I decided to (with shadow_scyther's advice) combine two Pokemon into one. Rotom-W was getting too predictable, and Raikou, for some reason, couldn't get it done when trying to set up a CM. So, Jolteon took both of their places. Now, without a sweeper of any sort, enter Toxicroak, who patches up the weaknesses left in the absence of Rotom-W (A second Terrakion option among other things). This has to be my most awkward switch so far, but Toxicroak's entrance has made it a faster team than with the aggressive Zapdos set I played earlier.
I waited in thought for about two weeks after the last change, searching for a suitable replacement for Toxicroak, who just proved to be inconsistent in prediction (a la Sucker Punch). Patrick329 and Bippa suggested a Mienshao over him, and to say the least, it was what I'd been looking for. The mink is a much better scout and sweeper than I ever found in his position, and the fact that I'd used him to great success in the past just solidified my position. I now have a consistent VoltTurn core with two sweepers at its helm: Latios and Mienshao.
HipHop (Politoed-M) @Choice Specs
Modest
252 HP/252 SAtk/4 Spe
Drizzle
~Hydro Pump
~Focus Blast
~Ice Beam
~Psychic
This is the weather set-up, since without him, no rain and no cornerstone. He functions as a lead blaster, being able to rid me of Tyranitars, Hippowdons, Ninetails, Abomasnows, and other Politoeds. He runs Hydro Pump for the STAB, as 270 BP can't be ignored. Focus Blast is for Ttar and Abomasnow, and for hitting Ferrothorns that dare face me. Gliscor, Landorus, Tornadus and Dragons get the Ice Beam. Psychic is to get KOs on Toxicroak that try to switch in safely and get surprised. I, like Blue Thunder, thought he was originally dead-weight, but I was proved wrong as well. He proves to be an able-sweeper if the time presents itself, and his prowess at tanking Special hits is somewhat valuable.
Coverage:
Electric- Latios, Jolteon
Grass- Latios, Scizor, Skarmory
Dragstrip (Latios-M) @Life Orb
Timid
4 HP/252 SAtk/252 Spe
Levitate
~Draco Meteor
~Psyshock
~Surf
~Recover
This a fairly standard set for Latios on Rain Teams, but I give Blue Thunder the credit for showing me it. He goes Life Orb for added power, and in Rain he has three STAB moves. Draco Meteor is my main STAB move of choice, a brutal shower from the skies that dents or KOs most everything that is neutral to it. Anything but resists will not like it, but even Skarmory and Forretress hate facing him. Psyshock is chosen so that if Scizor and Mienshao are gone or crippled I can still ram through Chansey and Blissey, as well as being the option against any Virizion and Terrakion who may have a field day otherwise, especially the former. Surf is basically a STAB move in Rain, and is my weapon against Infernape, Ninetails and Gliscor. Recover is for recovery...
Overall, Latios serves as the offensive powerhouse of the team, always an option to revenge kill or sweep in the wake left by the three VoltTurners.
Coverage:
Dragon- Scizor, Skarmory
Ice- Politoed, Scizor
Ghost- Scizor, Skarmory
Dark- Scizor, Skarmory, Mienshao
Bug- Scizor, Skarmory, Mienshao
ChromeShot (Scizor-M) @Choice Band
Adamant
248 HP/252 Atk/8 Spe
Technician
~Bullet Punch
~Superpower
~Quick Attack
~U-Turn
Scizor is the lone revenge killer here, and a darn good one. I elect to go CB so I have a huge power boost. Bullet Punch is an obvious standard on Scizor, with Technician and STAB and LO working for it, plus Priority. this is a great cleanup move for when Latios, Mienshao and Jolteon make their cases on the opponent's team. Superpower is for Ferrothorn, Tyranitar, Gastrodon, and other things that take neutral damage from it. Quick Attack has replaced Pursuit because it allows me to KO Volcaronas that survive Rotom-W and Latios's assaults. U-Turn is a means of switching out and scouting, as well as a secondary STAB.
Scizor's spread is the standard offensive CB's, with maxed HP and Attack (248/252) to hit hard and reduce entry hazard damage. Eight Speed EVs lets Scizor tie with other ones.
Coverage:
Fire- Politoed, Latios
Falchian (Skarmory-F) @Leftovers
Impish
248 HP/232 Def/28 Spe
Sturdy
~Stealth Rock
~Roost
~Whirlwind
~Brave Bird
Skarmory is the latest addition, and a very pivotal one as well. I chose to go for endurance with Leftovers over Shed Shell, mainly because I haven't seen a single Magnezone come in on anything but Scizor or Jolteon for some reason and not one Wobbuffet. Brave Bird is its STAB move, helping against Grass types that may still be in, as they are a problem for a bit of the team. Whirlwind provides its own phazing and racks up residual damage given by either SR or Spikes. Roost is the recovery option, as it's the only wall that has recovery and supports like I need it to. SR was put on over Spikes because my team is seriously weak to Volcarona, and my team doesn't have a spin blocker, so I need to get it set up ASAP. Dragonite and Tornadus may also fall victim to SR too. This is the big pivot I've needed.
The EVs allow for amazing Defensive bulk and in general, a highly effective set-up on physical attackers. 248 HP was selected for an odd number with SR rounded down by it and to shift four EVs to Speed, where twenty-eight outpaces Wobbuffets if they do trap me and other Skarms so that I can Whirlwind them out first, among other things.
The name comes from "Falchion", a broad, slightly convex medieval sword with a sharp point, but modified for the Female version.
Coverage:
Electric- Latios, Jolteon
Fire- Politoed, Latios
Dealanach (Jolteon-M) @Life Orb
Timid
4 HP/252 SAtk/252 Spe
Volt Absorb
~Volt Switch
~HP Ice
~Thunder
~Shadow Ball
Jolteon is the one who has now been hit by the "burden" weight, as taking both a Rotom-W and a Raikou off this team was hard to do. But I believe this set has proved its usability. Instead of a boostable sweeper or a Scarfer, I now have a scout that can hit hard off the bat, switch attacks, AND replenish his health, something the other two couldn't do at all. I run a Life Orb over C-Specs because locking into a V-Switch as a Hippowdon, Landorus or Gliscor switches in is plain annoying. Now I can actually outspeed them (lest Landorus be Scarfed) and do the honors with HP Ice.
The moveset is pretty simple when it came to picks: I took the scouting of Scarftom and the offensive moves of Raikou and tossed them together. Volt Switch is the main allure of the set, combining with Scizor for a mindgame of momentum (Although not as good as Rotom-Scizor, as they covered each other's weaknesses). It also allows him to get out of tight spots while still doing damage. HP Ice was selected for coverage, mainly against Dragons (Dragonite/Salamence/Haxorus), Ground-types (Landorus/Gliscor), and Grass-types (Breloom or something other). Thunder is my main sweeping option, hitting all the stops in rain due to the accuracy boost and hitting even resists for a healthy amount of damage. Shadow Ball rounds the set out with more coverage against Gengar, Alakazam (who I can outspeed comfortably), and the newly present Deoxys-D, who shall be making more appearances now that Deoxys-S is flying high in Ubers. It also allows Jolteon to hit Latios/Latias harder than HP Ice would and OHKO Azelf (even though Thunder would do more anyways). (If any Golurk show up, Shadow Ball them, too.)
The name "Dealanach" is Scottish-Gaelic for "Lightning".
Coverage:
Ground- Skarmory, Latios
Shao Time (Mienshao-M) @Life Orb
Naive
4 HP/252 Atk/252 Spe
IVs: 30 HP/30 Def
Regenerator
~Hi Jump Kick
~U-Turn
~Fake Out
~HP Ice
Newly replacing Toxicroak as the prime physical sweeper on the team, Mienshao brings his martial arts to Thailand to stay. I can say that this one may be riding with the team for quite awhile, as he forms a third of the VoltTurn core that this team revolves around. Hi Jump Kick is his major move, a STAB-boosted assault that has astonishingly good coverage in this metagame. I rely on him to break through the pink duo through this. U-Turn is his part of the offensive core of the team, scouting potential switch-ins to HJK or such and switching to a suitable counter. Mienshao also heals himself through this by route of Regenerator. Fake Out is a move that breaks Sashes, scouts out Choice items/Leftovers, and, most importantly, breaks Dragonite's Multiscale ability, allowing me to promptly take it out via his next move, Hidden Power Ice. HP Ice is there for this reason as well as breaking down Gliscor and Landorus that can wreak some surprising havoc on this team otherwise. Overall, Mienshao gets superb coverage and great utility in one set, practically making him a jack-of-all-trades Fighting type.
The EVs are situated so that his Attack and Speed are maxed out to tie with other Mienshaos, outspeed opposing unboosted Landorus, and hit as hard as possible. A Naive nature lets his Special Attack let HP Ice do the right amounts of damage while lowering his largely unnoticeable Special Defense, as most priority moves are physical. Due to the placement of Mienshao's IVs, I put an extra four EVs in HP to keep at an odd number. Finally, a Life Orb gives him the sweeping power needed to tackle all that he can, and Regenerator gives him back 30% of his health after switching out, practically negating LO's recoil.
Mienshao's name, "Shao Time", is a play on Show Time, signifying that Mienshao is the team's energy and finisher. This mink is what gets the team rolling.
Coverage:
Flying- Skarmory, Jolteon
Psychic- Latios, Scizor, Skarmory
Previous Team Members:
Voltrix (Zapdos) @Leftovers
Timid
4 HP/252 SAtk/252 Spe
Pressure
~Thunder
~HP Ice
~Roost
~Toxic
Being chosen over Thundurus puts a big load on his shoulders (wings), but he doesn't disappoint. I chose Pressure over Lightningrod due to having an Electric immunity already in Gastrodon, and Zapdos getting the ability to PP-wear out Politoed and Rotom-W and other 5 PP attackers. Thunder, while getting a big boost from Lightningrod switches, still retains enough strength to heavily dent even neutral takers like Scizor and Tyranitar on switch-ins and is the main STAB. HP Ice found its way on as a staple, completing the BoltBeam combo for ultimate coverage, and to take out Gliscor and other Dragons. Roost is the only reliable healing move and I don't think it's legal with Lightningrod anyways. Toxic is chosen for the residual damage it gets while dealing with walls like Blissey that don't have cleric-like sets.
Coverage:
Rock- Skarmory will do, as there are no Special Rock moves
Ice- Politoed, Scizor, Rotom-W
Plivial (Gastrodon-M) @Leftovers
Modest
252 HP/252 SDef/4 SAtk
Storm Drain
~Scald
~Ice Beam
~Stockpile/Toxic
~Recover
Gastrodon, credit for set to Chillarmy, earned a spot for being able to function in Sand, Rain, and Sun all at once. I run Leftovers as the standard heal item, and I chose Modest over Bold because Gastrodon doesn't hit hard enough to dent as many things as it could if it goes Bold. Scald is my main STAB, status infliction and Rain abuse. Ice Beam nails Gliscor and Hippowdon, as well as being a small Freeze chance attached to him. I run Stockpile because I have ways to deal with Rotom-W already, but the Defenses are on the high side already, so I'd like opinions on if I should sub out Stockpile for Toxic incase it's a one-on-one with him. Stockpile is also my wall effect versus Excadrill and Landorus. Recover is my recovery, need I say more? Overall, Gastrodon is a great addition in having two immunities, crazy bulk and acting as a good swap-out for Rotom-W.
Coverage:
Grass- Latios, Scizor, Zapdos
Claymore (Registeel) @Leftovers
Sassy
252 HP/252 SDef/4 Def
Clear Body
~Earthquake
~Toxic
~Thunder Wave
~Stealth Rock
Registeel is the best all around defensive wall I've EVER seen. At the current IVs and EVs I have it at, it reaches 222 SDef and 170 Def at LV. 50. Ferrothorn doesn't even come close, even in the HP depot. If anything tries an Intimidate or other stat-lowerer, Clear Body shrugs it right off. Stealth Rock is its big merit for the team, being the only one besides Ferrothorn to learn it and actually fit. It's the only entry hazard I have. Toxic is another status move to cripple other walls. Thunder Wave is its big weapon against all opposing Ferrothorn since it has 30 whole speed base points on them. It also serves to enable Zapdos and Latios to outspeed otherwise problematic matchups like Landorus against Zapdos and Crobat against Latios. Earthquake is its best method to hit other Steel walls and Toxicroak that try to switch in and KO. Ttar also gets hit trying to set up Sandstorms.
The EVs I've given it allow him to tank against nearly all Special Sweepers in existence. Latios, Latias, Venusaur (lest they carry HP Fire), and the list goes on. And on. It's proven invaluable. Gastrodon, being a bigger threat now, is also helpfully walled by this spread as well.
Coverage:
Fighting: Latios, Zapdos
Ground, Latios, Rotom-W, Zapdos
Fire: Politoed, Latios, Rotom-W
HAZOP Red (Rotom-W) @Choice Scarf
Modest
252 SAtk/252 Spe/4 HP
Levitate
~Hydro Pump
~Volt Switch
~HP Ice
~Trick
Rotom-W took the role of playing Gliscor killer and weather lead, among other things. Hydro Pump has 270 BP in rain, making perfect sense as the main STAB, as well as being the only Water move it learns. This variant forces switches like a Pokemon Catcher (Bad...), and being Scarfed, it's much faster than the weather leads that are so omnipresent. With the current set, it can take out Ninetails, Tyranitar and Politoed with little trouble. Leading with him over Politoed is a much better approach, letting me either switch into an appropriate counter or KO a weather war before it starts. Politoed is at the absolute mercy of Rotom-W especially due to its Volt Switch STAB. HP Ice helps eliminate Gliscor and Landorus, as well as Dragons and problematic Grass-types. Trick let's it cripple walls like Chansey, Blissey and Gastrodon by locking into a support move like Toxic. Its annoyance and defensive synergy with Scizor make it invaluable.
Coverage:
Grass- Latios, Scizor, Skarmory
Atronarix (Raikou) @Life Orb
Timid
4 HP/252 SAtk/252 Spe
Pressure
~Thunder
~HP Ice
~Shadow Ball
~Calm Mind
Let me tell you, taking Zapdos off the team wasn't easy, but I feel like Raikou can handle this job much easier. It has much more bulk and Speed than Thundurus, and more special bulk and Speed than Zapdos. I decided that the Z-Movie one, being Rash, wasn't fast enough, so I chose a CM-Offense version that works great in Thundurus's stead. Thunder is its optimal STAB move and crux of the set. HP Ice is to attain near perfect coverage in the famed BoltBeam combo as well as hitting Ground, Dragon and Grass Pokemon that resist Thunder. Shadow Ball is on for good neutral coverage, as well as being a top filler-in for Aura Sphere. With Deoxys-S's ban, I expect an increase, however slight, of Deoxys-D usage, prompting me to be able to hit it super-effectively. Calm Mind though is the staple, a move that sets it apart from Thundurus in the form of a massive Special wall. I know that the top WW user, Skarmory, wouldn't dare show its face, so my set-up is safe from phazing. Milotic, Latias and Gyarados won't come in either unless Latias knows I won't use HP Ice and starts CMing herself. There is literally no stopping the set-up unless you resist both offensive moves.
The EVs are standard, being used to make Raikou as threatening and fast as possible before the CM.
Coverage:
Ground- Latios, Rotom-W, Skarmory
Mephetis (Toxicroak-M) @Black Sludge
Adamant
252 HP/252 Atk/4 Spe
Dry Skin
~Substitute
~Bulk Up
~Drain Punch
~Sucker Punch
Now, this new addition I did not see coming. I was looking at Smogon sets for OU Pokemon and I came across this version of Toxicroak, perfect for clean-up sweeping and checking Jellicent, one big threat to the team as a whole (that and the fact that I needed another physical attacker). I use Black Sludge over Leftovers because Tricking him only to find the Trick user suffering each turn is much better - they share the same recovery percentages even for Toxicroak.
My set is different from most Toxicroaks used on rain teams (Exp. the Offensive SD one with Ice Punch). That's because I need this one to suit the team's troubles. I prefer the Substitute version for eliminating the status that normally plagues Toxicroak when facing Jellicent (WoW) and other bulky waters. Bulk Up is a way to slowly build up physical bulk and strength so that most neutral hits won't break the Sub. Drain Punch is the crux here, the main move that gives Toxicroak more health to activate Subs. His HP is virtually limitless if untouched due to Dry Skin (12.5% a turn), Black Sludge (6.25% a turn) and whatever damage Drain Punch does. Sucker Punch is his other attacking move, used for playing with Psychic-types while behind a Sub and taking on Jellicent, even though the latter, when used in a support role makes for the most frustrating mindgames. It can net quick KOs most times, but it takes prediction to use it efficiently.
The EVs just max the HP and Attack stats of Toxicroak, standard fare for a set-up sweeper most times.
The name "Mephetis" is just my variation of "mephetic", or noxious.
Coverage:
*Fire (Due to Dry Skin)- Politoed, Latios
Psychic- Latios, Scizor, Skarmory
Flying- Skarmory, Jolteon
Ground- Latios, Skarmory
Threat List:
Gastrodon can wall a bit of the team. I aim to Trick a Scarf on it, then wear it down with Latios's Psyshock and Scizor's U-Turn. Latios is my big weapon against it save Ice Beam. Mienshao can also smash it into a puddle through HJK.
Kingdra may be a problem as a counter, but it is prone to hazards and may be hit on the switch by Latios's Draco Meteor. This is the largest threat.
Magnezone can trap Skarmory and kill it should I not go Shed Shell. I'm aiming to either Superpower it with Scizor as it switches in or rack up Spikes damage. Politoed's FB is also an option on non-Scarf variants. Mienshao destroys non-Subbed versions with his HJK.
Volcarona seems to be almost as big as Kingdra. A +1 in the Sun with Quiver Dance and the bulk it has specially, oh my. It may be dealt with with SR, but Latios's Surf in Rain may be my only saving grace. Quick Attack on Scizor is an option to come in after Latios goes down. Finally, a Fake Out and resisted HJK by Mienshao can still take a chunk ou of it.
Terrakion can be a threat to any team, but Latios can outspeed and OHKO. Skarmory can wall it aptly as well.
Dragonite used to be a big one like Kingdra, but Politoed, Jolteon and Mienshao carry Ice moves. Mienshao also has Fake Out to cut the Multiscale up before attacking, and Latios wields the mighty Draco Meteor.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article, and I appreciate all comments and fixes. I posted this team because I've been to PO and done fairly well with it, but I'm intent on making it a hardcore team.
~AoH[/align]
[it's really too bad. I like lightningrod.] Anyways, Heat Wave on a rain team is basically a no-no. With rain in play, anything Steel that would normally take super effective damage from Fire moves will only take neutral damage instead. The only exceptions are Ferrothorn and Scizor. Scizor is only hit for 20 less power with Thunder Anyways, plus thunder will never miss (in rain), and it has a 30% chance to Paralyse, compared to Heat Wave's 90 Accuracy, and 10% burn chance. Ferrothorn is the only thing that gets hit harder by Heat Wave, but that won't even be an OHKO in rain, so I'd just dump it all together. I'd add Toxic instead, so you can catch Blissey, Swampert, and Gastrodon switch-ins off guard.
