Thundurus

[Lamppost]

After Thundurus got banned from Wifi OU, new management for the DW OU tier was established, and a bunch of Pokemon were set free in DW OU, I knew that Thundurus would be a top threat just as it was in Wifi OU before its ban. Just as in Wifi OU, this will be a top threat and will definitely be one of the first Pokemon considered to ban.

Base Stats:
HP: 79
Atk: 115
Def: 70
SpA: 125
SpD: 80
Spe: 111 (troll speed)

Thundurus is a very versatile Pokemon and can run a few different sets. It can just a straight up Nasty Plot LO sweeper, a Sub Nasty Plot sweeper, and it can even play a support rule passing around paralysis with priority Thunder Wave thanks to Prankster.

Here are some of Thundurus' best sets:

Thundurus @ Life Orb
Ability: Prankster
Evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+ Spe, - Atk)
-Nasty Plot
-Thunderbolt
-Focus Blast
-Hidden Power Ice

This is probably the best and most effective set that Thundurus can run. There's so few counters to this that it can sweep teams with ease with very little team support. Obviously Rapid Spin to keep rocks off helps Thundurus set-up easier, thus allowing it to sweep quicker. Hidden Power Ice along with Thunderbolt give Thundurus a pseudo bolt-beam combo for amazing coverage, resisted by few. Focus Blast is there to round out the coverage and hit Pokemon such as Blissey, Tyranitar, and Heatran for super effective damaege.

Here's the Thunder Wave set:

Thundurus @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)
-Thunder Wave
-Thunderbolt
-Taunt / Hidden Power Ice
-Focus Blast / Hidden Power Ice

This set can be very annoying if unprepared for. This set is actually mostly effective because people are unprepared for it. With Garchomp being unbanned, T-Wave Thundurus, Tyranitar, and Garchomp can really make a great offensive core since Garchomp will seem near impossible to hit. An alternative EV Spread of 252 HP / 252 Spe could be considered if you want Thundurus to survive for a longer time, but IMO this is generally the superior moveset so Thundurus isn't a sitting duck after it throws out a T-wave.

There's probably a few more sets that you could run such as Choice Specs in the rain to abuse Thunder, or maybe even a Scarf set although i wouldn't see the benefit in that.

Discuss!

 

[Steamroll]

Once again I can see Quagsire usage rising just to answer the usage of Thunderbro. Due to how important the coverage Hidden Power Ice provides, hitting Gliscor, Virizion, Lati@s, Dnite, Celebi and quite a few other notable mons, you'd be digging yourself in a deep hole just to answer Quagsire. Beyond Quagsire there is only Dugtrio who can actually stand up to Thundurus, being able to outspeed and OHKO (91.3% - 108%) after rocks, Life Orb or other damage. Dugtrio can run a choice band, still outspeed, and clean kill but will probably be forced out by whatever comes in.

 

[Jukain]

In Dream World OU, Thundurus is still really good. However, with Excadrill, Chandelure, Deoxys-S, and Garchomp to check/counter it, there really aren't too many big problems. (Note all but Chandelure banned before Thundurus, Chandelure not being released.)
Thundurus was only banned after all these extremely potent checks were removed. I haven't played DW OU since the very first stages, but I look foward to making a team and testing out Thundurus in a metagame fully prepared to deal with it. Choice Scarf Defensive Chandelure. (What a crappy idea, but what fun it would be for Thundurus to Thunder, only to notice that Chandelure doesn't die, and then killing it with
1 Fire Blast after Stealth Rock. Even though Deoxys-S is like twice as good at this but still, this works in an alternate dimension, so bear with me. Also Light Screen makes it a 3HKO, presuming you keep hazards off the field. Deoxys-S can nicely provide that Light Screen) I'm not even kidding, EVs of 248 HP / 100 SpA / 160 Spe and a Choice Scarf with the moves Fire Blast, Shadow Ball, Hidden Power Ice, and Energy Ball, with a Calm nature, +2 Thunder with Light Screen does 76.47%-90.4%. That of course assumes Thunder, with Thunderbolt, which is more common, doing 60.68%-71.52%, not even an OHKO after Stealth Rock. Now what if you say hey pokemon0078, this alternate dimension still has rain. Well, my answer to that is there is a reason HP Ice is there, as a failsafe in the instance that something goes wrong. This is not only useful for Thundurus, but also works for other Choice Scarf Chandelure. Of course this all assumes Light Screen, without which you can only survive a +0 Thunder, and die to your fellow Chandelure. If you switch in on the HP Ice and Thundurus has taken Stealth Rock damage, you are golden. Anyways, crappy theoretical sets aside, I welcome the rest of the discussion to their thoughts.

 

[Matthew]

I never found the Thundurus sweeping sets ever anything to write home about in OU. The one thing I completely adored about Thundurus was that no speed-reliant sweeper was safe with it in production. With Thunder Wave Thundurus around sweepers need to either: run Lum or get rid of Thundurus. The latter not being the easiest thing to do despite the Stealth Rock weakness. Even with Thundurus' massive base Speed I feel like its presence in a metagame forces things to slow down and not be so reliant on Speed to sweep. So I'm interested in seeing if it'll go that route.

 

[tomtom5858]

I never found the Thundurus sweeping sets ever anything to write home about in OU.

I 6-0ed (or 4-0ed, or whatever the score was when Thunderbro came in) many a team with this 'mon, and that was with Lum Berry and Thunderbolt, hardly the most powerful variation.

BTW you're getting my vote for worst name change of the year, NatGeo changed back.

 

[eriados]

If you can lure an HP Ice or FB Starmie can switch in and revenge it. Fat chance, though.

 

[tomtom5858]

If you can lure an HP Ice or FB Starmie can switch in and revenge it. Fat chance, though.

Can Starmie even take a +2 Focus Blast?

 

[tehy]

It can also switch in on Np, and hell yes it can.