[OVERVIEW]
Regenerator, a great Speed tier, and access to a wide variety of tools make Tornadus-T a versatile option that can fit on nearly any team. It can act as a supportive utility option with Defog and Knock Off, a specially defensive pivot with an Assault Vest set, or even a specially offensive threat thanks to Nasty Plot and some great coverage options, all while being one of the tier's best checks to the ever-present Rillaboom and Kartana. Despite this versatility, however, Tornadus-T has its shortcomings, namely its weakness to Stealth Rock, limiting how much it can recover with Regenerator if opting to run a non-Heavy-Duty Boots set. This also makes it weak to the common Knock Off, and there are a myriad of threats like Tapu Koko, Zeraora, and Weavile that are able to threaten Tornadus-T and force it out, enabling them to make progress against Tornadus-T's team through pivoting, Knock Off, or Toxic.
[SET]
Utility (Tornadus-Therian) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hurricane / Heat Wave
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Defog
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
High Speed and Regenerator with Defog and U-turn make Tornadus-T one of the tier's best Defoggers, with positive matchups against entry hazard setters like Ferrothorn and Landorus-T and the ability to do decent chunks of damage to threats like Tyranitar and Tapu Lele while pivoting away from them. Knock Off adds further utility, letting Tornadus-T remove Assault Vests, Leftovers, and Heavy-Duty Boots from the likes of Galarian Slowking, Clefable, and Zapdos to make them easier for teammates to break through as well as crippling common switch-ins like Blissey and Heatran by reducing their longevity, particularly Heatran, which Tornadus-T can use Defog on and pivot out against with U-turn after removing its Leftovers. Hurricane threatens Grass- and Fighting-types like Rillaboom and Urshifu-R, while Heat Wave can be used instead to better hit Steel-types like Ferrothorn and Kartana. 168 Speed EVs let Tornadus-T outspeed Kartana, Alolan Ninetales, and Adamant Weavile, and investing leftover EVs in Defense lets it survive Surging Strikes from Choice Band Urshifu-R at full health.
Team Options
========
Tornadus-T fits well on most teams thanks to its excellent role compression and longevity allowing it to provide support for its teammates in numerous ways. Because offensive foes generally fear Knock Off, Tornadus-T can pivot in offensive threats like Tapu Koko and Rillaboom when opposing Knock Off absorbers like Toxapex and Slowbro switch in. Tornadus-T pairs well with Ground-types like Gastrodon and Excadrill that can check threatening Electric-types like Tapu Koko and Zapdos and in turn benefit from its ability to switch into Grass-types like Rillaboom. Because it is weak to Stealth Rock, Tornadus-T appreciates teammates that can absorb Knock Off like Clefable and Toxapex so it can keep its Heavy-Duty Boots. It struggles against specially defensive walls like Blissey and Heatran, so it needs physically offensive partners like Urshifu-R and Garchomp that can break through them. Tornadus-T is still threatened by a number of physical Pokemon like Weavile and Tyranitar despite its defensive investment, and so it benefits from a more physically defensive partner like Melmetal, Buzzwole, or Ferrothorn that can handle them.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Tornadus-T can use Taunt in conjunction with its high Speed to shut down opposing setup sweepers, prevent entry hazards from being set, or stop defensive Pokemon from using status or recovery moves. Similarly, Toxic is an option to cripple opposing Pokemon and limit their effectiveness. Sludge Bomb can be used on more offensive sets to better hit Clefable and Tapu Koko. Superpower is an option to surprise specially defensive switch-ins like Heatran as well as Tyranitar while hitting more consistently than Focus Blast. Weather Ball can be used on hail and sand teams primarily to provide strong coverage against Zapdos while otherwise being a decent neutral attack.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-types**: Tapu Koko, Zeraora, and Zapdos can all easily threaten Tornadus-T with an OHKO or 2HKO while easily taking hits from it. Arctozolt also outspeeds Tornadus-T in hail and OHKOes it with Bolt Beak. Most of these don't like switching into Knock Off and can be pivoted out of with U-turn, but Zapdos in particular can punish Tornadus-T with Static.
**Weavile**: Weavile in particular is threatening to Tornadus-T thanks to outspeeding it if running a Jolly nature and doing significant damage with Ice Shard if running Adamant, though it can't switch into Tornadus-T due to its weakness to U-turn and overall frailty.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Tornadus-T struggles to meaningfully damage most specially defensive Pokemon if not running Superpower, and Heatran and Melmetal are notable for taking very little from its attacks and doing significant amounts of damage back, though it can significantly reduce their longevity by removing their Leftovers with Knock Off.
**Stealth Rock**: Tornadus-T is weak to Stealth Rock, which makes Regenerator less effective and leads to it either relying on Heavy-Duty Boots or needing a teammate that can either remove entry hazards or absorb Knock Off.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/theia.439018/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pulsar512b.469728/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/slowpoke-fan.617219/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Regenerator, a great Speed tier, and access to a wide variety of tools make Tornadus-T a versatile option that can fit on nearly any team. It can act as a supportive utility option with Defog and Knock Off, a specially defensive pivot with an Assault Vest set, or even a specially offensive threat thanks to Nasty Plot and some great coverage options, all while being one of the tier's best checks to the ever-present Rillaboom and Kartana. Despite this versatility, however, Tornadus-T has its shortcomings, namely its weakness to Stealth Rock, limiting how much it can recover with Regenerator if opting to run a non-Heavy-Duty Boots set. This also makes it weak to the common Knock Off, and there are a myriad of threats like Tapu Koko, Zeraora, and Weavile that are able to threaten Tornadus-T and force it out, enabling them to make progress against Tornadus-T's team through pivoting, Knock Off, or Toxic.
[SET]
Utility (Tornadus-Therian) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 88 Def / 168 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hurricane / Heat Wave
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Defog
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
High Speed and Regenerator with Defog and U-turn make Tornadus-T one of the tier's best Defoggers, with positive matchups against entry hazard setters like Ferrothorn and Landorus-T and the ability to do decent chunks of damage to threats like Tyranitar and Tapu Lele while pivoting away from them. Knock Off adds further utility, letting Tornadus-T remove Assault Vests, Leftovers, and Heavy-Duty Boots from the likes of Galarian Slowking, Clefable, and Zapdos to make them easier for teammates to break through as well as crippling common switch-ins like Blissey and Heatran by reducing their longevity, particularly Heatran, which Tornadus-T can use Defog on and pivot out against with U-turn after removing its Leftovers. Hurricane threatens Grass- and Fighting-types like Rillaboom and Urshifu-R, while Heat Wave can be used instead to better hit Steel-types like Ferrothorn and Kartana. 168 Speed EVs let Tornadus-T outspeed Kartana, Alolan Ninetales, and Adamant Weavile, and investing leftover EVs in Defense lets it survive Surging Strikes from Choice Band Urshifu-R at full health.
Team Options
========
Tornadus-T fits well on most teams thanks to its excellent role compression and longevity allowing it to provide support for its teammates in numerous ways. Because offensive foes generally fear Knock Off, Tornadus-T can pivot in offensive threats like Tapu Koko and Rillaboom when opposing Knock Off absorbers like Toxapex and Slowbro switch in. Tornadus-T pairs well with Ground-types like Gastrodon and Excadrill that can check threatening Electric-types like Tapu Koko and Zapdos and in turn benefit from its ability to switch into Grass-types like Rillaboom. Because it is weak to Stealth Rock, Tornadus-T appreciates teammates that can absorb Knock Off like Clefable and Toxapex so it can keep its Heavy-Duty Boots. It struggles against specially defensive walls like Blissey and Heatran, so it needs physically offensive partners like Urshifu-R and Garchomp that can break through them. Tornadus-T is still threatened by a number of physical Pokemon like Weavile and Tyranitar despite its defensive investment, and so it benefits from a more physically defensive partner like Melmetal, Buzzwole, or Ferrothorn that can handle them.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Tornadus-T can use Taunt in conjunction with its high Speed to shut down opposing setup sweepers, prevent entry hazards from being set, or stop defensive Pokemon from using status or recovery moves. Similarly, Toxic is an option to cripple opposing Pokemon and limit their effectiveness. Sludge Bomb can be used on more offensive sets to better hit Clefable and Tapu Koko. Superpower is an option to surprise specially defensive switch-ins like Heatran as well as Tyranitar while hitting more consistently than Focus Blast. Weather Ball can be used on hail and sand teams primarily to provide strong coverage against Zapdos while otherwise being a decent neutral attack.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-types**: Tapu Koko, Zeraora, and Zapdos can all easily threaten Tornadus-T with an OHKO or 2HKO while easily taking hits from it. Arctozolt also outspeeds Tornadus-T in hail and OHKOes it with Bolt Beak. Most of these don't like switching into Knock Off and can be pivoted out of with U-turn, but Zapdos in particular can punish Tornadus-T with Static.
**Weavile**: Weavile in particular is threatening to Tornadus-T thanks to outspeeding it if running a Jolly nature and doing significant damage with Ice Shard if running Adamant, though it can't switch into Tornadus-T due to its weakness to U-turn and overall frailty.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Tornadus-T struggles to meaningfully damage most specially defensive Pokemon if not running Superpower, and Heatran and Melmetal are notable for taking very little from its attacks and doing significant amounts of damage back, though it can significantly reduce their longevity by removing their Leftovers with Knock Off.
**Stealth Rock**: Tornadus-T is weak to Stealth Rock, which makes Regenerator less effective and leads to it either relying on Heavy-Duty Boots or needing a teammate that can either remove entry hazards or absorb Knock Off.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/theia.439018/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pulsar512b.469728/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/slowpoke-fan.617219/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/