[OVERVIEW]
Thundurus is a fantastic option on offensive teams thanks to its great mixed offensive stats, excellent Speed tier, amazing offensive movepool, and valuable Ground immunity. It can tweak its moveset to have coverage for just about any defensive check to it, and it's able to set up on some of the most common Choice Scarf users in Krookodile and Flygon. Sadly, though, this defensive utility is a bit hard to make use of, as Thundurus is quite frail and vulnerable to super effective coverage like Krookodile's and Flygon's Stone Edge. In fact, this fragility is such an issue that Mienshao's Tera Fighting Close Combat almost always 2HKOes Thundurus. Additionally, it's very vulnerable to Lycanroc-D's Accelerock, as well as other fast attackers like Noivern and Choice Scarf Hisuian Typhlosion.
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Focus Blast / Grass Knot
move 4: Flash Cannon / Psychic
item: Heavy-Duty Boots / Life Orb
ability: Prankster
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Steel
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Focus Blast gives Thundurus a high-power attack that hits many foes for strong neutral damage without the commitment of Terastallizing. It also super effectively damages several targets that are immune to or resist Thunderbolt, like Krookodile, Rhyperior, Magnezone, and Brute Bonnet. Without Focus Blast, the latter two can effectively wall Thundurus and threaten to KO it in return. Grass Knot is another option to hit Ground- and Rock-types super effectively, particularly those with a 4x Grass weakness like Swampert, Rhyperior, and Quagsire. Flash Cannon takes advantage of the STAB boost from Tera Steel, providing a more accurate and decently powerful attack that hits many targets for neutral damage. Notably, this allows Thundurus to break through Diancie, which threatens to KO Thundurus with Diamond Storm or, if Thundurus has Terastallized, Body Press. Lastly, Psychic directly targets Dragalge and Vileplume, but Tera Steel Flash Cannon is often more than enough to deal with them. In addition to buffing Flash Cannon's damage, Tera Steel also affords Thundurus more setup chances against foes like Vileplume and Tsareena and prevents Lycanroc-D's Accelerock from revenge killing it as easily.
The goal of using Nasty Plot is to take advantage of free setup turns and sweep through weakened teams. For this reason, Nasty Plot Thundurus is best used on hyper offense teams with other threatening setup sweepers such as Cloyster and Lycanroc-D. Like with any hyper offense team, a reliable entry hazard lead like Sticky Web Galvantula can give Thundurus and its teammates some protection against revenge killing from grounded Choice Scarf users like Mienshao, Krookodile, and Munkidori, while a lead like Spikes Brambleghast, Stealth Rock Lycanroc, or Meteor Beam Mew can weaken foes just enough to put them within range of some moves after a boost. Finally, allies like Grimmsnarl and Choice Scarf Chandelure with stat-lowering moves like Parting Shot or Memento can weaken foes to the point where Thundurus can take a hit while setting up.
[SET]
name: Pivot
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Grass Knot
move 3: U-turn / Volt Switch
move 4: Knock Off
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Defiant
nature: Hasty / Timid
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe or 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Steel
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Grass Knot is excellent for hitting Ground-types like Swampert, Rhyperior, and Krookodile. U-turn is the preferred pivoting move for Thundurus, as it cannot be blocked by Ground-types and deals considerable damage to Grass-types like Tsareena, Brute Bonnet, and Wo-Chien, even without significant Attack investment. Alternatively, Volt Switch takes advantage of Thundurus's higher Special Attack and become a reliable way to weaken the enemy team once any Electric-immune Pokemon have been removed. Knock Off is one of Thundurus's most consistent progress-making tools, cutting down the longevity of bulky teams by removing key items like Leftovers, Assault Vest, and Heavy-Duty Boots. It also threatens to remove offensive items like Choice Scarf from foes that can't OHKO Thundurus, leaving your own sweepers and Choice Scarf users less vulnerable to being revenge killed. In a pinch, Thundurus can use a priority Taunt or Thunder Wave with the help of Prankster, though the loss of coverage is quite detrimental. Tera Steel makes it harder for certain foes like Lycanroc-D and Noivern to revenge kill Thundurus, although it means Thundurus no longer can pivot into Choice-locked Earthquake from foes like Krookodile and Flygon.
Since many Choice Scarf users barely pick up the KO against Thundurus without any investment in defenses, a slightly bulkier EV spread can be an effective choice. A spread like 116 HP / 20 Def / 120 SpA / 252 Spe survives hits from full HP against common Choice Scarf users' attacks like Chandelure's Overheat, Hisuian Typhlosion's Eruption, and Mienshao's and Krookodile's Stone Edge, at the cost of damage output.
As an offensive pivot, Thundurus excels on teams that apply pressure through stacking entry hazards. For this reason, Klefki can be used to switch into super effective attacks aimed at Thundurus, and in return Thundurus maximizes the effectiveness of Klefki's Spikes through forcing switches and removing durability items with Knock Off. Thundurus also pairs well with powerful physical wallbreakers such as Gallade, Lycanroc-D, and Choice Band Flygon. Thundurus can lure in walls that would typically check it while using U-turn to put these teammates in a position to deal massive damage. Similarly, Thundurus's U-turn frequently weakens foes like Alolan Muk, Tsareena, and Vileplume that expect a different attack, which benefits teammates such as Munkidori, Basculegion, and Flygon.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Thundurus is not restricted to only being a special attacker and can instead use powerful physical moves to take advantage of unsuspecting foes. STAB Acrobatics allows Thundurus to break through Grass-types that typically give it trouble, like Tsareena and Wo-Chien. This can be accomplished by running an itemless pivot set or setup sweeper set with Bulk Up + Sitrus Berry or the more gimmicky Swagger + Mirror Herb. It's worth noting, though, that this means Thundurus will take Stealth Rock damage, becoming much easier to revenge kill. Despite its weakness to Stealth Rock, Thundurus can still have a niche as a Choice Scarf user. Its particularly useful Speed tier allows it to outspeed Jolly Cloyster after a Shell Smash, as well as being faster than every other relevant Choice Scarf Pokemon in NU. This speed can catch an opponent off guard, and with access to two different pivoting moves, it can keep them on the back foot. Thundurus is an acceptable rain setter, with its Electric-type moves threatening bulky Water-types for other attackers like Basculegion and Kingdra and its U-turn chipping away at shared checks like Tsareena, Vileplume, and Wo-Chien. Finally, Nasty Plot sets can also be used effectively on weather teams by running Weather Ball as a coverage option. Snow gives Thundurus BoltBeam coverage, while rain and sun provide an effective 150-BP coverage move as well.
Checks and Counters
====
**Faster Attackers**: While Thundurus does have a great Speed tier, its poor bulk leaves it vulnerable to revenge killers like Choice Scarf Mienshao and Krookodile and powerful priority moves such as Lycanroc-D's Accelerock and Lucario's Extreme Speed. These foes often force Thundurus to Terastallize, which can result in disaster if the opponent predicts correctly. Weather sweepers like Venusaur and Kingdra also pose a great threat, especially if Thundurus lacks Thunder Wave.
**Setup Sweepers** An unboosted Thundurus can't OHKO Speed-boosting sweepers such as Dragon Dance Flygon and Shell Smash Torterra and is too frail to survive boosted hits. While Thunder Wave can be used to slow down other threats that aren't immune to paralysis, it is often not a worthwhile trade because Thundurus is likely to faint in the process.
**Special Walls**: Thundurus has many potent coverage options but is unable to cover every defensive threat with just one moveset. Grass Knot is necessary to pressure Rhyperior, Focus Blast is necessary to break through Magnezone, Psychic is needed to deal significant damage to Vileplume and Dragalge, and Flash Cannon smashes Diancie. Additionally, pivot sets may lack the coverage and raw firepower to break many of the same threats, which can lead to a loss of momentum. Also, many generic special walls like Assault Vest Reuniclus and Alolan Muk lack weaknesses to Thundurus's common special attacks and retaliate effectively.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/shengineer.312113/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rabia.336073/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rabia.336073/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/powerofmemes.583607/
Grammar checked by:
Thundurus is a fantastic option on offensive teams thanks to its great mixed offensive stats, excellent Speed tier, amazing offensive movepool, and valuable Ground immunity. It can tweak its moveset to have coverage for just about any defensive check to it, and it's able to set up on some of the most common Choice Scarf users in Krookodile and Flygon. Sadly, though, this defensive utility is a bit hard to make use of, as Thundurus is quite frail and vulnerable to super effective coverage like Krookodile's and Flygon's Stone Edge. In fact, this fragility is such an issue that Mienshao's Tera Fighting Close Combat almost always 2HKOes Thundurus. Additionally, it's very vulnerable to Lycanroc-D's Accelerock, as well as other fast attackers like Noivern and Choice Scarf Hisuian Typhlosion.
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Focus Blast / Grass Knot
move 4: Flash Cannon / Psychic
item: Heavy-Duty Boots / Life Orb
ability: Prankster
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Steel
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Focus Blast gives Thundurus a high-power attack that hits many foes for strong neutral damage without the commitment of Terastallizing. It also super effectively damages several targets that are immune to or resist Thunderbolt, like Krookodile, Rhyperior, Magnezone, and Brute Bonnet. Without Focus Blast, the latter two can effectively wall Thundurus and threaten to KO it in return. Grass Knot is another option to hit Ground- and Rock-types super effectively, particularly those with a 4x Grass weakness like Swampert, Rhyperior, and Quagsire. Flash Cannon takes advantage of the STAB boost from Tera Steel, providing a more accurate and decently powerful attack that hits many targets for neutral damage. Notably, this allows Thundurus to break through Diancie, which threatens to KO Thundurus with Diamond Storm or, if Thundurus has Terastallized, Body Press. Lastly, Psychic directly targets Dragalge and Vileplume, but Tera Steel Flash Cannon is often more than enough to deal with them. In addition to buffing Flash Cannon's damage, Tera Steel also affords Thundurus more setup chances against foes like Vileplume and Tsareena and prevents Lycanroc-D's Accelerock from revenge killing it as easily.
The goal of using Nasty Plot is to take advantage of free setup turns and sweep through weakened teams. For this reason, Nasty Plot Thundurus is best used on hyper offense teams with other threatening setup sweepers such as Cloyster and Lycanroc-D. Like with any hyper offense team, a reliable entry hazard lead like Sticky Web Galvantula can give Thundurus and its teammates some protection against revenge killing from grounded Choice Scarf users like Mienshao, Krookodile, and Munkidori, while a lead like Spikes Brambleghast, Stealth Rock Lycanroc, or Meteor Beam Mew can weaken foes just enough to put them within range of some moves after a boost. Finally, allies like Grimmsnarl and Choice Scarf Chandelure with stat-lowering moves like Parting Shot or Memento can weaken foes to the point where Thundurus can take a hit while setting up.
[SET]
name: Pivot
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Grass Knot
move 3: U-turn / Volt Switch
move 4: Knock Off
item: Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Defiant
nature: Hasty / Timid
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe or 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Steel
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Grass Knot is excellent for hitting Ground-types like Swampert, Rhyperior, and Krookodile. U-turn is the preferred pivoting move for Thundurus, as it cannot be blocked by Ground-types and deals considerable damage to Grass-types like Tsareena, Brute Bonnet, and Wo-Chien, even without significant Attack investment. Alternatively, Volt Switch takes advantage of Thundurus's higher Special Attack and become a reliable way to weaken the enemy team once any Electric-immune Pokemon have been removed. Knock Off is one of Thundurus's most consistent progress-making tools, cutting down the longevity of bulky teams by removing key items like Leftovers, Assault Vest, and Heavy-Duty Boots. It also threatens to remove offensive items like Choice Scarf from foes that can't OHKO Thundurus, leaving your own sweepers and Choice Scarf users less vulnerable to being revenge killed. In a pinch, Thundurus can use a priority Taunt or Thunder Wave with the help of Prankster, though the loss of coverage is quite detrimental. Tera Steel makes it harder for certain foes like Lycanroc-D and Noivern to revenge kill Thundurus, although it means Thundurus no longer can pivot into Choice-locked Earthquake from foes like Krookodile and Flygon.
Since many Choice Scarf users barely pick up the KO against Thundurus without any investment in defenses, a slightly bulkier EV spread can be an effective choice. A spread like 116 HP / 20 Def / 120 SpA / 252 Spe survives hits from full HP against common Choice Scarf users' attacks like Chandelure's Overheat, Hisuian Typhlosion's Eruption, and Mienshao's and Krookodile's Stone Edge, at the cost of damage output.
As an offensive pivot, Thundurus excels on teams that apply pressure through stacking entry hazards. For this reason, Klefki can be used to switch into super effective attacks aimed at Thundurus, and in return Thundurus maximizes the effectiveness of Klefki's Spikes through forcing switches and removing durability items with Knock Off. Thundurus also pairs well with powerful physical wallbreakers such as Gallade, Lycanroc-D, and Choice Band Flygon. Thundurus can lure in walls that would typically check it while using U-turn to put these teammates in a position to deal massive damage. Similarly, Thundurus's U-turn frequently weakens foes like Alolan Muk, Tsareena, and Vileplume that expect a different attack, which benefits teammates such as Munkidori, Basculegion, and Flygon.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Thundurus is not restricted to only being a special attacker and can instead use powerful physical moves to take advantage of unsuspecting foes. STAB Acrobatics allows Thundurus to break through Grass-types that typically give it trouble, like Tsareena and Wo-Chien. This can be accomplished by running an itemless pivot set or setup sweeper set with Bulk Up + Sitrus Berry or the more gimmicky Swagger + Mirror Herb. It's worth noting, though, that this means Thundurus will take Stealth Rock damage, becoming much easier to revenge kill. Despite its weakness to Stealth Rock, Thundurus can still have a niche as a Choice Scarf user. Its particularly useful Speed tier allows it to outspeed Jolly Cloyster after a Shell Smash, as well as being faster than every other relevant Choice Scarf Pokemon in NU. This speed can catch an opponent off guard, and with access to two different pivoting moves, it can keep them on the back foot. Thundurus is an acceptable rain setter, with its Electric-type moves threatening bulky Water-types for other attackers like Basculegion and Kingdra and its U-turn chipping away at shared checks like Tsareena, Vileplume, and Wo-Chien. Finally, Nasty Plot sets can also be used effectively on weather teams by running Weather Ball as a coverage option. Snow gives Thundurus BoltBeam coverage, while rain and sun provide an effective 150-BP coverage move as well.
Checks and Counters
====
**Faster Attackers**: While Thundurus does have a great Speed tier, its poor bulk leaves it vulnerable to revenge killers like Choice Scarf Mienshao and Krookodile and powerful priority moves such as Lycanroc-D's Accelerock and Lucario's Extreme Speed. These foes often force Thundurus to Terastallize, which can result in disaster if the opponent predicts correctly. Weather sweepers like Venusaur and Kingdra also pose a great threat, especially if Thundurus lacks Thunder Wave.
**Setup Sweepers** An unboosted Thundurus can't OHKO Speed-boosting sweepers such as Dragon Dance Flygon and Shell Smash Torterra and is too frail to survive boosted hits. While Thunder Wave can be used to slow down other threats that aren't immune to paralysis, it is often not a worthwhile trade because Thundurus is likely to faint in the process.
**Special Walls**: Thundurus has many potent coverage options but is unable to cover every defensive threat with just one moveset. Grass Knot is necessary to pressure Rhyperior, Focus Blast is necessary to break through Magnezone, Psychic is needed to deal significant damage to Vileplume and Dragalge, and Flash Cannon smashes Diancie. Additionally, pivot sets may lack the coverage and raw firepower to break many of the same threats, which can lead to a loss of momentum. Also, many generic special walls like Assault Vest Reuniclus and Alolan Muk lack weaknesses to Thundurus's common special attacks and retaliate effectively.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/shengineer.312113/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rabia.336073/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rabia.336073/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/powerofmemes.583607/
Grammar checked by:
Last edited by a moderator:
