Thundurus Movesets & Competitive Sets

Thunder Wave is invaluable speed control, permanently slowing down most of the metagame. Eerie Impulse greatly weakens the metagame's many Special Attackers like Kyogre, Venusaur, and Calyrex-S. Taunt shuts down status moves like Amoonguss's and Venusaur's powder moves, Gastrodon's Yawn, and Calyrex-S's Will-O-Wisp. Alternatively, Scary Face gives Thundurus speed control against Ground- and Electric-types like Regieleki, Zapdos, and Landorus-T, which are immune to Thunder Wave. Scary Face could be used as Thundurus's sole means of speed control for an extra moveslot, though Thunder Wave's full paralysis chance and permanence are hard to pass up on. Sitrus Berry simply improves longevity, while Safety Goggles gives Thundurus immunity to Venusaur's and Amoonguss's powder moves. The given EV spread survives Zacian-C's Play Rough and slightly optimizes Special Defense.

Fly grants Thundurus access to Max Airstream for boosting its team's Speed, which can quickly let the metagame's strongest Restricted Pokemon like Zacian-C, Calyrex-S, and Kyogre snowball. Brick Break gives Thundurus Max Knuckle for boosting its team's Attack, and it breaks Grimmsnarl's dual screens. Crunch and Foul Play give Thundurus access to Max Darkness, which hits Lunala hard, and Max Darkness lowering Special Defense can assist teammates like Kyogre and Calyrex-S. Crunch allows Thundurus to OHKO Calyrex-S outside of Dynamax. Alternatively, Foul Play gives Thundurus more damage against Solgaleo and Calyrex-I, especially if they've already activated Weakness Policy. Life Orb helps Thundurus with its otherwise meager power, allowing it to 2HKO Zacian-C and Gastrodon in Dynamax guaranteed, and the same for Grimmsnarl in Reflect. Alternatively, Assault Vest helps Thundurus take hits from special attackers like Kyogre, Calyrex-S, and Zapdos.

The combination of Nasty Plot and Fightinium Z lets Thundurus potentially wreak havoc. Focus Blast is able to smack Pokemon like Kyurem, Heatran, Tyranitar, Assault Vest Melmetal, and Ferrothorn. Hidden Power Ice gives Thundurus BoltBeam coverage, allowing it to hit Ground-types like Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Gliscor, and boosted Thundurus can use All-out Pummeling to obliterate Pokemon such as Chansey, Mega Scizor, Gastrodon, and Heatran. Dual screens support from Tapu Koko or Serperior can support Thundurus's sweep. Kommo-o, Mega Scizor, Mega Gyarados, and Volcarona appreciate Thundurus removing Water-types, and the former three can break special walls like Gastrodon and Chansey for it, while the latter can remove bulky Grass-types such as Ferrothorn and Mega Venusaur. Entry hazards from Pokemon such as Landorus-T and Mew help Thundurus wear down checks like Chansey, Gastrodon, and Mega Venusaur as the game progresses, and Sticky Web from Shuckle lets it outspeed erstwhile revenge killers, like Mega Lopunny and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele. Chople Berry Body Press Ferrothorn and Tapu Lele can support Thundurus as well, since they can remove Pokemon such as Gastrodon, Mega Venusaur, Mega Lopunny, and Tapu Koko, enabling Thundurus to clean up teams.

Thundurus sports good mixed attacking stats and a wide movepool to tear defensive cores apart. Magic Guard removes its Stealth Rock weakness and Life Orb recoil, allowing it to pivot multiple times throughout a game. Thunderbolt threatens common Water- and Flying-type defensive Pokemon such as Tapu Fini and Corviknight. Grass Knot deals heavy damage to Ground-type Pokemon that would otherwise wall it like Swampert and Hippowdon. Superpower targets specially defensive foes such as Blissey and Heatran, as well as Pokemon that resist its other moves, mainly Ferrothorn. U-turn allows Thundurus to grab momentum by switching out of unfavorable matchups and also chips down foes it struggles to face one-on-one like Volt Absorb Corviknight. Knock Off is another option over U-turn that provides utility by removing key items from foes, helping its teammates to make progress more easily. The EV spread in tandem with a Hasty nature helps it outpace everything up to 110 Speed, notably Latios and Terrakion, without reducing its damage output. Hasty is preferred over Naive to take less damage from Draining Kiss. Thundurus's subpar bulk and poor defensive utility compared to Zapdos means it can only fit on more offensive builds. Cleaners such as Azelf and Togekiss pair well with Thundurus as they enjoy opposing walls being weakened. Thundurus appreciates entry hazards from its teammates like Swampert and Ferrothorn to wear down its checks and counters. Desolate Land Heatran is a notable partner because not only does it provide Stealth Rock, it also checks several faster Pokemon that force Thundurus out like Azelf, Tapu Koko, and Barraskewda. In return, Thundurus discourages opponents from using Ground-type moves and helps Heatran come in safely to break walls that gives Thundurus trouble. Answers to faster offensive threats like Cinderace and Zygarde-10% are necessary, so Swampert and Tapu Bulu make for great partners. Powerful but slow wallbreakers, such as Mamoswine and Primarina, appreciate Thundurus's ability to bring them in safely with U-turn. Teammates that can form a pivot core with Thundurus such as Barraskewda are also valuable partners.

With Defiant punishing Intimidate and a good Speed tier, Thundurus carves out a niche as a viable alternative to Zapdos as a Max Airstream user. Fly is Thundurus's main mode of using Max Airstream. Additionally, it can help stall out Dynamax turns. Bulk Up is Thundurus's only means of boosting its Attack outside of Dynamax, and makes it harder to revenge kill with physical attackers. Taunt is great for punishing more passive Pokemon such as Celesteela and Ferrothorn. Superpower gives Thundurus another means to boost its Attack while Dynamaxed, while Iron Tail becomes a way to boost Thundurus's Defense while Dynamaxed. Items Life Orb gives Thundurus the most consistent damage output, and makes it less reliant on setting up Bulk Up to sweep. Sharp Beak is a viable alternative if another Pokemon is using Life Orb. Lum Berry protects Thundurus from potential status.

With access to Prankster, Thundurus can be a disruptive threat to sweepers. Substitute in particular allows Thundurus to potentially stall out Dynamax Pokemon. Thunder Wave is also key to crippling Dynamax sweepers, as it punishes Pokemon that use Max Airstream. Note however, that several prominent Max Airstream sweepers such as Landorus-T, Zapdos, and Galarian Moltres are immune to Prankster Thunder Wave. Grass Knot is Thundurus's only way of hitting Ground-type Pokemon. Items Sitrus Berry can get activated by Thundurus using Substitute, making it an ideal way to get quick recovery. Leftovers is also a viable alternative if Sitrus Berry is used by a different Pokemon. EV Spreads 252 HP / 76 Def / 4 SpA / 4 SpD / 172 Spe with Timid: This spread allows Thundurus to outpace up to base 100 Speed Pokemon such as Salamence and Zapdos, with the rest going into bulk that ensures Porygon2 will not get a Special Attack boost from Download. 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe with Timid: This EV spread allows Thundurus to operate in a more offensive manner.

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Moves Thunderbolt is Thundurus's primary STAB move and breaks through Flying-types such as Celesteela and Staraptor. Thunderbolt is also important for hitting physically bulky Pokemon such as Slowbro, which would shrug off Wild Charge, much harder. Knock Off is a good utility move that allows Thundurus to not only cripple Normal-type teams but also break Psychic-type teams better through severely damaging Pokemon such as Latios. Superpower allows Thundurus to beat threats to Electric-type teams such as Ferrothorn, Chansey, and Kyurem-B. Fly, when used with Flyinium Z, turns into a 175-Base Power Supersonic Skystrike that allows Thundurus to beat Grass-types such as Mega Venusaur, Celebi and Tapu Bulu on a predicted switch. It is also a powerful move in general, allowing Thundurus to break through neutral targets that can threaten Electric-type teams such as Nidoking. U-turn should only be used over Fly if a Z-Move is used on other Pokemon already. It allows Thundurus to act as a fast pivot and pressure Psychic-type teams in conjunction with Knock Off. Set Details Maximum Attack and Speed investment along with a Naive nature makes Thundurus as strong and fast as possible, allowing it to outspeed base 110 Speed Pokemon such as Latios and Mega Gallade. As the set shown is a mixed set, a Naive nature is used so that Thundurus can better take priority attacks from Pokemon like Choice Band Dragonite. Flyinium Z as the item allows Thundurus to use a powerful move in Supersonic Skystrike to check Grass-types such as Breloom, Mega Venusaur and Tapu Bulu. If Fly is not used on the set, Thundurus can utilize Life Orb to increase the damage output of its moves. Defiant as the ability allows Thundurus to gain a free Attack boost if any of its stats is lowered from moves such as Defog. It is also useful against Intimidate users as Landorus-T. Usage Tips Thundurus should be preserved in matchups where it is needed to eliminate threats such as against Poison- and Normal-type teams. Its main targets when against those teams are Mega Venusaur, Alolan Muk, and Chansey. Thundurus should not be switched into Stealth Rock often, as it severely limits the number of times it can come into the battle and wallbreak. Due to its low bulk, Thundurus should avoid switching into attacks directly, as it can get severely weakened, making it easy to KO and unable to wallbreak effectively. It should switched in through safe switches after a teammate has fainted, smart double switches, or slow Volt Switch support from Rotom-Wash and Zapdos. Thundurus has a vast movepool, so it is important to not reveal its coverage until the right moment in the battle. For instance, Thundurus can use Thunderbolt initially against Poison-type teams, giving the impression that the set is a special set and then take out Pokemon that may switch into Thunderbolt such as Nidoking, Alolan Muk, and Mega Venusaur by using Supersonic Skystrike. It should avoid status moves that cause burn and poison at all costs. Against walls that check Thundurus such as Zapdos, it should use U-turn on a predicted switch to such walls, gaining momentum for the team. As Supersonic Skystrike is a one-time move, it should not be used liberally against Poison- and Grass-type teams, as without it, Thundurus will not be able to break Pokemon such as Alolan Muk and Mega Venusaur. Knock Off should be used early-game to cripple walls such as Porygon2 and Swampert as well as punish offensive switch-ins like Latios. Superpower should be used cautiously, as its stat drops make Thundurus susceptible to priority moves such as Quick Attack from Diggersby and let Pokemon like Alolan Muk set up on it. Team Options Rotom-Wash is a good teammate, as it can sponge special attacks aimed at Thundurus, cripple threats with Will-O-Wisp, and utilize a slow Volt Switch to bring in Thundurus freely. Rotom-Wash also deals with bulky Ground-types such as Landorus thanks to STAB Hydro Pump. Zapdos provides essential Defog support for Thundurus so that it can wallbreak without getting worn out fast from Stealth Rock. It also acts as physical wall to beat Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Tapu Bulu and provides Thundurus with Volt Switch support. Tapu Koko is a good wallbreaker that appreciates Thundurus checking some of its switch-ins such as Mega Venusaur and Alolan Muk. In return, Tapu Koko can deal with threatening Dragon-types with Dazzling Gleam. Alolan Golem provides Thundurus with important Stealth Rock support, which lets Thundurus KO more effectively. It can also trap Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Excadrill and eliminate or weaken them with Fire Punch or Earthquake. Alolan Raichu is another good teammate that can act as a cleaner once Thundurus weakens or removes its checks and counters. Zeraora is a fantastic physical attacker that appreciates Thundurus taking down shared checks and weakening walls such as Mega Venusaur and Swampert for it. Zeraora can also beat the Eviolite core of Normal-type teams, relieving pressure from Thundurus. Magnezone can trap and eliminate Pokemon like Mega Scizor, which can tank moves from Thundurus and pose a threat to it.

Moves Thunder Wave, with the help of Prankster, cripples many threats such as Latios and Choice Scarf Kyurem-B. Thunderbolt is a reliable STAB move that gives Thundurus coverage against Water- and Flying-types. Hidden Power Ice is used to hit targets that Thunderbolt cannot hit such as Landorus and Gliscor. Grass Knot is a good coverage move that hits bulky Ground-types such as Seismitoad, Swampert, and Gastrodon. Knock Off is an alternative option that lets Thundurus surprise and cripple switch-ins like Chansey; however, using it means losing out on Grass Knot's useful coverage. Set Details Prankster gives Thunder Wave priority, which allows it to be used against faster Pokemon before they can hit Thundurus. Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature is used to let Thundurus outspeed many threats like Keldeo, Landorus, and Latios. 252 EVs in Special Attack along with Life Orb let Thundurus hit as hard as possible. Usage Tips Thundurus can utilize Prankster Thunder Wave to slow down faster threats such as Choice Scarf Victini, Kyurem-B, and Terrakion. However, it doesn't have the best bulk and is thus not a reliable switch-in to many direct attacks and almost always goes down in exchange for crippling a foe with paralysis. Thundurus should be brought into play through pivoting moves from teammates such as Zapdos and Landorus-T. Thundurus can also switch into setup sweepers like Mega Charizard X and Salamence prior to their setup, allowing you to fire off a Thunder Wave and cripple them. It's worth it to sacrifice Thundurus to paralyze a big threat like Double Dance Mew or Terrakion. With its amazing Speed tier, Thundurus can revenge kill many Pokemon, such as Tapu Fini, Celesteela, and Mega Charizard Y. If Thundurus isn't needed to paralyze an opposing Pokemon, it should be kept healthy because it's a great late-game sweeper. It's very important to keep Stealth Rock off the field as much as possible to prevent Thundurus from taking entry hazard damage. Most specially defensive walls such as Chansey, Alolan Muk, and Mega Venusaur eat up anything Thundurus throws at them, but it's free to switch in on certain Water-type walls such as Toxapex and Mantine and immediately threaten them. Team Options Stealth Rock users such as Skarmory, Landorus-T, Aerodactyl, and Gliscor help wear opposing teams down and let Thundurus clean up more easily. Zapdos, Skarmory, and Mantine are essential for using Defog to clear Stealth Rock. Substitute + Toxic Zapdos in particular breaks Chansey and other bulkier Pokemon, and defensive Zapdos in general is a good switch-in to threats like Tapu Koko. Mantine and Skarmory provide a neutrality to Ice and form a good balanced core together, with Mantine being the special wall and Skarmory being the physical wall. Another great Pokemon neutral to Ice and Rock is Celesteela, which also helps with wearing down checks like Chansey with Leech Seed and Protect. Gliscor and Landorus-T are two good Electric-immune partners. Gliscor can stallbreak and absorb status ailments once Poison Heal activates, while Landorus-T can bring in Thundurus safely with U-turn and can set up Swords Dance without worrying about its low Speed thanks to Thundurus's Thunder Wave. Landorus, Mega Charizard Y, and Dragonite are great wallbreakers to soften up the opposing team, allowing Thundurus to clean up easily. Mega Aerodactyl is a decent partner, as it sits at an amazing Speed tier that allows it to clean up late-game and also appreciates Thundurus's reliability in taking out bulky Water- and Ground-types.

Moves Thundurus can afford to run Toxic stall set thanks to Prankster letting it put even faster foes on timer and set Substitute with priority. Substitute protects Thundurus from an attack at a cost of a quarter of its health and also blocks harmful status moves. Toxic puts passive foes like Porygon2 and Cresselia on a timer, punishing them as they switch in predicting offensive sets. Protect allows Thundurus to evade an attack for a turn and gain an extra turn of recovery from Leftovers while its foe takes another turn of damage from Toxic poison. Thunderbolt hits foes such as Celesteela and Tapu Fini that do not mind Toxic and prevents Thundurus from being completely passive. Set Details The given EV spread with a Bold nature allows Thundurus to avoid the OHKO from +1 Double-Edge from Mega Salamence all the time and Ice Punch from Mega Metagross with considerable chance after Stealth Rock damage, survive +1 Ice Fang from Mega Gyarados and Flamethrower from Mega Charizard Y at full health, and make a Substitute that blocks Celesteela's Heavy Slam once. 124 Speed EVs let Thundurus outspeed unboosted Gyarados, preventing Dragon Dance variants from outspeeding and 2HKOing it. 132 EVs can be invested into Special Defense to prevent Celesteela's Flamethrower from breaking Substitute and lower the chance of getting 3HKOed by defensive Tapu Fini. Leftovers provide passive recovery and allows Thundurus to stall out its foe as long as possible. Prankster allows Thundurus to execute its status moves with +1 priority. Usage Tips It is a promising idea to send Thundurus into Pokemon it naturally threatens with Thunderbolt, such as Celesteela and Toxapex. Use Toxic on a switch-in that can take on Thundurus with ease and wear down the likes of Tapu Bulu, Landorus-T, and Cresselia. Thundurus can also be used against offensive threats such as Mega Salamence that it can survive a hit from; it also excels at Toxic stalling against these threats as thanks to Prankster allowing it to set Substitute almost always before it is attacked. Repeatedly use Substitute and Protect to wear down foes with Toxic, or use Thunderbolt for extra damage if the foe is too passive to break Substitute or threaten Thundurus in a significant way. Team Options Note that the likes of Heatran and Ferrothorn will be very problematic to deal with, as they are immune to Toxic, resilient to Thunderbolt, and able to take advantage of Thundurus. Tyranitar causes problems in the same vein due to its immunity to Prankster moves and massive special bulk in sand, and it can even Pursuit trap Thundurus. Fighting-types like Blaziken can muscle through these walls, and Thundurus can lure and cripple Blaziken's checks with Toxic and handle Mega Salamence. In general, wallbreakers appreciate Thundurus crippling various walls like Porygon2, defensive Landorus-T, and Cresselia with Toxic and having a backup plan for Mega Salamence and Mega Gyarados, as most of them are vulnerable to said threats. Landorus-T draws in Celesteela and Tapu Fini, brings in Thundurus safely with U-turn, provides Stealth Rock support, and pressures Heatran and Excadrill. Mega Scizor is another pivot that can let Thundurus switch in safely. Mega Scizor also switches into Ice-type attacks, is a good check to most Rock-types, and takes advantage of Ferrothorn, while Thundurus can weaken various physical walls and Water-types by Toxic stalling or using Thunderbolt.

Moves Nasty Plot boosts Thundurus's Special Attack by two stages and allows it to OHKO or 2HKO almost the entire metagame. STAB Thunderbolt hits Water-types and Flying-types super effectively while dishing out good damage against neutral targets. Focus Blast hits Heatran, Ferrothorn, Mamoswine, Tyranitar, Excadrill, Magnezone, Rotom-Heat, and Hippowdon, which are not too bothered by Thundurus's Thunderbolt and Hidden Power Ice. With Fightinium Z and after a Nasty Plot, all of the aforementioned foes are either OHKOed or significantly weakened. Said Z-Move also puts a heavy dent in Mega Charizard X. Hidden Power Ice hits threats like Landorus-T and Garchomp. Taunt improves Thundurus's matchup against foes that would need multiple Nasty Plot boosts to be surmounted, but bear in mind that forgoing Hidden Power Ice for Taunt makes opposing Landorus-T and Tapu Bulu very problematic to deal with. Set Details Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature lets Thundurus take advantage of its excellent Speed tier by outspeeding Mega Metagross, Kartana, and Garchomp. Electrium Z turns Thunderbolt into Gigavolt Havoc, which OHKOes Mega Metagross when unboosted and Porygon2 and Cresselia at +2. Alternatively, Fightinium Z turns Focus Blast into All-Out Pummeling, letting Thundurus hit Steel-types that would otherwise need the inaccurate Focus Blast to be defeated and putting a significant dent in most neutral targets after a Nasty Plot boost. Usage Tips Thundurus is very frail and therefore should not be switched into any attack. U-turn and Volt Switch from teammates or double switching when a foe is sure to switch out is the most ideal time for Thundurus to enter the field. Thundurus can take advantage of its typing to set up Nasty Plot against Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Scizor or while forcing out Water- and Flying-types. The majority of the time, opponents will send in a Pokemon such as Heatran, Magnezone, or Mamoswine that can handle both Thunderbolt and Hidden Power Ice, as those two moves are the most expected attacks from Thundurus. All-Out Pummeling must be preserved to KO such foes so Thundurus won't fall short to KO them or have to rely on the inaccurate Focus Blast to dispose of them. Against offensive teams, Thundurus generally lacks an opportunity to set up and therefore can be used as an early- or mid-game wallbreaker. If Thundurus opts to run Taunt, it can be used to anti-lead against passive walls like Hippowdon and Skarmory. Team Options Hippowdon can provide Stealth Rock support and put a foe to sleep with Yawn to let Thundurus set up safely. In return, Thundurus takes on Tapu Fini and Celesteela, which prove to be annoyances for Hippowdon to deal with due to the former usually carrying Taunt and the latter running Leech Seed. Setup sweepers like Mimikyu, Blaziken, and Mega Gyarados can fit alongside Thundurus because they benefit from its ability to put a dent on bulky foes and potentially create a setup opportunity by shutting down passive foes with Taunt. When using Thundurus, it is important to ensure the team is prepared for Mega Charizard X and Volcarona, since the former can set up on Thundurus lacking All-Out Pummeling and the latter can do the same against unboosted Thundurus without much fear. Landorus-T, Tapu Fini, Tyranitar, Heatran, and Choice Scarf Garchomp can handle one or both of them.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

Hidden Power Ice hits Dragon-types such as Garchomp, Dragonite, and Latios and Flying-types like Landorus, Thundurus-T, and Gliscor. Grass Knot covers Terrakion and Ground-types like Hippowdon, Gastrodon, Swampert, and Seismitoad. Prankster Thunder Wave allows Thundurus to cripple faster threats such as +1 Volcarona, Kingdra in rain, and Choice Scarf Victini. Expert Belt complements Thundurus's good coverage, allowing it to OHKO Mega Garchomp with Hidden Power Ice and 2HKO Gastrodon with Grass Knot. Thundurus's teammates rely on it to cripple faster threats like Kingdra in rain and deal with Ground-types like Gastrodon and Swampert. Zapdos is a specially defensive Defogger that can spread status with Discharge and Toxic. Air Balloon Magnezone with Hidden Power Fire traps and KOes problematic Steel-types like Excadrill and Ferrothorn. It also takes care of Rock-, Ice-, and Fairy-types like Mega Aerodactyl, Weavile, and bulky Mega Gardevoir. Rotom-W can deal with most of Thundurus's offensive answers, provide slow pivot support, and check Ground-types like Choice Band Excadrill and Mamoswine. Substitute + Calm Mind Raikou can dismantle Psychic teams and break through bulkier foes like Zapdos. Mega Manectric has similar offensive capabilities to Thundurus, meaning it can help wear down shared answers such as Heatran and Latios. It can also make use of Intimidate, its fantastic Speed tier, and Volt Switch to create momentum while annoying physical attackers.

Moves Thundurus's main attack is Thunderbolt, due to its decent Base Power and perfect accuracy. Flash Cannon is almost exclusively to hit Mega Diancie, although it also deals a significant chunk of damage to other Fairy-types and Kyurem-B. Thunder Wave allows Thundurus to take advantage of Prankster by slowing down fast foes and potentially immobilizing them. Sometimes, Thundurus needs coverage more than speed control, so Hidden Power Ice can be used to defeat both Landorus formes and pick up the quick KO on Salamence. Taunt is also an option in the third slot if Thundurus's team is especially weak to Trick Room or already covers the potential targets of Thunder Wave and Hidden Power Ice. Protect is a staple move in the Doubles metagame, allowing Thundurus to stall out field conditions, shield itself while its partner deals with a threat, and scout incoming attacks. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment allows Thundurus to take full advantage of the offensive nature of this set, with a Timid nature chosen over a Modest one in order to outspeed base 110 Speed Pokemon such as Mega Diancie. Prankster grants Thunder Wave priority, allowing Thundurus to paralyze especially fast threats, including those under Tailwind. Life Orb boosts Thundurus's power, most notably to guarantee the OHKO on Azumarill with Thunderbolt. Alternatively, Thundurus may use a Magnet, which allows it to bluff the bulky set due to the lack of Life Orb recoil while still hitting the same offensive benchmarks. However, this comes at the cost of a fair amount of power behind Thundurus's other attacks. Usage Tips Offensive Thundurus is great at applying pressure to the opposing team with its high-powered moves while also providing support in the form of Prankster Thunder Wave. This set works decently well as a lead to threaten paralysis on the fast Pokemon that tend to be chosen as leads. Another common lead is Mega Diancie, which this set outspeeds and takes out using Flash Cannon. Without any defense investment, this set is incredibly frail, and it should avoid switching in on any attacks. As this is an offensively oriented set, Thundurus should only use Thunder Wave when facing an especially fast foe, and otherwise it should just attack. Team Options Teammates that struggle with Mega Diancie, such as Keldeo, Mega Charizard Y, and Volcarona, appreciate the presence of this Thundurus set in particular. Both Landorus formes fear the Water-types that this set can easily beat and remove Terrakion and Rhyperior to aid Thundurus. Especially for sets not carrying Hidden Power Ice, a teammate to handle Dragon-types is essential. Some common and solid choices include Mega Gardevoir, Mega Kangaskhan, and Azumarill. Fighting-types such as Terrakion and Infernape have particularly good synergy with Thundurus, as they take on Rock- and Ice-types and benefit from the removal of Flying-types. Weather-oriented teams can use Thundurus's strong matchup against Mega Charizard Y and Politoed, the two most common weather setters, to win the weather war and guarantee their desired field conditions.

Moves Thunderbolt hits decently hard despite the minimal investment. Hidden Power Ice hits the Landorus formes that are immune to Thundurus's Electric-type moves. Thunder Wave is useful for speed control and general incapacitation, especially when paired with teammates that have setup moves such as Substitute, as a conveniently timed full paralysis can grant free turns to set up. Taunt prevents Trick Room, opposing Taunt, and any other shenanigans the foe might try, such as redirection and speed control. Alternatively, Protect can be useful for catching the opponent off guard, as this set typically does not carry the move. Set Details The given spread guarantees that Thundurus will survive a Mega Diancie Diamond Storm or Latios's Life Orb-boosted Draco Meteor. 20 Speed EVs are used to guarantee that Thundurus will outspeed positive-natured base 70 Pokemon such as Breloom. The remaining 4 EVs and a Modest nature are used to prevent standard Azumarill from being able to use Belly Drum by guaranteeing that a Thunderbolt will do at least 75%. A Sitrus Berry is typically Thundurus's best choice for an item, as the added bulk is quite helpful for improving its average defensive stats. The burst recovery provided by a Sitrus Berry allows Thundurus to better stand up to double targets or Mega Kangaskhan. A more offensive alternative to this set uses a spread of 160 HP / 96 SpA / 252 Spe, a Timid nature, and Flash Cannon over Thunder Wave or Taunt; this strikes a balance between the two most common sets, allowing Thundurus to get both the speed and some of the bulk. The spread maximizes Speed and, using a Sitrus Berry, guarantees that Thundurus can withstand a Mega Kangaskhan's Return. Usage Tips This Thundurus set is a disruptor and should be used as such, only attacking when necessary or against a foe that will be hit super effectively. Thundurus's access to Prankster Thunder Wave and Taunt makes it a solid lead, able to put a damper on whatever the opponent's initial strategy may be. Unlike the offensive set, this set may act as a more direct counter to threats such as Landorus-T and Talonflame, as it can safely switch in on them due to its added bulk. If a fast attacker is likely to take Thundurus out and there are no safe switch-ins available, Thundurus should use Thunder Wave or Taunt to outprioritize most attacks. Team Options Due to its supportive nature, this Thundurus set works on a variety of teams and does not require much support of its own to shine. Substitute users such as Heatran and Kyurem-B can take advantage of a fully paralyzed opponent by setting up and appreciate being able to move first. Thundurus also helps out hard hitters with mediocre Speed tiers, including Mega Kangaskhan, Hoopa-U, and Volcanion. Landorus-T is a particularly good teammate, as it grants Thundurus more physical bulk due to Intimidate and enjoys the removal of Water-types. Fighting-types such as Keldeo or Terrakion beat Steel-, Rock-, and Ice-types for Thundurus and appreciate it dealing with Flying-types. They also defeat Mega Kangaskhan, which is a large threat to this set as a bulky Pokemon that Thundurus cannot hit super effectively. Rain teams appreciate Thundurus's removal of Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y, as well as its access to Taunt to prevent Trick Room.

Moves Return provides Thundurus with an extremely strong Ice-type coverage move that outdamages even Thunderbolt in most situations courtesy of Thundurus's attack investment. Thunderbolt, while uninvested, still hits very hard due to Thundurus's great Special Attack stat and the boost provided by Life Orb. It also grants Thundurus the ability to inflict special damage and threaten physical walls such as Doublade that would have no problems taking on a fully physical set. Knock Off greatly hinders the few walls such as Diancie that can counter Thundurus by removing their item and allows Thundurus to beat Mew, which would otherwise be problematic to face. Motor Drive Manaphy does not particularly like switching into Knock Off either, as it relies on its Leftovers to heal passive damage. Superpower in tandem with Knock Off provides Thundurus with a means to dispose of Chansey, in addition to Steel-types such as Ferrothorn and Heatran. Set Details Refrigerate turns Return into an Ice-type move with an exceptionally high Base Power of 133. Maximum Speed investment alongside a Naive nature makes Thundurus as fast as possible, while the rest of Thundurus's EVs are dumped into Attack to increase its physical damage output. Life Orb provides Thundurus with much-needed power at the cost of some longevity, allowing it to score many additional 2HKOs and OHKOs. Usage Tips Strive to keep Stealth Rock off the field at all times, as the chip damage severely diminishes Thundurus's longevity. Against defensive teams, Thundurus should be used early on in the game to punch holes in the opponent's defensive cores, leaving its teammates with more room to sweep. Try not to directly switch Thundurus into any attack, as its poor bulk and Naive nature mean even resisted attacks will dent it quite a bit. Thundurus's low bulk also means you shouldn't leave it in on any priority move users other than Skarmory's unboosted Brave Bird, as it is KOed or severely weakened by most of them. As a result of Thundurus's inability to switch into most attacks, free switches should be exploited whenever possible. If the opposing team carries Motor Drive Manaphy, try to avoid using Thunderbolt as much as possible. Due to Thundurus's fantastic Speed tier, it should be used to revenge kill other speedy attackers such as Garchomp, Gengar, and weakened Mega Metagross. Team Options Drizzle Pokemon such as Zapdos and Swampert allow Thundurus to run Thunder instead of Thunderbolt as its Electric-type STAB move, greatly increasing its special damage output. Sweepers such as Doublade and Skarmory that can take advantage of the holes Thundurus leaves in teams pair very well with it. Pokemon that are able to remove Stealth Rock from your side of the field, such as Skarmory and Mew, are also great partners, as Stealth Rock and Life Orb wear down Thundurus very quickly. For the same reason, Pokemon with Magic Bounce like Mew also make for great partners, as they can prevent Stealth Rock from ever being set up on the field. Entry hazards of your own are also greatly recommended, as the additional damage makes Thundurus far more difficult to switch into. Due to Thundurus's vulnerability to revenge killing, Flash Fire Doublade makes for an excellent partner thanks to its ability to switch into most priority users. Finally, pivots such as Vaporeon and Zapdos that can help Thundurus come into play without taking any hits are very helpful because of its poor bulk.

Moves Nasty Plot increases Thundurus's power to frightening levels, bringing even the sturdiest of special walls into the 2HKO range. After the boosts provided by Sheer Force and Life Orb, Thunderbolt becomes an incredibly strong STAB move that heavily dents most Pokemon that don't resist it. Focus Blast is Thundurus's strongest option against Chansey and takes care of Steel-types such as Ferrothorn and Excadrill in addition to most Ground-types thanks to the move's high Base Power. Dark Pulse rounds off Thundurus's coverage nicely and allows Thundurus to score a neutral hit on frailer targets that it would rather not use Focus Blast on due to accuracy issues, in addition to allowing Thundurus to get around Meloetta more easily. Sludge Wave is another coverage option that is stronger than Dark Pulse but doesn't hit as many threats super effectively. It is also worth noting that Sludge Wave allows Thundurus to bypass Volt Absorb Azumarill, which is a rare but very effective Thundurus counter. Taunt allows Thundurus to better combat defensive teams by denying recovery and status moves. Set Details Sheer Force increases the power of Thunderbolt and Focus Blast in addition to negating the recoil from Life Orb, which also increases the power of its attacks, turning Thundurus into a powerful wallbreaker. Thundurus's EV spread and nature make it as fast as possible in order to exploit its great Speed tier, with the rest of the EVs dumped into Special Attack. Usage Tips Possessing formidable power after a Nasty Plot boost, Thundurus should be used to weaken special walls near the beginning of the game to provide other special sweepers with an opportunity to sweep. When using Sheer Force Thundurus, one should actively look for setup opportunities, such as against opposing Skarmory or Suicune. Try to keep Stealth Rock off the field before Thundurus sets up, as it's easier to find opportunities to set up at full health. For the same reasons, try not to unnecessarily switch Thundurus into any stray attacks. Against more offensive teams without defensive cores, Thundurus should instead exploit its great Speed tier by revenge killing Pokemon slower than it, usually claiming a KO every time it outspeeds the foe. If you expect the opponent to switch into Motor Drive Manaphy, Nasty Plot should be used, as Manaphy cannot survive a Nasty Plot-boosted Focus Blast. Team Options Heatran, Latios, and other special attackers pair very well alongside Thundurus, as they can exploit the damage caused by its wallbreaking capabilities. Latios is also notable for its ability to use Memento to give Thundurus a free setup opportunity. Defog, Rapid Spin, and Magic Bounce users, such as Skarmory, Blastoise, and Mew, respectively, that help keep Stealth Rock off the field, are great help to Thundurus and help it better accomplish its job. While your own entry hazards aren't necessary by any means for Thundurus to perform its job well, they benefit it. This means entry hazard setters such as Deoxys-S and Ferrothorn can be used. Reflect and Light Screen from Pokemon such as Deoxys-D and Cresselia very much facilitate Thundurus's task, which makes them excellent partners.

Moves Thunderbolt is particularly helpful to hit bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Milotic. Hidden Power Ice deals 4x super effective damage to Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Mega Salamence. Thunder Wave provides speed control and also a chance of rendering an opposing Pokemon useless for a turn. Taunt allows Thundurus to shut down support Pokemon such as Amoonguss and Trick Room and Tailwind users such as Cresselia and Zapdos, respectively. Swagger provides the possibility of letting the foe waste a turn and deal a lot of damage to themselves. It is most commonly used against special attackers, as physical attackers will have a scary boost when they have snapped out of confusion. Swagger is not as common as Taunt, as Thundurus ends up relying completely on luck. Set Details Sitrus Berry provides one-time instant recovery, which is useful to improve Thundurus's longevity. Leftovers gives Thundurus small amounts of recovery over the whole battle, but it's not as good as Sitrus Berry because Thundurus won't be on the field for too long. 252 HP EVs maximize Thundurus's overall bulk. 120 Defense EVs is the cutoff point where investing more to take less damage from Landorus-T's and Terrakion's Rock Slides requires a reasonably large number of EVs. 68 EVs in Special Defense let Thundurus survive positive-natured Life Orb Hydreigon's Draco Meteor. 28 Speed EVs let Thundurus outrun base 70 Speed Pokemon such as Breloom with a positive Speed nature. The remaining EVs are placed into Special Attack so that Thundurus can maintain as high of a damage output as possible. Usage Tips Using support Thundurus mainly involves spreading Thunder Wave. It is very useful for slowing down Pokemon that rely on their great Speed, such as Mega Kangaskhan and Gengar. Thundurus's teammate can then outspeed those threats the following turn. For example, a teammate that is usually threatened by Mega Kangaskhan can outspeed it if Mega Kangaskhan has been paralyzed, and Thundurus and its teammate can then knock out Mega Kangaskhan the following turn before it gets to do anything. Thundurus's other great asset is its priority Taunt, leaving foes with no chance of landing a status attack. However, people often see an obvious Taunt play on Pokemon such as Amoonguss and will play accordingly by either going for damaging moves or switching Pokemon. Don't let Thundurus take too much damage, especially from Rock Slide, which hits Thundurus for super effective damage and is one of the most common moves in Battle Spot Doubles. Try to switch to a teammate that has a better matchup against the Rock Slide user, or just knock it out before it deals too much damage. Team Options Wide Guard users such as Aegislash and Swampert are nice teammates for Thundurus, as they block Rock Slide. Because Thundurus is weak to Ice- and Rock-type attacks, bulky Steel-types such as Aegislash and Mega Mawile make for good partners. Physical attackers make for good teammates, not fearing Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave because of Thundurus's Prankster Taunt. Fake Out users such as Mega Kangaskhan and Scrafty are helpful for Thundurus, letting it use Thunder Wave and Taunt more freely. One Pokemon that is particularly good paired up with Thundurus is Landorus-T. Landorus-T can go for Earthquake without worrying about its partner, and Thundurus helps by knocking out bulky Water-types with Thunderbolt. Pokemon that have a base Speed stat of 100 or below appreciate the Thunder Wave support that Thundurus brings, as they can often be threatened by faster Pokemon but beat them if they outrun them. If Thundurus runs Swagger, a physical attacker holding a Lum Berry can become really threatening if Swagger lets it get an Attack boost.

Moves Thunderbolt is particularly helpful to hit bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Milotic. Hidden Power Ice deals 4x super effective damage to Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Mega Salamence. Thunder Wave provides speed control and also a chance of rendering an opposing Pokemon useless for a turn. Psychic provides coverage against Poison-types such as Amoonguss and Mega Venusaur and Fighting-types such as Terrakion and Conkeldurr. Grass Knot hits Ground-types, namely Swampert, Gastrodon, and Rhyperior. Protect lets Thundurus avoid unnecessary hits and double targeting, which is useful because it's very frail. Set Details Life Orb maximizes Thundurus's damage output, as you want it to dish out as much damage as possible with this set, and the recoil doesn't matter because Thundurus won't survive many hits anyways. A Timid nature and maximum Speed investment let Thundurus outspeed the crowded base 110 Speed tier. Full investment in Special Attack lets Thundurus hit as hard as possible, notably allowing it to always OHKO non-bulky variants of Landorus-T, Mega Salamence, and Garchomp with Hidden Power Ice. Usage Tips When this Thundurus set enters the field, you have two options as to how you want to play it. The first option is to go for what you would expect from Thundurus, which would in most cases be Thunder Wave. Your opponent will then assume that you are running a support Thundurus; the fact that Thundurus won't take Life Orb recoil from using Thunder Wave also contributes to the bluff. The longer you hide that Thundurus is an offensive variant, the more your opponent will incorrectly assume that their Pokemon will survive a Thunderbolt. The second option is to attack immediately; just go for dealing damage, as this Thundurus hits anything hard with either Thunderbolt or a coverage move. There are almost no players who will manage to look at your team and predict that you are running an offensive Thundurus, so you will definitely catch your opponent off-guard. Grass Knot and Psychic are very team-specific, so don't slap Grass Knot on Thundurus if your team already has a Grass-type. Those two moves are also almost never expected by anyone, so you don't really need to worry about your opponent switching out of an incoming Psychic if you haven't revealed it yet, as they won't see it coming. Team Options Wide Guard users such as Aegislash and Swampert are teammates for with Thundurus, as they block Rock Slide. Given that Thundurus is weak to Ice- and Rock-type attacks, bulky Steel-types such as Aegislash and Mega Mawile make for good partners. One Pokemon that is particularly good paired up with Thundurus is Landorus-T. Landorus-T can go for Earthquake without worrying about its partner, and Thundurus helps by knocking out bulky Water-types with Thunderbolt. Pokemon that have a base Speed stat of 100 or below appreciate the Thunder Wave support Thundurus brings, as they can often be threatened by faster Pokemon but beat them if they outrun them. Mega Blaziken is a very good partner for Thundurus too, as they beat many of each other's checks. Blaziken beats Rock- and Ice-types, and Thundurus beats Water- and Flying-types.

Moves Thunder Wave is a great form of speed control, especially with Prankster, and can deal with threatening sweepers. Thunderbolt is Thundurus's best STAB move and can hit bulky Water-types and Flying-types really hard. Hidden Power Ice rounds out the coverage well and can hit Ground-types super effectively. Taunt can shut down a lot of defensive Pokemon, such as Hippowdon and Ferrothorn, by limiting their utility and recovery. Swagger can help out when you're in a really sticky situation, and with Prankster it's very useful to fall back on. Volt Switch can help your team gain momentum, as Thundurus often scares Pokemon out. Set Details This set runs a very bulky EV spread so Thundurus can take hits a lot better and function as a better check defensively. 244 HP and 168 Defense EVs along with a Bold nature and a Sitrus Berry allow Thundurus to survive two Double-Edges from a maximum Attack Mega Salamence or three Brave Birds from Choice Band Talonflame. 28 Speed EVs are enough to outspeed maximum Speed base 70s, such as Breloom, and the rest of the EVs are dumped into Special Attack. The extra bulk makes Thundurus a better switch-in to various threats, especially Flying-types. A Bold nature is used to ensure Thundurus can withstand hits from Mega Salamence and other strong Pokemon. Prankster can make up for the lack of Speed on this set and is especially useful for Thunder Wave. Usage Tips This set takes advantage of Thundurus's great ability and defensive typing. Its primary goal is to paralyze everything that needs to be slowed down with Thunder Wave. With the extra bulk, Thundurus can afford to spend a turn using Thunder Wave and then taking a hit, and it can afford to switch into more attacks and function as a better check to Flying-types such as Mega Salamence and Talonflame. Team Options Pokemon with an average Speed tier, such as Mamoswine, Dragonite, and Kangaskhan, appreciate the speed control from Thunder Wave. Pokemon that use Substitute, such as Gliscor and Glalie, like the Thunder Wave support so they can use Substitute in front of more Pokemon. Blaziken appreciates Thundurus's ability to deal with Talonflame and Mega Salamence; Mega Salamence can normally set up on Blaziken, but Thundurus can come in to check it. Serperior can deal with teams much more easily when Thundurus helps deal with opposing Talonflame and Mega Salamence. Steel-types, such as Aegislash, synergize well with Thundurus defensively and can switch into Ice- and Rock-type attacks aimed at Thundurus.

Moves Swagger is a great move to attempt to shut a Pokemon down, and it works especially well with Prankster. Thunder Wave provides great utility in general and works wonders in combination with Swagger, as it has a good chance to provide free turns factoring in confusion and paralysis chance. Substitute is used to take advantage of the possible free turns you'll get and can be used to protect Thundurus just in case the foe breaks through and attacks. Foul Play takes advantage of the Attack boosts from Swagger and does a lot of damage to specially defensive Pokemon Thundurus might not have been able to break through otherwise, such as Cresselia and Chansey. Thunderbolt can be used as well to deal with Pokemon such as Suicune and Talonflame reliably. Taunt is good for stopping status and recovery moves from Pokemon such as Chansey and Cresselia, but it leaves Thundurus with no reliable attack and vulnerable to opposing Taunt. Set Details A Calm nature is used because you want Thundurus to primarily check special attackers, which don't benefit from the Attack boost that Swagger gives them. 180 HP EVs are used to maximize Leftovers recovery and allow Thundurus to set up more Substitutes throughout the match. Maximum Special Defense investment is used to take on special attackers that you want Thundurus to deal with. 28 Speed EVs ensure Thundurus outspeeds base 70 Speed Pokemon, such as Breloom. The remaining EVs are dumped into Defense for some extra physical bulk and allow Thundurus to survive a +1 Double-Edge from Mega Salamence at full health. Because of level 50 EV mechanics, the leftover 4 EVs are put into Special Attack. Usage Tips Bring Thundurus in on special attackers and defensive Pokemon such as Suicune, Aegislash, Cresselia, Porygon2, and Chansey. Swagger should be the first move used, as it has a 50% chance to cost the opponent a turn due to confusion, while Thunder Wave has only a 25% chance to get a full paralysis, unless you really need to slow down a sweeper such as Blaziken or Mega Salamence. Try to get free turns with a Substitute up; if you threaten the foe and predict a switch, it's best to use Substitute so you're safe to status their switch-in before retreating. Team Options Pokemon that don't like facing common special attackers and defensive Pokemon work well with Thundurus, as it can deal with them. Many special attackers, such as Suicune and Serperior, appreciate having Chansey dealt with, and Mega Kangaskhan appreciates having Cresselia and Porygon2 gone or weakened. Clefable can work well with this Thundurus because of its ability Unaware; if Thundurus does use Swagger on a physical attacker, Clefable can come in and ignore the boosts to make sure it doesn't become too threatening. Clefable also appreciates the Thunder Wave support because it functions much better when it can get off Minimize and Calm Mind against slower Pokemon. Ditto can also work well to take advantage of the Swagger boosts, as it can copy a boosted physical attacker without the confusion that comes with it.

Moves Nasty Plot makes Thundurus a great wallbreaker, as not many Pokemon can reliably take hits from Thundurus at +2 Special Attack. Thunderbolt is a good STAB move, and Hidden Power Ice hits Ground-types that are immune to it. The fourth moveslot has many viable options. Thunder Wave can be used to give Thundurus some utility outside of being just a sweeper, and Substitute can be used to dodge status that would wear it down and to avoid Sucker Punch. Additionally, if Thundurus can get up a Substitute in front of a foe that can't break it, it can avoid being revenge killed by another Pokemon afterwards. Focus Blast hits Steel-types, such as Heatran and Ferrothorn, which could otherwise take a few hits, and Grass Knot can be used to pick up OHKOs on Mamoswine, Hippowdon, and Swampert after a Nasty Plot boost. Set Details The EV spread is used to hit as hard and as fast as possible. Thundurus needs maximum Speed with a Timid nature to outspeed key threats such as Garchomp and the crowded base 110 Speed tier, which includes Pokemon such as Gengar and Latios. Prankster is Thundurus's only ability available, but it is very useful for getting off a Thunder Wave on a sweeper or using Substitute against faster Will-O-Wisp users, such as Talonflame and Mega Gengar. Sitrus Berry gives Thundurus a bit of recovery and helps avoid some 2HKOs, such as from defensive Rotom-W's Hydro Pump. Life Orb gives Thundurus a much greater damage output. Leftovers can be used with Substitute to give some recovery to make up for the lost HP. When using Substitute and Leftovers, an EV spread of 52 HP / 204 SpA / 252 Spe should be used so Thundurus can regain more HP from Leftovers and make more Substitutes. Usage Tips Thundurus scares out a lot of Pokemon, such as Suicune, Talonflame, and Blaziken, so it can find many free turns to set up a Nasty Plot or Substitute. You should not set up if the opponent has a Pokemon that can easily stop Thundurus, such as Mamoswine; it's best to set up when a team is already weakened and Pokemon are in range of Thundurus's attacks or when you want Thundurus to weaken the opposing team for another Pokemon in the back to clean up, such as Mega Blaziken or Mega Lucario. Thundurus can still utilize Thunder Wave as well when you need to stop a Pokemon from sweeping your team. Team Options Thundurus needs teammates that can deal with Pokemon that usually wall it, such as Mamoswine, Ferrothorn, and Porygon2. Suicune can easily counter Mamoswine, while Fighting-types, such as Blaziken and Mega Lucario, can deal with Ferrothorn and Porygon2. Mega Gengar can trap and take out walls such as Chansey and Cresselia. Stealth Rock support is nice to get some chip damage and break Focus Sashes so Thundurus has an easier time sweeping. Garchomp and Mamoswine are some reliable Stealth Rock setters. Mamoswine also covers Thundurus's Ice weakness and helps deal with Breloom and Dragonite, which Thundurus sometimes struggles with.

Moves Prankster Thunder Wave can neutralize a fast threat such as Greninja or Blaziken and stops opposing Pokemon such as Dragon Dance Mega Salamence and Dragonite from sweeping your team. Thunderbolt is usually Thundurus's most reliable move and hits a lot of Pokemon at least neutrally. Hidden Power Ice hits Ground-types immune to Thunderbolt super effectively and hits some common Pokemon for 4x damage, such as Mega Salamence, Garchomp, and Landorus-T. The fourth moveslot has a handful of viable options. Grass Knot hits Hippowdon and Mamoswine really hard. Focus Blast deals with some bulky Steel-types such as Ferrothorn and Heatran. Volt Switch can be used to gain some momentum. Taunt gets priority from Prankster, shuts down some defensive Pokemon such as Chansey and Clefable, and stops Aegislash from using King's Shield, making it more vulnerable in Blade forme. Set Details The EV spread is used to hit as hard and as fast as possible. Thundurus needs maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature to outspeed key threats such as Garchomp and the crowded base 110 Speed tier, which includes Pokemon such as Gengar and Latios. Prankster is the only ability available to Thundurus in Battle Spot, but it makes very good use of it. Life Orb is used to increase Thundurus's damage output and guarantee an OHKO on Garchomp and Mega Salamence with Hidden Power Ice. Usage Tips This Thundurus set plays very simply: use Thundurus to paralyze Pokemon that could be threatening to your team, such as Speed Boost Blaziken and Dragon Dance Mega Salamence. Thunder Wave slows them down, making them vulnerable to the rest of your team when they would have swept otherwise. Thundurus might often have to sacrifice itself to get off a Thunder Wave against a sweeper, but it's for the good of the battle. Thundurus can be a good revenge killer thanks to its good Speed and Special Attack, and it can threaten common Pokemon like Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Talonflame. Team Options Pokemon with an average Speed tier appreciate the speed control from Thunder Wave, such as Mamoswine, Dragonite, and Mega Kangaskhan. Defensive Pokemon can take advantage of the Thunder Wave support by potentially getting free turns to heal against a paralyzed foe. Blaziken works well with Thundurus, as Thundurus can deal with Talonflame and Water-types that Blaziken struggles with. Pokemon that are weak to Ground-type attacks, such as Heatran and Aegislash, appreciate Thundurus's immunity to them. Suicune provides good synergy defensively and can switch into Ice-type attacks for Thundurus. Landorus-T can form a nice VoltTurn core with Thundurus and appreciates Thundurus's ability to deal with Suicune and slow down Pokemon for it if it isn't running Choice Scarf.

Thundurus's impressive base 125 Special Attack and base 111 Speed make it a force to be reckoned with in Ubers, where its main niche is its devious Prankster ability that gives it priority to support moves such as Taunt and Thunder Wave. Taunt stops most common leads, including Deoxys-S, from setting up entry hazards. Thunder Wave can be used to cripple a Choice Scarf user such as Palkia or Shaymin-S and pave the way for a sweeper, while Volt Switch in conjunction with Thundurus's blazing Speed makes Thundurus a fine scout. STAB Thunder is the primary offensive option, and it does massive amounts of damage to anything that doesn't resist it, OHKOing all variants of Lugia and Kyogre with Stealth Rock support. Hidden Power Ice rounds off Thundurus's coverage nicely, 2HKOing Support Groudon and most Dragon-types that pack an Ice-type weakness. Hammer Arm is possible in the last slot since it places a nice dent in most Pokemon that give Thundurus trouble. Blissey takes a nice 63.8% - 75.2% from a Life Orb boosted Hammer Arm, and the move scores a guaranteed 2HKO on Chansey after Stealth Rock damage. Hammer Arm also OHKOes Tyranitar and puts a nice dent into the likes of Dialga and Ferrothorn. A Naive nature should always be used instead of Timid so that Hammer Arm does maximum damage. A Hasty nature is not preferred since it leaves Thundurus prone to the more common physical priority moves from the likes of Arceus. Focus Blast can be used over Hidden Power Ice since it allows Thundurus to have an easier time dealing with the likes of Dialga, Tyranitar, and Ferrothorn, especially since the former two can beat Thundurus easily if Thundurus lacks Focus Blast. Nasty Plot can be used to boost Thundurus's Special Attack further, and although it does not sweep as well as the pure sweeper set, it can be used to fool opponents into believing Thundurus lacks Thunder Wave. If the recoil from Life Orb is unwanted, then Focus Sash is an option. Focus Sash makes Thundurus an excellent anti-lead, allowing it to take on common leads such as Darkrai, Deoxys-S, and non-Choice Scarf Kyogre. Since Thundurus relies heavily on Thunder to make an impact, rain support from Kyogre is very much needed; the unending rain Kyogre brings along gives Thunder perfect accuracy. If Kyogre support can't be provided, Thunderbolt is recommended over Thunder since it is more accurate and also has more PP. However, be aware that without Thunder, Thundurus will lose a large amount of power. Grass Knot can be used over Hidden Power Ice if Groudon is especially troublesome. Stealth Rock support is crucial since it allows Thundurus to net some important OHKOs. For example, Thunder will always OHKO Lugia and Kyogre factoring in Stealth Rock damage. In another vein, Stealth Rock harms Thundurus since it strips away 25% of Thundurus's HP every time it switches in. Therefore, Forretress makes an excellent teammate, as it can remove Stealth Rock from the field with Rapid Spin. Since Chansey can be a nuisance to Thundurus, Pokemon capable of eliminating Chansey are good teammates. Tickle Wobbuffet paired with a Pursuit user such as Scizor can easily beat Chansey. Lucario or Terrakion can also do the same with STAB Close Combat, and also have good defensive synergy with Thundurus. Bulk Up Dialga is also a good check thanks to its immunity to Toxic. Thanks to Prankster, Thundurus can easily cripple Mewtwo, Darkrai, Shaymin-S, and all the Scarf users. Several Ubers enjoy and can take advantage of this paralysis support. Notable examples are Swords Dance Garchomp, Darkrai, Mixed Dialga (an excellent Blissey and Chansey lure), and bulky Excadrill (who can use Rapid Spin and beat Tyranitar and Bulk Up Dialga). Apart from these, Jirachi and Shaymin-S can abuse Serene Grace and paralysis support to flinch Pokemon to death, and slow base 90 Speed Pokemon such as Kyogre and Zekrom will no longer be held back by their below-average speed.

Thundurus has everything one could possibly need to run a Nasty Plot set effectively: blazing Speed, a sky-high Special Attack stat, and key immunities to Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Ground-type moves. The basic idea is to switch in on a support Pokemon, such as Ferrothorn, or a Pokemon that Thundurus scares out, such as Kyogre, grab a Nasty Plot as they switch out, and gear up for a sweep. Nasty Plot pumps Thundurus's already impressive Special Attack stat to an amazing 698, making it a terror to face. Thunder will do insane amounts of damage to anything not immune or resistant to it. Just to put it into perspective, Palkia is cleanly OHKOed by a +2 Thunder, while Reshiram, which is resistant to Electric-type moves, takes a massive 65.7% - 77.6%, an OHKO factoring in Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. Any Groudon foolish enough to switch into Thunder is swiftly taken down with Hidden Power Ice. Focus Blast dents Pokemon such as Dialga and Ferrothorn that can otherwise annoy Thundurus, rounding off Thundurus's overall coverage very well. Volt Switch can be used over Focus Blast, allowing Thundurus to also function as a powerful scout, but it is usually not worth wasting a Nasty Plot boost. Taunt is also a viable alternative since it shuts down Blissey, Chansey, and Forretress, allowing Thundurus to grab a free Nasty Plot boost on them. Kyogre is an obvious choice for a teammate thanks to Drizzle making Thunder 100% accurate. Kyogre can also take Ice-type moves fired at Thundurus and eliminate opposing Groudon with ease. If rain support cannot be provided, Thunderbolt can be used over Thunder. Consequently, though, Thundurus will lose a lot of power and some key OHKOs. Thundurus's main flaw is its frailty, which makes it incredibly prone to revenge killing by Choice Scarf users such as Palkia and Zekrom. Wobbuffet makes a fine partner since it can eliminate common Choice Scarf users such as Palkia with ease and beat Mewtwo in rain. Wobbuffet can also utilize Encore to allow Thundurus to set up. Dual screen support from support Arceus or the like can also be used in place of Wobbuffet. Also, as strange as it might sound, Thundurus appreciates paralysis support to help deal with Choice Scarf users. Kyogre is especially adept at luring in Palkia and crippling it with Thunder Wave, while Jirachi can just spam Body Slam and can even beat Mewtwo in rain or if Mewtwo lacks Fire Blast. Ferrothorn fits well on rain teams, and Dialga is not a bad choice. If you intend to use Thundurus on a sun team, ParaDancer Groudon helps Thundurus by providing Thunder Wave support while also being a good physical attacker thanks to Swords Dance and Earthquake. Since Thundurus is frail, it is incredibly vulnerable to priority moves such as Extreme Speed from Arceus. Choice Scarf Terrakion makes a good teammate since it resists Extreme Speed and can hit both back with either a powerful STAB Close Combat or Stone Edge. Even if Terrakion lacks a Scarf, it can still deal with Rayquaza and Adamant Arceus. Thundurus can also switch into Ground-type moves aimed at Terrakion. Arceus-Steel also pairs up well with Thundurus, as it can easily take on most of its checks, including Rayquaza, Extreme Killer Arceus, and Chansey. Both Arceus and Rayquaza are burnt with Will-O-Wisp, while Chansey is setup bait as Arceus-Steel is immune to Toxic and can easily heal the damage inflicted by Seismic Toss with Recover. Support Arceus, Arceus-Ghost with Will-O-Wisp, and Skarmory can check Extreme Killer Arceus easily. Skarmory has the added advantage of setting up Spikes, which soften up potential walls such as Chansey. Other entry hazards are recommended for similar reasons. Forretress is capable of setting up hazards and removing them reliably.

With Rain Dance, Thundurus can fire off 100% accurate Thunders, as well as supporting its Water-type teammates with pseudo-Helping Hand boosts to their STAB moves. Discharge should not be considered on this set because Thunder is so much more powerful and carries the same 30% chance of paralysis. The choice between Hidden Power types is difficult, but once again, it depends on your team's needs; Ice for Ground-types, and Flying for Grass- and Fighting-types. Taunt stops Tailwind and Trick Room from being set up, but Protect can keep Thundurus alive for another turn. A Timid nature is absolutely needed for this set, as Tailwind support may not be available, and Thundurus needs as much Speed as possible. Damp Rock keeps rain up for 8 turns, but with most VGC battles lasting as few as 3 turns, Charti Berry may often be the superior choice. The EVs let Thundurus get as much Speed and power as it can. Tailwind support is helpful for this set, though it is not necessarily required. Tailwind and rain together make a fantastic combination for Thundurus. Amoonguss makes for a great partner, as rain rids its fatal weakness to Fire-type attacks, and Rage Powder lets Thundurus easily set up rain and sweep with Thunder. Seismitoad, as the only Swift Swim sweeper in VGC 2011, is a great partner for Thundurus, with rain doubling its Speed.

The choice between Thunderbolt and Discharge is a tough one. Thunderbolt is stronger but only hits one foe, and while Discharge hits both foes and has a higher paralysis chance, it hits your partner too! Discharge should only be used if Thundurus is paired with a Ground-type like Landorus or a Pokemon with Telepathy like Musharna. The choice of Hidden Power is difficult. Hidden Power Ice hits Ground-types such as Landorus, but Hidden Power Flying gives Thundurus another STAB move, and Electric / Flying is resisted by only a handful of Pokemon in VGC 2011. Once again, this depends on your team. If you have troubles with Ground-types, Hidden Power Ice is probably the way to go, but if you have problems with Grass- and Fighting-types, then Hidden Power Flying would be better. In the third moveslot, Taunt stops Tailwind and Trick Room setup from opposing Pokemon. Thunder Wave slows down foes and has +1 priority with Prankster. Protect stalls out Trick Room or Tailwind, and it allows a partner to KO a Pokemon that threatens Thundurus. Substitute, however, has the advantage of possible repeated use and can block status as well. Charti Berry allows Thundurus to hold up for an extra turn against the very common Rock Slides that plague VGC, but Electric Gem gives the power to OHKO Jellicent and prevent it from setting up Trick Room. The EV spread maximizes Special Attack and Speed for better sweeping capabilities. Timid is the recommended nature for Speed, but with Tailwind up, Modest is viable for increased attacking power. Ground-types such as Krookodile and Landorus are good supporters for Thundurus, as they can use Earthquake while Thundurus uses Discharge. Musharna has Telepathy, so Discharge doesn't affect it, and Helping Hand can boost Discharge's power.

This is the most straightforward and effective set for Thundurus. Thundurus's primary offensive potential comes from its STAB Thunderbolt, which lets it dish out consistent damage every turn. Both Hidden Power Flying and Hidden Power Ice have their uses, and the choice should depend on how well Thundurus's teammates deal with the following threats. Hidden Power Flying allows Thundurus to hit Pokemon such as Hitmontop, Ludicolo, and Toxicroak for a large amount of damage but leaves it walled by the likes of Tyranitar and Landorus. Hidden Power Ice covers several different threats, including Landorus, Garchomp, and Salamence, but loses coverage against Fighting-types. Because of Prankster, Thundurus receives priority on Thunder Wave, enabling it to paralyze even boosted threats before they have a chance to attack. The toss-up between Substitute and Protect once again depends on user preference and playstyle, and both have their strengths and weaknesses. 252 Special Attack and Speed EVs grant Thundurus maximum power and Speed; it wants to hit as hard as possible while disrupting foes with Thunder Wave, allowing strong sweepers to finish them off late-game. Charti Berry lets Thundurus better tank the common Rock Slide, although a Yache Berry is an equally viable alternative. Thundurus can work well with a variety of teammates; as Thundurus's main role is to cripple your opponent's team while still doing as much damage as possible, it can easily fit onto any team. In particular, Thundurus is great alongside Garchomp, as it is immune to Garchomp's Earthquake and can paralyze anything faster than Garchomp, helping it sweep. Hitmontop also has great synergy with Thundurus thanks to its ability to provide Intimidate support and remove counters to Thundurus, such as Tyranitar.

This is the most straightforward and effective set for any Rain Dance team. Thunder, although a risky move to use outside of rain, is necessary because of its sheer power. Prankster makes Thunder Wave a superb support move, as it lets Thundurus paralyze threats such as opposing Swift Swim Pokemon. Rain Dance can also be considered in this moveslot if maintaining rain is very important to your team. Hidden Power Flying hits several common threats—namely Ludicolo, Toxicroak, Abomasnow, and Hitmontop—for a large amount of damage. Lastly, Substitute and Protect are both viable options, and your pick should depend on your playstyle and team. With Prankster, Thundurus can always set up a Substitute before the foes are able to attack, which can be handy when facing Dragon Gem-boosted Draco Meteors, as Substitute not only wastes their Gem but also causes their Special Attack to drop needlessly. With proper prediction, Thundurus can sometimes even set up a free Substitute, making it more difficult to take down. For example, if Thundurus is paired with a Fake Out user, both foes might use Protect to negate the Fake Out, letting Thundurus set up a Substitute unscathed. However, for those that do not like the 25% HP loss along with the prediction that comes with Substitute, Protect is a safer alternative. It is a rather straightforward move, but unlike Substitute, it cannot be reliably used every turn. Thundurus's unique typing and ability, along with its superb Speed, sets it apart from Electric-types such as Zapdos, Raikou, Rotom-W, and Jolteon, and makes it a better fit for rain teams. Thundurus is immune to Earthquake, which single-handedly makes it better than most other Electric types. Thundurus also gets access to Prankster, Thunder Wave, and Rain Dance—a combination not found on any other Pokemon. Thanks to its excellent Special Attack and Speed stats, Thundurus is able to outspeed several threats and damage them severely. A Timid nature and 252 Speed EVs take advantage of Thundurus's stellar Speed, allowing it to outrun common threats such as Garchomp and Terrakion, avoid being flinched by Rock Slide, and take them out with its powerful moves. Alternatively, Thundurus can use a spread of 252 HP / 248 SpA / 8 Spe with a Modest nature; although this reduces Thundurus's Speed, it grants Thundurus excellent bulk and allows it to survive almost any attack. As this Thundurus is built for use on a dedicated rain team, recommended partners to it include Politoed, Ludicolo, Kingdra, and Toxicroak. Pairing lead Thundurus with a Fake Out user is a very viable strategy against opposing weather teams; this allows for several options depending on your opponent's leads. For example, should they lead with a weather inducer of their own, a simple switch into Politoed not only gives you weather control, but also forces your opponent to switch out. If they don't lead with their weather inducer, Thundurus still has a variety of options, including spamming Thunder Wave and slowly crippling your opponent's team. As a first-turn Fake Out is a nuisance to many players, they often opt to double Protect, allowing Thundurus to use Rain Dance, set up a Substitute, or even switch out.

Arguably the best support Pokemon in the metagame, Thundurus's combination of Prankster and Thunder Wave allows it to cripple the opponent's team by easily spreading paralysis. Taunt further boosts Thundurus's utility, as it can shut down Amoonguss, prevent Substitute, and stop Trick Room from going up. On top of this, an impressive Special Attack stat alongside BoltBeam coverage gives Thundurus an offensive presence that most support Pokemon do not have. Notably, Thundurus is one of most teams' only options in consistently pressuring Jellicent. All of this combined solidifies Thundurus as one of the best Pokemon in the metagame and a threat that all teams must be prepared for. This EV spread allows Thundurus to survive Timid Dragon Gem Latios's Draco Meteor and outspeed Adamant Landorus-T. Thundurus can run many other spreads depending on the needs of the team. For example, a spread of 252 HP / 60 Def / 176 SpD / 20 Spe and a Calm nature allow Thundurus to survive a Timid Dragon Gem Latios's Draco Meteor while outrunning boosted base 70s. Thundurus has extremely high value, so it is recommended to preserve it as long as possible or until it has slowed down key threats with Thunder Wave. Thunder Wave will always have utility at any stage of the game because a key full paralysis can oftentimes turn the tides of the battle. Thundurus can easily fit on many team archetypes and does not require much direct support to be effective; however, it does benefit greatly from teammates that can remove Kyurem-B and Tyranitar, two threats that can threaten an OHKO on Thundurus, such as Genesect and Conkeldurr. Thundurus has a plethora of other moves it can use. Hidden Power Flying is an option for better damage to Amoonguss. Substitute can block a strong incoming attack, such as Latios's Draco Meteor. Additionally, Substitute guarantees that Thundurus can take one hit, allowing it to more effectively spread paralysis. Protect can be used to increase Thundurus's longevity, as opponents oftentimes prioritize removing Thundurus. Finally, Sky Drop is an interesting option to remove a threat for one turn and is often used in combination with a setup Pokemon, such as Suicune. A set with a 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe spread, a Timid nature, and an Electric Gem can be used on teams that favor more offensive presence while still having the utility of Thunder Wave. A physical Thundurus with Defiant, a 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe spread, a Jolly nature, Life Orb, and a moveset of Wild Charge, Superpower, Crunch, and Protect is a solid anti-metagame option, as it can outspeed and threaten common Pokemon such as Latios, Tyranitar, and Jellicent.

Thundurus also has a good 115 Attack, with which it can take down its common checks, namely Blissey and Tyranitar. With mixed attacking stats, Thundurus can function as an excellent wallbreaker, weakening opposing teams for its teammates to sweep. Thundurus can be a great powerhouse with this set, and its effectiveness can sometimes eclipse even the powerful Nasty Plot set. Thunderbolt is Thundurus's main STAB move for its power and reliability. Hammer Arm allows Thundurus to OHKO non-Chople Berry Tyranitar and 2HKO Blissey, as well as severely dent Terrakion. Hidden Power Ice is the best coverage move available to Thundurus, complementing its other moves very well by hitting the Dragon-types that resist its other moves. The last slot is a bit of a toss-up. Volt Switch is a great option particularly for VoltTurn offense teams, and also allows Thundurus to maintain offensive pressure if faced with a counter. U-turn functions similarly, with the advantage of hitting Ground-types such as Garchomp and Excadrill, who are common switch-ins to Thundurus. Taunt can be used to screw over walls attempting to paralyze or set up hazards on Thundurus, and also stops Dragon Dance boosters in their tracks. It also cripples Deoxys-S, but backfires if Deoxys-S uses Magic Coat. Thunder Wave is always an option for quick paralysis, which could potentially save your team from a rampaging Blaziken. Grass Knot can be used to lure and remove Gastrodon and Quagsire. The item choice depends on Thundurus's role on the team: Life Orb should be used for maximum power, with the added bonus of OHKOing Tyranitar; Expert Belt is also a great item since Thundurus has excellent super effective coverage. In general, Life Orb lets it be the best possible wallbreaker, while Expert Belt grants better longevity. Leftovers can always be used for recovery, as can Substitute to block attacks and status. This set lacks the sweeping potential of Nasty Plot, so its teammates need to pick up the slack. Entry hazards, particularly Stealth Rock and Spikes, are also needed to make this set work, as they enable Thundurus to nab crucial kills, such as on Jellicent and Vaporeon; this makes Excadrill and Garchomp good partners. Chansey defeats this set, being able to Softboiled off the damage from Hammer Arm and stall out Thundurus with Toxic and Seismic Toss. Gastrodon and Quagsire still do a great job with beating Thundurus. Breloom deals with all three of them, KOing them or forcing them out with its dual STABs and fearing nothing except for a Scald burn or Ice Beam from Gastrodon. Politoed can provide rain support so that Thundurus can run Thunder.

With its Prankster ability, Thundurus's non-attacking moves gain priority. This makes Thundurus a quick check to a Dragon Dance sweeper or something continually stalling with Substitutes or status moves. The ability to go first, outspeeding even most other Prankster users, gives Thundurus the advantage over bulkier alternatives. In general, this set's main purpose is to be a last-ditch stop to threatening sweepers, and maybe get some attacks off if it finds the time. Thunder Wave is the crux of the set, and the reason why Prankster Thundurus is so good. It can be a game-saving clutch against a DragonDancer or Choice Scarf user that your team cannot overcome because of its high Speed; it can also cause paralysis hax, giving Thundurus more opportunities to attack. Thunderbolt is a reliable STAB move. Hidden Power Ice is Thundurus's best possible coverage move, while as on all Thundurus sets, the last slot is a toss-up. Taunt is the primary option to shut down status spreaders such as Jirachi and Jellicent, and prevent boosting Pokemon from setting up further. Volt Switch or U-turn can make Thundurus an effective scout, while Hammer Arm can be used for coverage on Tyranitar and Blissey—of course, be sure to use a Naive nature and 4 Attack EVs if using Hammer Arm or U-turn. If you have rain support, run Thunder. This set will often die in one hit as a sacrifice to get off that one Thunder Wave or Taunt, but its special attacking capabilities should not be forgotten, and abused to their full potential. In fact, it should still be played offensively in general, but cautiously if Team Preview reveals a threat it may need to deal with. This set is countered by Blissey and Chansey, as well as Gastrodon and Quagsire, who are immune to Thunder Wave and take basically nothing from its attacks. A Focus Sash can be used to allow a full health Thundurus to live an otherwise fatal attack, but is not recommended because it requires that entry hazards be kept off the field at all times. Substitute + Calm Mind Jirachi is an amazing partner to this set, as it enjoys setting up on and sweeping paralyzed opponents. Adamant Choice Band Terrakion is perhaps the Pokemon that benefits most from the support this Thundurus provides, abusing the paralyzed opposition to alleviate its Speed issues, and OHKOing most opponents. Substitute + Calm Mind Chandelure also benefits from paralyzed opponents due to its low Speed stat. Politoed are great for rain support. Choice Scarf Politoed in particular is useful because it can come in and revenge kill Excadrill, who is immune to the main point of this set—paralysis—and can KO Thundurus with Rock Slide. Choice Scarf Garchomp poses a similar problem, so Bronzong and Skarmory are great teammates.

This set is Thundurus's bread and butter, the reason it was banned from OU. The idea is to stack hazards, take out the opponent's Choice Scarf user, beat the opponent's special wall, set up Nasty Plot, and sweep. High Special Attack and Speed stats make Thundurus an ideal candidate for the job. Switching in on a support Pokemon or something Thundurus forces out, such as Breloom or Jellicent, is ideal, allowing Thundurus to grab a Nasty Plot on the switch. After a Nasty Plot, Thundurus hits a sky-high 698 Special Attack stat, which, alongside its excellent coverage, lets it plow through the entire metagame. Thunderbolt is of course the primary option if you are not running rain support, and still hits insanely hard. Hidden Power Ice complements Thunderbolt with coverage on the common Grass- and Ground-types in the tier, such as Serperior and Gliscor, and Focus Blast grants Thundurus super effective coverage on Ferrothorn and Tyranitar. Substitute is an option with Leftovers for a deadly Substitute + Nasty Plot set. It prevents status, specifically Thunder Wave and Toxic, and Substitute can be used in lieu of Protect, scouting out the opponent's next move. Taunt can also be used in a similar vein to Taunt + Dragon Dance Haxorus. It helps Thundurus set up on Jirachi and Ferrothorn, who otherwise pose a major pain thanks to Thunder Wave. Body Slam is still an issue with Jirachi, however, so it is best to determine if it has Body Slam or Thunder Wave before attempting to use Taunt. Taunt also prevents Breloom from setting up on Thundurus, which can be very helpful if Breloom lacks Stone Edge. Thunder is the best choice if you can provide rain support, as it will just about OHKO everything that does not resist it, bar Tyranitar, Blissey, and Chansey. Grass Knot is an option to hit Gastrodon and Quagsire, who are not troubled by Thundurus's other moves. Life Orb offers a power boost while Leftovers grants extra survivability. Leftovers is the recommended item for Thundurus on a sand team. Lum Berry can also be used to prevent paralysis, Toxic, and Spore, giving Thundurus more opportunities to set up. The one thing that most hinders Thundurus from sweeping is Stealth Rock. When factoring in Life Orb recoil and possible sandstorm damage, Stealth Rock ruins Thundurus's day and drastically shortens its sweep. Because of this, a Rapid Spin user is very helpful to Thundurus. The best choice is Starmie, who provides excellent complementary offense with Thundurus as well. Chandelure is great for trapping common Choice Scarf users, particularly Terrakion locked into Close Combat, and generally troublesome Pokemon that like to ruin Thundurus's day, such as Quagsire, Tyranitar, and Lucario. As Thundurus resists common priority attacks, they are not an issue, but Choice Scarf users definitely are. When equipped with a Choice Scarf, Terrakion, Chandelure, Tyranitar, and Genesect can all take advantage of Thundurus's relative frailty and pick it off. Dual screens are amazing in helping Thundurus set up; Deoxys-S and Espeon come to mind as the best ones. Paralysis support is another option to deal with Choice Scarf users, and is generously provided by Ferrothorn, who also happens to be able to set up hazards to help Thundurus's sweep. Politoed support is great for providing the rain that allows Thundurus to run Thunder.