This is a strategy guide for using Raikou in competitive play for the games Pokemon Sword and Shield. Read on for tips on the best Nature, EV spreads, Movesets, and Held Items to use with Raikou, as well as its strengths and weak points.
Raikou - Related Guides | |
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Evolution and Learnset | Build for Ranked Battle |
List of Contents
Pokemon | Type 1 | Type 2 |
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Abilities | ||
Pressure | The Pokemon raises the foe's PP usage. | |
Inner Focus (Hidden) | The Pokemon is protected from flinching. |
Type | |
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Takes 4x damage |
|
Takes 2x damage | |
Takes 0.5x damage | |
Takes 1/4x damage |
|
Takes 0x damage |
|
HP | Attack | Defense | Sp. Atk | Sp. Def | Speed |
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90 | 85 | 75 | 115 | 100 | 115 |
Best Natures | ||
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Timid (+Spd, -Atk) |
Nature | Timid (+Spd, -Atk) |
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EV Spread | Sp. Def 4 / Sp.Atk 252 / Spd 252 |
Final Stat Values | HP 165 / Def 95 / Sp.Atk 167 / Sp.Def 121 / Spd 183 |
Ability | Pressure Inner Focus |
Held Item | Choice Specs or Life Orb |
Moveset | ・Extrasensory ・Thunderbolt ・Volt Switch ・Scald |
An offensive build for Raikou that capitalizes on its high Special Attack stat. Extrasensory and Scald gives you coverage against numerous Pokemon types. Thunderbolt provides a great STAB move while Volt Switch is a utility move that will get you out of sticky situations.
Discharge | A stronger STAB move compared to Thunderbolt and Volt Switch. Use this if you want to apply paralysis.0 |
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Aura Sphere | A good coverage move that can replace Extrasensory. Be wary of the low accuracy. |
Shadow Ball | A niche move that you can use instead of Scald, allowing Raikou to hit Ghost and Psychic-types. |
Nature | Timid (+Spd, -Atk) |
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EV Spread | Def 4 / Sp.Atk 252 / Spd 252 |
Final Stat Values | HP 165 / Def 96 / Sp.Atk 167 / Sp.Def 120 / Spd 183 |
Ability | Pressure Inner Focus |
Held Item | Leftovers |
Moveset | ・Calm Mind ・Thunderbolt ・Aura Sphere ・Scald |
Raikou's great speed and special attack, as well as good coverage moves, make it an effective and speedy setup sweeper with Calm Mind.
Calm Mind boosts Raikou's Special Attack and Special Defense by one stage. Thunderbolt is its main STAB move, while Aura Sphere gives it great neutral coverage - hitting Rock, Steel, Ice, Dark, and Normal-type Pokemon for super effective damage.
Scald is its last move, and while not particularly powerful, allows Raikou to hit Ground-types that are immune to Raikou's Electric-type STAB.
We're using a basic special attacking EV spread for this Raikou. Full investment in Speed and Special attack ensures it hits as hard as possible, especially after a few Calm Mind boosts. The remaining EVs are placed in Defense since we're already boosting Raikou's Special Defense with Calm Mind.
Raikou can use either of its abilities for this build. With Pressure, the opposing Pokemon loses 2 PP instead of 1 when facing off against Raikou.
With Inner Focus, Raikou is immune to getting flinched by moves such as Fake Out. This is ability is more useful if using Raikou as a lead, ensuring it can set up Calm Mind even if the opposing lead decides to use a flinching move.
We're giving Raikou Leftovers for this build. Calm Mind users in general are easily whittled down by residual damage, such as poison or with Hail or Sandstorm, so residual healing helps boost its survivability.
Weather Ball | Can replace Scald if running Raikou in a Rain Team. This move becomes a 100 Base Power Water-type move when in rain. |
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Extrasensory | A niche move that you can use instead of Scald, allowing Raikou to hit Grass-types with a secondary Poison typing like Amoonguss. |
Shadow Ball | A niche move that you can use instead of Scald, allowing Raikou to hit Ghost and Psychic-types. |
Nature | Timid (+Spd, -Atk) |
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EV Spread | Def 4 / Sp.Atk 252 / Spd 252 |
Final Stat Values | HP 165 / Def 96 / Sp.Atk 167 / Sp.Def 120 / Spd 183 |
Ability | Inner Focus |
Held Item | Choice Specs |
Moveset | ・Rising Voltage ・Volt Switch ・Aura Sphere ・Scald |
Raikou is an effective lead in Doubles, especially if it gets Electric Terrain support from the likes of Tapu Koko or Pincurchin.
Rising Voltage is Raikou's strongest move. When Electric Terrain is present, it becomes a 140 Base Power Electric-type attack that hits both targets in Doubles. Volt Switch is secondary STAB move, and allows Raikou to quickly pivot from the battle and to its teammates.
It's last two moves are for coverage. Aura Sphere gives it great neutral coverage, while Scald allows Raikou to threaten Ground-types that are immune to Rising Voltage. The latter also has a nice 30% chance to inflict a burn.
We're using a basic special attacking EV spread for this Raikou. Full investment in Speed and Special attack ensures it hits as hard as possible. The remaining EVs are placed in Defense to round off its bulk.
We're using Inner Focus for this build. This protects Raikou from Fake Out, which is very common in Doubles, and allows it to function as an effective lead.
Choice Specs boosts the power of Raikou's special moves by 50%, but restricts it to using only the initial move it used for the turn.
Weather Ball | Can replace Scald if running Raikou in a Rain Team. This move becomes a 100 Base Power Water-type move when in rain. |
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Extrasensory | A niche move that you can use instead of Scald, allowing Raikou to hit Grass-types with a secondary Poison typing like Amoonguss. |
Shadow Ball | A niche move that you can use instead of Scald, allowing Raikou to hit Ghost and Psychic-types. |
Raikou faces stiff competition from faster and stronger Electric-types, so it's important to use it in a different role so that it isn't outclassed.
As one of the fastest Calm Mind setup sweepers in the metagame, it has a niche as a lead setup sweeper. Unlike other leads, you can send it out agains in the late stages of the battle - essentially using it as a late-game cleaner.
Raikou has a small niche in singles as a lead setup sweeper. It truly shines in Doubles where it can fire off Specs boosted Rising Voltage to threaten the opposing team.
Raikou is an effective lead sweeper in doubles. Thanks to Volt Switch, it can also function as an offensive pivot. The Thunder Pokemon, however, is reliant on Electric Terrain support. and is best used in a dedicated Electric Terrain team or partnered with a fellow lead that can Dynamax and setup the terrain with Max Lightning.
Weakness |
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Even with several Calm Mind boosts, Raikou can't hope to knock out certain Special Walls. These walls will often force Raikou to switch or risk getting inflicted by debilitating status moves.
Pokemon | Description |
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Blissey | Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Takes little damage from Raikou's attacks thanks to its massive HP and Special Defense ・Can whittle down Raikou's HP with Seismic Toss, forcing it to switch Moveset & Best Build for Blissey |
Ferrothorn | Ranking: ★★★★ ・Resists Raikou's STAB moves and can survive an Aura Sphere ・Can outstall Raikou with Leech Seed and Protect, forcing it to switch Moveset & Best Build for Ferrothron |
Clefable | Ranking: ★★★★ ・Specially Defensive variants can withstand Raikou's attacks ・Ignores Raikou's Calm Mind boosts with Unaware, forcing it to switch Moveset & Best Build for Clefable |
All Competitive Builds for Ranked Battle
Competitive Pokemon Battle Guides | |||||
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Tier List | Best Builds | Series 10 List of Contenders | |||
Doubles Tier List | Team Building | Rental Teams |
Raikou - Movesets & Best Build for Ranked Battle
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Can substitute be used as a viable move in doubles