Penguin the Magical Bird
Weather-based teams in Cobblemon can provide a powerful and strategic advantage by taking full advantage of weather effects like rain, sun, sandstorm, and hail. Building your team around these weather conditions allows you to boost specific types, activate weather-related abilities, and create synergy among your Cobblemon. In this guide, we’ll dive into the core strategies behind weather-based teams and how you can optimize your Cobblemon for rain, sun, sandstorm, and hail conditions.
What Are Weather Effects?
Weather effects in Cobblemon alter the battlefield and can significantly impact both offensive and defensive strategies. By activating a weather condition, you can boost certain types of moves, trigger abilities that rely on weather, and control the pace of battle.
The main weather conditions in Cobblemon are:
- Rain: Boosts Water-type moves and activates abilities like Swift Swim.
- Sun: Boosts Fire-type moves and powers up abilities like Chlorophyll.
- Sandstorm: Chips away at non-Steel, non-Ground, and non-Rock types while boosting the Special Defense of Rock-types.
- Hail: Damages all non-Ice types each turn and triggers abilities like Slush Rush.
Step 1: Building a Rain Team
Rain teams focus on boosting Water-type moves and activating abilities that rely on rain, such as Swift Swim, which doubles the Speed of Water-type Cobblemon in rainy conditions.
Key Effects of Rain:
- Water-type moves gain a 50% power boost.
- Fire-type moves are weakened by 50%.
- Thunder has 100% accuracy in rain, making it a strong option for Electric-types.
- Swift Swim doubles the Speed of Cobblemon with this ability in rain.
Best Cobblemon for Rain Teams:
- Pelipper (Water/Flying) – Rain Setter
- Ability: Drizzle (Automatically sets rain when it enters the battlefield)
- Moves: Hurricane, Scald, U-turn, Roost
- Role: Pelipper is the go-to rain setter thanks to its Drizzle ability. It also benefits from using moves like Hurricane, which becomes 100% accurate in rain.
- Kingdra (Water/Dragon) – Swift Swim Sweeper
- Ability: Swift Swim (Doubles Speed in rain)
- Moves: Hydro Pump, Draco Meteor, Ice Beam, Rain Dance
- Role: Kingdra takes advantage of Swift Swim and rain-boosted Water-type moves to outspeed and overpower most opponents.
- Ludicolo (Water/Grass) – Rain Attacker
- Ability: Swift Swim
- Moves: Giga Drain, Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, Rain Dance
- Role: Ludicolo combines Water-type and Grass-type coverage, making it a versatile attacker in rain teams.
Step 2: Building a Sun Team
Sun teams are built around boosting Fire-type moves and activating abilities like Chlorophyll, which doubles the Speed of Grass-types under sunlight. Sun teams excel in aggressive, fast-paced battles, often overwhelming opponents with high-speed, high-power Fire and Grass-type moves.
Key Effects of Sun:
- Fire-type moves gain a 50% power boost.
- Water-type moves are weakened by 50%.
- Solar Beam does not require a charge turn in sun, making it a deadly move.
- Chlorophyll doubles the Speed of Grass-type Cobblemon in sun.
Best Cobblemon for Sun Teams:
- Torkoal (Fire) – Sun Setter
- Ability: Drought (Automatically sets sun when it enters the battlefield)
- Moves: Lava Plume, Solar Beam, Stealth Rock, Yawn
- Role: Torkoal sets up sun and provides excellent support with defensive options like Stealth Rock while boosting the power of Fire-type moves.
- Venusaur (Grass/Poison) – Chlorophyll Sweeper
- Ability: Chlorophyll (Doubles Speed in sun)
- Moves: Solar Beam, Sludge Bomb, Growth, Sleep Powder
- Role: With Chlorophyll, Venusaur outspeeds most opponents and uses Solar Beam for instant high damage without the usual charge time.
- Charizard (Fire/Flying) – Fire-Type Sweeper
- Ability: Solar Power (Boosts Special Attack in sun, but takes damage each turn)
- Moves: Fire Blast, Solar Beam, Air Slash, Roost
- Role: Charizard becomes a deadly special attacker under sunlight, hitting hard with boosted Fire-type moves and Solar Beam for coverage.
Step 3: Building a Sandstorm Team
Sandstorm teams excel in defensive playstyles, with Rock-type Cobblemon gaining a 50% Special Defense boost during sandstorm conditions. The weather also deals chip damage to all Cobblemon that are not Ground, Rock, or Steel-type, making it a great way to wear down opponents over time.
Key Effects of Sandstorm:
- Rock-type Cobblemon gain a 50% Special Defense boost.
- Sandstorm deals 1/16th HP damage each turn to non-Ground, non-Steel, and non-Rock types.
- Abilities like Sand Rush double Speed in sandstorm, while Sand Veil increases evasion.
Best Cobblemon for Sandstorm Teams:
- Tyranitar (Rock/Dark) – Sandstorm Setter
- Ability: Sand Stream (Automatically sets sandstorm when it enters the battlefield)
- Moves: Stone Edge, Crunch, Stealth Rock, Dragon Dance
- Role: Tyranitar is the key setter for sandstorm teams, providing a tanky physical attacker that also supports the team with Stealth Rock.
- Excadrill (Ground/Steel) – Sand Rush Sweeper
- Ability: Sand Rush (Doubles Speed in sandstorm)
- Moves: Earthquake, Iron Head, Swords Dance, Rock Slide
- Role: Excadrill becomes incredibly fast and dangerous under sandstorm, sweeping through teams with powerful physical attacks.
- Garchomp (Dragon/Ground) – Sand Veil Evasion
- Ability: Sand Veil (Increases evasion in sandstorm)
- Moves: Earthquake, Dragon Claw, Stone Edge, Swords Dance
- Role: Garchomp takes advantage of the Sand Veil ability, making it harder to hit while dishing out devastating physical moves.
Step 4: Building a Hail Team
Hail teams are less common but can still be highly effective. Hail teams focus on Ice-type Cobblemon, which are immune to the damage caused by hail and often use the weather to trigger abilities like Slush Rush or Ice Body.
Key Effects of Hail:
- Hail deals 1/16th HP damage to all non-Ice types each turn.
- Abilities like Slush Rush double Speed, and Ice Body provides healing in hail.
Best Cobblemon for Hail Teams:
- Alolan Ninetales (Ice/Fairy) – Hail Setter
- Ability: Snow Warning (Automatically sets hail when it enters the battlefield)
- Moves: Blizzard, Aurora Veil, Freeze-Dry, Moonblast
- Role: Alolan Ninetales is the best hail setter, using Snow Warning to activate hail while spamming Blizzard, which never misses in hail. It can also set up Aurora Veil to boost the team's defenses.
- Beartic (Ice) – Slush Rush Sweeper
- Ability: Slush Rush (Doubles Speed in hail)
- Moves: Icicle Crash, Superpower, Aqua Jet, Play Rough
- Role: Beartic becomes a fast and hard-hitting physical attacker in hail, sweeping teams with high-powered Ice-type moves.
- Walrein (Ice/Water) – Ice Body Tank
- Ability: Ice Body (Heals HP during hail)
- Moves: Blizzard, Surf, Protect, Toxic
- Role: Walrein can act as a tanky staller, healing each turn with Ice Body and whittling down opponents with Toxic and Blizzard.
Step 5: Team Synergy and Support Moves
To make your weather-based team successful, synergy and support moves are key. Here are some tips to ensure your team works together effectively:
1. Weather-Extending Items
- Damp Rock: Extends rain from 5 turns to 8 turns.
- Heat Rock: Extends sun from 5 turns to 8 turns.
- Smooth Rock: Extends sandstorm from 5 turns to 8 turns.
- Icy Rock: Extends hail from 5 turns to 8 turns.
2. Use Support Moves
- Moves like Stealth Rock, Toxic, and Aurora Veil help to support your weather strategy by chipping away at opponents or protecting your team.
3. Status Effects and Hazard Control
- Defog or Rapid Spin can help clear hazards on your side of the field, ensuring your weather-based team remains healthy throughout the battle.
Conclusion
Building a weather-based Cobblemon team opens up a world of strategic possibilities. Whether you're boosting Water-type moves in rain, outspeeding opponents under sun, or tanking hits in sandstorm, weather effects give you control over the battlefield. By carefully selecting Cobblemon with the right abilities, moves, and team synergy, you can create a formidable weather-based team that adapts to any situation.
Which weather effect do you prefer to use in Cobblemon battles? Let us know in our Discord!
