Boreos Movesets & Wettbewerbs-Sets

Under rain, Hurricane becomes an immensely difficult move to switch into, swiftly 2HKOing common Pokemon like Slowking, Hippowdon, and Primarina with ease when backed by Choice Specs. Knock Off cripples switch-ins such as Chansey, Celesteela, and Nihilego, though it is undesirable to lock into because of how weak it is. U-turn allows Tornadus to pivot against switch-ins like Rotom-W, Celesteela, and Chansey. Focus Blast nails Flying-resists such as Rotom-W and Nihilego. It can even 2HKO Chansey if Eviolite is removed. Weather Ball is an option for super effective damage on Rotom-H and Nihilego in the rain. Choice Specs is required to obtain the aforementioned 2HKOes and maximizes Tornadus's wallbreaking potential. Choice Specs Tornadus primarily excels on rain teams. As such, Politoed is a mandatory teammate, being able to set rain and potentially punish Pokemon such as Rotom-W with a Scald burn. Secondary benefactors of rain are important in helping Tornadus wallbreak. Keldeo and Kingdra are excellent at overwhelming defensive cores with their overwhelming power and scaring out foes such as Nihilego and Rotom-H, with the latter being able to keep faster threats to Tornadus such as Zygarde-10%, Azelf, and Choice Scarf Hydreigon in line thanks to Swift Swim. Azumarill and Gyarados are able to break past specially defensive Pokemon like Chansey and Celesteela and enjoy Tornadus wiping out Grass-types like Tangrowth and Zarude. They also work with Tornadus to overwhelm Rotom-W. Excadrill provides entry hazard support and removal, being able to provide Stealth Rock to enhance Tornadus's wallbreaking while keeping it from getting worn down by Stealth Rock with Rapid Spin. Excadrill also checks Nihilego, Rotom-W, and Chansey for Tornadus. Amoonguss can provide defensive support to the rain team, checking foes that can take a hit like Primarina as well as faster checks to Tornadus like Raikou.

Acrobatics becomes very powerful without an item, hitting Pokemon like Amoonguss, Keldeo, and Conkeldurr for huge damage. It also provides solid neutral coverage against defensive Pokemon like Salamence, Slowking, and Hatterene, with the former being heavily threatened due to Intimidate activating Defiant. U-turn lets Tornadus pivot out from unfavorable matchups like Rotom-W and Nihilego, bringing in wallbreakers or defensive checks to take advantage of them. It also wears down the aforementioned Pokemon and the likes of Excadrill and Celesteela, letting Tornadus pick them off later. Knock Off is crucial in making steady progress against Pokemon like Rotom-H, Primarina, and Nihilego, which rely on their items to maintain longevity, as well as removing Rocky Helmet from users like Hippowdon and Cobalion, preventing them from wearing down Tornadus as easily. Heat Wave allows Tornadus to dispatch the likes of Excadrill, Scizor, Cobalion, and Skarmory, which would otherwise check it well. Defiant is the preferred ability, as it allows Tornadus to heavily threaten Defoggers like Salamence and Mandibuzz, as well as punishing the former's Intimidate. This dissuades the use of Defog or the latter coming in against it. A Naive nature over Jolly keeps Heat Wave strong enough against threats like Excadrill. Also, Tornadus's bulk is poor enough that reducing it doesn't directly affect how it plays. Tornadus fits well on bulky offense and entry hazard-stacking teams in need of a fast, threatening pivot that can effectively deny entry hazard removal, as well as exerting the pressure needed to bring in wallbreakers safely. Consistent entry hazard removers like Rotom-W and Excadrill are greatly appreciated, as Tornadus needs Stealth Rock off the field. Late-game cleaners like Scizor and Nihilego can break through foes like Rotom-W, Slowking, and Hippowdon after Tornadus has sufficiently weakened them. Both also benefit from Tornadus baiting in the likes of Scizor, Excadrill, and Celesteela and weakening them via Heat Wave. Wallbreakers like Keldeo, Hydreigon, and Zygarde-10% can pressure the opposing team incredibly well; all of them also appreciate Tornadus threatening Tangrowth and Zarude, love Tornadus bringing them in safely via U-turn against Rotom-W and Celesteela, and appreciate its Knock Off support against foes like Tangrowth, Salamence, and Primarina. Rotom-W forms a potent VoltTurn core with Tornadus, as it pivots out on Pokemon like Zarude, Tangrowth, Amoonguss, and Chansey, all of which Tornadus can threaten or cripple with Knock Off. Zarude is another dangerous, complementary pivot and can check Nihilego, Rotom-W, and Hippowdon for Tornadus. Entry hazard setters like Cobalion, Nihilego, and Skarmory are often too good to pass up, since Tornadus often removes Heavy-Duty Boots from opposing Pokemon like Salamence, Rotom-H, and Slowking, letting hazards and its U-turn rack up chip damage. Tornadus is also amazing at dissuading Defog attempts. Cobalion is able to check Scizor for Tornadus, and Nihilego can further pressure Celesteela and check Thundurus-T and Rotom-H. Skarmory is notable in that it provides Spikes, which bolsters Tornadus's damage output significantly. It can also pivot in on Mamoswine, which otherwise revenge kills Tornadus with ease. Defensive Pokemon like Tangrowth, Primarina, and Amoonguss can switch in on other common revenge killers like Raikou, Noivern, Choice Scarf Hydreigon, and Zygarde-10%.

Tornadus is an amazing support Pokemon for many Kyogre teams, able to put on incredible offensive pressure and support its team with Tailwind, Taunt, and Icy Wind. Hurricane is a powerful and consistent STAB move under Kyogre's rain that becomes Max Airstream, letting Tornadus boost its team's Speed. Tailwind is indispensable speed control that pairs really well with Water Spout Kyogre. Taunt allows Tornadus to shut down status moves from the likes of Porygon2, Amoonguss, and Venusaur. Icy Wind gives Tornadus additional speed control, potentially giving it the upper hand against opposing Tailwind teams. Rain Dance is useful against Drought setters like Groudon and Torkoal Wacan Berry specifically helps against Regieleki, a huge threat to Kyogre teams, while Mental Herb prevents Whimsicott from denying Tailwind with Prankster Taunt. Tornadus should almost always be paired with Kyogre because it lacks a niche outside Kyogre teams and Tornadus can support Kyogre by providing speed control and checking Grass-types such as Rillaboom and Venusaur. Tornadus and Kyogre are quite vulnerable to Regieleki, so answers to Regieleki such as Kartana and Venusaur make good partners. Note that Torkoal should be run alongside Venusaur to activate Chlorophyll. Tornadus is also great alongside Regieleki, as it can check troublesome Grass-types. Choice Band Urshifu-S is a powerful Pokemon that benefits immensely from Tornadus's Tailwind.

Tornadus finds itself as a critical component of many Kyogre teams, supporting them with Prankster Tailwind and its immense offensive pressure. Hurricane is fully accurate under Kyogre's rain, and it allows Tornadus to boost its team's Speed with Max Airstream. Tailwind is invaluable speed control that is particularly strong alongside Kyogre, letting it outspeed and nearly 2HKO or OHKO the entire metagame. Heat Wave provides Max Flare, which immensely benefits Chlorophyll Venusaur. Dark Pulse gives Tornadus a means to OHKO Dynamaxed Calyrex-S with Max Darkness, and its Special Defense lowering effect can be taken advantage of by Kyogre. Icy Wind provides additional speed control, but it is harder to justify over other options. Tornadus should always be paired with Kyogre and helps it greatly by providing Tailwind and checking Grass-types such as Venusaur, Amoonguss, and Rillaboom. Typical partners to this pair include Venusaur to answer Regieleki, Torkoal to enable Chlorophyll Venusaur, and the support Pokemon Incineroar and Grimmsnarl. Note that on of the support Pokemon could instead be a more offensive Pokemon such as Choice Band Urshifu-S or Regieleki. The former is a powerful threat that benefits immensely from Tailwind, while the latter appreciates Tornadus checking Grass-types.

Tornadus is a very simple Pokemon with a clear objective: it clicks Prankster Tailwind. This is most popularly used to enable Pokemon like Kyogre and Calyrex-S, allowing them to hit hard and fast with their strong spread moves like Water Spout and Astral Barrage. When it comes to supporting Kyogre, it and Whimsicott are effectively as good as each other, but there are a few reasons why one would use Tornadus for this role over Whimsicott, the first being its stronger offensive presence. Tornadus's Hurricane is perfectly accurate when paired with Kyogre's rain, and it's able to pressure Grass-types like Rillaboom, Venusaur, and Kartana, which Whimsicott fails to do. Tornadus can also act as a Dynamax user in desperate situations and fire off powerful Max Airstreams to continue boosting its Speed. Icy Wind is another vital tool in the Speed race; it can slow down foes and potentially allow Tornadus to delay using Tailwind by a turn, which can make all the difference in fast-paced Tailwindversus Tailwind matchups. Protect and Focus Sash are both chosen to help Tornadus's longevity, as the more moves it can use to gain a Speed advantage for its team, the better. Mental Herb can be useful against opposing Tailwind structures, however, to circumvent a Taunt or Encore from opposing Whimsicott.

Hurricane is Tornadus's strongest STAB attack and hits prominent Grass- and Fighting-types like Urshifu-R, Amoonguss, and Rillaboom for super effective damage. It becomes more reliable and threatening under rain because of its perfect accuracy. Weather Ball damages Pokemon that resist Hurricane like Nihilego, Diancie, and Heatran in rain. Tailwind gives powerhouse teammates such as Urshifu-R and Zygarde immediate speed control with Prankster. Protect allows Tornadus to hinder Fake Out attempts and stall out Trick Room turns if needed. Life Orb noticeably helps Tornadus blast the likes of Rillaboom, Urshifu-R, and Diancie.

Moves Acrobatics is Tornadus's only strong and reliable STAB attack, though it requires Seed activation before it can do decent damage. Most switch-ins to Flying-type moves like Tyranitar can be hit for decent damage thanks to Superpower; this also gives Tornadus a way to hit Incineroar incredibly hard after getting a Defiant boost from its Intimidate. Knock Off can be used instead for added utility and to provide a solid hit on Aegislash and the chance to 2HKO Mega Metagross at +1. Tailwind supports Tornadus's team and also ensures it can get a hit off against faster foes after hopefully gaining Defiant boosts. Protect allows Tornadus to scout the opponent's moves, manage positioning, or stall out potentially detrimental field effects. Set Details Defiant enables Tornadus to be successful in a metagame with many popular users of Intimidate; its power and Speed are both maximized to make the most of potential boosts. The choice between Misty Seed and Psychic Seed is dependent on whether Tornadus has Tapu Fini or Tapu Lele as a teammate. Usage Tips Tornadus operates very well as a lead, as Intimidate users often act as leads too. If you want Tornadus to use Acrobatics, make sure the correct Terrain is set to activate its Seed. Activating this Seed does provide a useful boost to its special bulk, but don't be afraid to switch it out if Tornadus is threatened and could be useful later on in setting Tailwind or dissuading Intimidate users. Tornadus isn't particularly strong without a Defiant boost, so do your best to position it accordingly. Team Options Tapu Fini and Tapu Lele are ostensibly solid partners due to their abilities ensuring easy item activation, but they also offer additional synergy. Calm Mind Tapu Fini can apply pressure much more effectively with Tailwind support and Tornadus's fantastic matchup against Grass-types, while more defensive sets can keep Tornadus healthy with Heal Pulse. Tapu Lele appreciates Tailwind, allowing it to more easily run a Life Orb or Psychium Z set, and can use Taunt to help take on Trick Room. Attackers with middling Speed benefit greatly from Tailwind, and those that struggle with Intimidate are especially notable, making Zygarde and Kyurem-B solid options. Zygarde and Kyurem-B also help take on Electric-types, a role that could also be filled by Landorus-T or Tyranitar. Many popular Steel-types have second typings that prevent them from being directly threatened by Superpower, so a teammate like Incineroar or Volcanion can help Tornadus handle those tough matchups.

Although Tornadus is usually a Hurricane-spamming machine, Tornadus is perfectly capable of going the physical attacking route. Tornadus has a base 115 Attack Stat, which is nearly as high as its Special Attack and still one of the highest in the tier. As a result, this set is not only one of surprise value, but it can also threaten to be a lethal physical attacker, as it is one of the only Pokemon in UU that gets a good physical Flying STAB. Bulk Up is the only way for Tornadus to increase its attack, but thanks to Prankster, it can set up before the opponent can Taunt it. In addition, while the defense boost from Bulk Up usually doesn't help, it can aid Tornadus in taking a physical attack so then it isn't KOed as easily while it sets up. Acrobatics is the main STAB option, and thanks to the Flying Gem and STAB, it hits very hard. Superpower hits Steel-types and Rhyperior hard, and while it may seem counterproductive with Bulk Up, the power from Brick Break doesn't do nearly enough damage to these Pokemon. Both Taunt and Substitute prevent the opponent from inflicting crippling status, such as burn or paralysis. Taunt prevents phazing Tornadus out and ridding it of its boosts, while Substitute acts as a buffer to give Tornadus more time for setting up. While Bulk Up's defense boost can help a little bit, the goal is not to make it take hits better, but it is instead to increase its attack since Tornadus is rather frail. The Flying Gem is almost required for Tornadus, as it lets Tornadus unleash a powerful Acrobatics on the initial hit, and it reaches its full effectiveness without an item. Tornadus has no other even decent physical STAB, so a Life Orb serves no purpose on this set. If you don't want to lose Bulk Up boosts with a Fighting-type move, then Brick Break is the next best option, although it won't be doing much to Steel-types without a substantial amount of boosts. Despite attacking physically rather than specially, Tornadus still struggles with Electric-types. Because of this, bulky Ground-types, such as Rhyperior and Swampert, or special tanks, such as Snorlax, are good partners for Tornadus, though Ground-types must be wary of Hidden Power Grass. Rhyperior's Rock Blast is a pain for this set, as it can break through a Substitute and keep attacking, and Rhyperior can take even a Superpower thanks to its massive bulk. Because of this, Water-types, such as Suicune and Miltoic, make good teammates.

While this may look similar to an offensive set, the point of this set is to set up Rain Dance quickly rather than sweeping. Despite being frail, the reason why Tornadus is useful for setting up rain is because it has access to Prankster, meaning that it cannot be Taunted by anything other than a speedy Whimsicott, which is uncommon. It also means it is the fastest Pokemon in the game at setting up rain, which gives it an important niche. Despite the main goal of this set and the lack of a boosting item, its Hurricane still tears holes in the opponent's team, and Superpower still does plenty to the opponent's Steel- and Dark-types, such as Snorlax, and Umbreon repectively. Taunt is also helpful, as it makes sure that the opponent cannot inflict a status on both Tornadus and your rain abuser. A bulkier spread can be used if Tornadus is dependent on setting up Rain Dance for the team since Tornadus will almost always do it first, but it is still generally too frail and, instead, enjoys taking advantage of the rain itself. A Damp Rock is used to extend the amount of turns the rain will last, ensuring that its teammates can take advantage of the rain that it summons. Grass Knot can be used for Rhyperior and heavier, bulkier Water-types like Suicune and Milotic, as Superpower and Hurricane don't hit any of them very hard, but it generally isn't worth giving up a moveslot. Because the goal is to make sure that you set up Rain Dance, Swift Swim users, such as Kabutops and Kingdra, can take advantage of the rain and blast through teams thanks to the boost to their Speed and their Water STAB. Since Tornadus will be switching out a lot, Blastoise is a good partner, as it can Rapid Spin Stealth Rock away and appreciates the boost to its Water STAB and potentially healing with Rain Dish. Electric-type Pokemon are tough for Tornadus to handle, so using Snorlax, Rhyperior, or Swampert will aid Tornadus in defeating these Pokemon. Due to how hard it can be to handle bulky Water-types and Rhyperior, using Roserade or Shaymin's STAB Grass moves are useful, as it will make quick work of them.

With its fearsome mixed attacking stats and a speed stat that surpasses most of the tier, Tornadus can easily go on the offensive route. In a tier where Flying is only resisted by a few Pokemon—and also in one that is filled with many dangerous Fighting-types, such as Heracross, Mienshao, and Scrafty—Tornadus's STAB is extremely useful and difficult to switch into. Due to Prankster, Tornadus will almost always use Rain Dance first, hindered only by faster priority moves or faster Prankster Taunts. When in the rain, Hurricane never misses, which allows Tornadus to fire off its STAB with impunity, putting major dents into the opponent's team. Grass Knot destroys Rhyperior, which can take both Hurricane and Superpower with ease. It is also useful for dealing a lot of damage to bulky Water-types like Milotic that can tank a Hurricane and take advantage of the rain to hit Tornadus harder. Grass + Flying coverage is also surprisingly useful in UU, being resisted only by Steel-type Pokemon, which are somewhat uncommon within the tier, and a few Electric-types, such as Zapdos and Rotom-H. Even then, Superpower lays a smack down on Steel-types, such as Registeel. In addition, Umbreon and Snorlax, two of the most specially bulky Pokemon in UU, take massive damage from a super effective Superpower despite the lack of investment in Attack. Though setting up Rain Dance isn't required for Tornadus, a miss can be very devastating due to its frailty, so you may as well try to set up Rain before using Hurricane. Setting up Rain Dance may be tricky at times, but the main way to get it up is by forcing an opponent out, which is generally a Fighting-type, such as Mienshao or / and Scrafty, or a Grass-type, such as Shaymin and Tangrowth. Tornadus sorely misses out on a good move to use against Electric-types, such as Raikou and Zapdos; the former is capable of outspeeding and OHKOing it while the latter resists Tornadus's three-move coverage. Snorlax can take hits from these Pokemon for quite a while and do massive damage to them with an Earthquake or a Body Slam, but if Raikou and Zapdos aren't running Hidden Power Grass, then Swampert and Rhyperior can easily defeat them due to their immunity to their Electric STAB. Rain Dance doesn't last very long on this set, but regardless, Swift Swim Pokemon, such as Kingdra and Kabutops, can devastate teams under the rain thanks to the Speed boost. In case Tornadus happens to faint or if Tornadus is sent out for a last-ditch Rain Dance, then these Pokemon can take advantage of the remaining turns. Blastoise can Rapid Spin Stealth Rock away for Tornadus, and it can also get extra healing in the rain thanks to Rain Dish. Although Tornadus gets Superpower, it generally cannot depend on this to get past bulky Steel-types, such as Registeel, and it only hits Bronzong for neutral damage, and the Defense drop can be devastating. Victini and Darmanitan can easily OHKO any Steel-type that comes in their way, but note that if it is raining then this may not happen, so be careful when using Rain Dance.

This set aims to set up Tailwind and stop opposing users of Tailwind and Trick Room from setting up their respective strategies. Tailwind doubles the Speed of Tornadus's teammates for 3 turns. Acrobatics OHKOes non-Coba Berry Amoonguss, Whimsicott, and Virizion. Taunt stops other Tornadus from setting up Tailwind, and can shut down Whimsicott and Pokemon that set up Trick Room. Protect stalls out Trick Room and protects Tornadus while its partner takes out a threat. Substitute can be used, however, to stall out Trick Room for more than one turn since it can be used consecutively. Hammer Arm hits Rock- and Steel-type Pokemon for super effective damage, and if Trick Room goes up, it can bring down Tornadus's Speed, and make it "faster". The EV spread maximizes Tornadus's Attack and Speed to hit as hard as possible. Jolly nature allows Tornadus to outspeed as many enemies as possible. Flying Gem gives Acrobatics 247 Base Power the first turn it is used, and once it is used, doubles its 55 Base Power. Tornadus benefits from having a partner with Fake Out, such as Mienshao, to keep it from being Taunted and to stop other Tailwind users. Mienshao also provides Wide Guard support, stopping Pokemon such as Terrakion from hitting Tornadus with Rock Slide. Haxorus benefits immensely from Tailwind, allowing it to outspeed threats such as Hydreigon and utilize its base 147 Attack stat to tear through the opponent. Terrakion has good synergy with Tornadus, taking out Rock- and Electric-types with Close Combat and Earthquake, while Tornadus takes out the Fighting-types that threaten Terrakion.

This set aims to set up Rain Dance, an almost forgotten strategy in VGC 2011, and sweep with it. Hurricane gains 100% accuracy in rain, and with the STAB boost, wrecks almost everything. Taunt stops other set-up moves such as Tailwind or Trick Room. Substitute can keep Tornadus alive longer so it can keep firing off STAB Hurricanes, but Protect can be useful if it gets double-targeted. Because Seismitoad is the only Swift Swim Pokemon in VGC 2011, Rain Dance teams can struggle to outspeed and utilize their powerful Water-type attacks. Tailwind can be used to remedy this problem, though you will be unable to stop opposing Whimsicott from setting up their own Tailwind. Damp Rock keeps Rain Dance up for 8 turns, but is not absolutely necessary, as VGC battles often last 5 turns or less. If you choose not to run Damp Rock, Focus Sash allows Tornadus to stay alive an additional turn and get off one more Hurricane. If Focus Sash is used, however, Substitute should not be used because the Focus Sash will be negated by the use of Substitute. The EV spread allows Tornadus to hit as hard and as fast as it can. The choice of nature is one between power and speed. If Tornadus uses a Modest nature, it runs the risk of being outsped by opposing Tornadus and getting Taunted. Thundurus partners well with this set, as it can fire off a 100% accurate STAB Thunder under rain. Fake Out support, though not needed, is helpful in setting up rain. Amoonguss would make a good partner, as it can use Rage Powder to let Tornadus set up Rain Dance, use Substitute, and start using Hurricane in complete safety. Amoonguss's weakness to Fire-type attacks is also cut in half during rain, making it much more difficult to take out.

Behold the majesty of Defiant Tornadus. This set boasts a whopping 165 Base Power STAB move, utility with Taunt and Tailwind, and of course the very real possibility that Tornadus will receive an Attack boost without having to do anything thanks to the popularity of Intimidate. Superpower picks up Acrobatics's slack, nailing troublesome Pokemon such as Tyranitar, Heatran, and Bisharp, though it is interesting to note that a Flying Gem-boosted Acrobatics hits Pokemon such as Rotom-W just as hard as a neutral Superpower would. If the Attack and Defense drops seem too risky, U-turn is perhaps a safer option. U-turn still hurts Tyranitar, softening it up for a more capable teammate to take care of it, and keeps Tornadus safe until the coast is clear and it can continue to fire off Acrobatics. Taunt is a mainstay from its 2011 Prankster set, especially with Cresselia running around everywhere using annoying moves such as Swagger and Thunder Wave. It is also a good way to halt Trick Room setup with a little help from a Fake Out user. Tailwind is another move you might recognize. The boost it provides to Tornadus and its teammates' Speed allows them to go toe-to-toe with Swift Swim, Sand Rush, or Choice Scarf Pokemon, even if only for three turns. However, Tailwind is still, and always will be, a risky play for Tornadus as long as Trick Room and Thunder Wave remain popular, so as always, use it in moderation. Substitute is slightly less useful without Prankster backing it up, but since Tornadus outspeeds all of its threats bar Choice Scarf users and the surprisingly uncommon max Speed Thundurus, Substitute is a great move that can block troublesome Will-O-Wisps, Sucker Punches, and weakened Draco Meteors. Protect is a staple for Defiant Tornadus because the most common Intimidate Pokemon —Hitmontop and Scrafty— also carry Fake Out, which can leave Tornadus wide open and vulnerable to Rock Slides or Thunderbolts. A Jolly nature and max Speed allow Tornadus to outspeed many common threats, most notably Latios, Terrakion, and Garchomp. This makes it easy for Tornadus to fire a Flying Gem-boosted Acrobatics without having to worry about getting hit first. Slightly bulkier spreads could be an option, but dropping even one Speed point or too much Attack power means Tornadus either Speed ties with Latios or misses out on OHKOing it, respectively. This Tornadus functions best as a no-frills physical attacker, and appreciates support from its partners to deal with bulkier Pokemon that can sponge Acrobatics. Terrakion can use Rock Slide, Close Combat, and Earthquake to take care of many Rock-, Electric-, and Steel-types that give Tornadus trouble. Slower partners, such as Tyranitar and Metagross, appreciate Tailwind support and can provide chip damage via Sand Stream and Bullet Punch, respectively. Cresselia is an excellent partner for using Helping Hand and providing chip damage and Speed control with Icy Wind, and has access to Trick Room to reverse an opponent's Trick Room, or perhaps use it to outspeed your opponent should the situation present itself.

The new Defiant Tornadus might be more popular than the old Prankster Tornadus, but Prankster is by no means outclassed; in fact, against teams without Intimidate, Prankster Tornadus is arguably more useful. Priority Tailwind is useful for turning the tables on Swift Swim and Choice Scarf Pokemon and turning lumbering tanks into Speed demons. Priority Taunt is also a great move to have in the unfortunate event that Trick Room is set up and Amoonguss is threatening to Spore your entire team. It also shuts down most Cresselia, although they'll still threaten Tornadus if they have Ice Beam and Special Attack investment. Substitute can be a makeshift Protect because of priority and has the potential to linger for more than one turn, should the opponent not attack Tornadus, and also acts as a nice barrier against status moves such as Thunder Wave and Spore. However, Tornadus's Substitutes can't take more than one attack most of the time, and spread moves such as Rock Slide allow the opponent to break the Substitute without having to predict; in such cases, Protect is the superior and safer option. Acrobatics is here for obvious reasons and Superpower can round out its coverage. An offensive Prankster (pun intended) is certainly viable, though it would be best to make use of Tailwind in this case. Much like the Defiant set, Tornadus works best with the listed EV spread. Unlike the Defiant set, however, Prankster Tornadus can viably use a slightly different Adamant spread because of Tailwind. However, it requires a massive amount of investment to survive heavy hits such as Choice Scarf Landorus-T's Stone Edge or various Draco Meteors, so if you drop Jolly for Adamant, the initial spread would probably be best. Tornadus pairs especially well with Fake Out users such as Hitmontop and Scrafty, who provide windows to set up Tailwind. Sweepers that appreciate Tailwind support, such as Zapdos, Thundurus, Tyranitar, and Metagross, also pair well with Tornadus. Terrakion can use Rock Slide, Close Combat, and Earthquake to take care of many Rock-, Electric-, and Steel-types that give Tornadus trouble.

Flying Gem-boosted Acrobatics OHKOes several top metagame threats such as Amoonguss, Conkeldurr, and Latios, and it deals significant damage when hitting for neutral damage. The rest of the moveset is flexible and should be what most benefits the team. Superpower allows Tornadus to hit Flying-resistant foes for neutral damage, in the case of Rotom-Wash and Metagross, or super effective damage, in the case of Tyranitar and Heatran. U-turn is good for pivoting and scouting, Taunt can potentially shut down Trick Room, and Tailwind provides speed control. A Jolly nature and maximum Speed EVs are required to outspeed Latios, while 252 Attack EVs are required to OHKO Latios with Acrobatics. Other Options Using the Prankster ability alongside Substitute, though it deals significantly less damage against teams with Intimidate, allows Tornadus to have a better matchup against Thundurus as well as Amoonguss when under Trick Room, blocking the status moves of both Pokemon before they can move. Smack Down paired alongside Landorus-T makes for an effective turn one opening that beats Rotom-Wash and both formes of Thundurus. Tornadus has a decent enough Special Attack that Heat Wave can be used to hit Pokemon like Scizor and Ferrothorn that are 4x weak to the move and would otherwise beat Tornadus. Common Partners Breloom and Tornadus form an offensive core, with both Pokemon threatening several top metagame threats which check the other; Breloom checks Tyranitar and Rotom-Wash while Tornadus checks Latios, for example. In addition, Breloom greatly appreciates the Tailwind that Tornadus can set, allowing it to use Spore to put almost every Pokemon to sleep before they can move. Although a dangerous pair, neither Breloom nor Tornadus threaten the omnipresent Thundurus, which checks both with Taunt and Thunderbolt. respectively. Tornadus supports Landorus-T by checking several of its biggest threats, namely opposing Landorus-T. The pair have neutral or positive matchups against several common leads in the format. Checks and Counters Thundurus and Rotom-Wash resist Acrobatics. Thundurus will always OHKO with Thunderbolt, while Rotom-Wash can depending on its EV spread. Even with Superpower, Tornadus does not particularly threaten the many Steel-types in the format. Flying Gem-boosted Acrobatics from opposing Tornadus OHKOes, leaving the mirror matchup to be decided by Speed tie before accounting for outside intervention such as speed control or redirection.

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

Tornadus finds a solid niche as a fast physical attacker that is capable of punishing the omnipresent Intimidate as one of the only Defiant users in the tier. Tornadus, however, is susceptible to speed control, specifically Trick Room and Prankster Thunder Wave. More importantly, it relies heavily on super effective hits and Defiant boosts to do damage, so it often finds itself unable to deal much damage in certain matchups, notably against common bulky Pokemon, such as Thundurus, Cresselia, Jellicent, and Metagross. Acrobatics is Tornadus's most reliable STAB attack, synergizing well with Flying Gem and OHKOing common Flying-weak Pokemon, such as Amoonguss and Conkeldurr. Superpower hits Flying-resistant Pokemon super effectively, such as Tyranitar, Excadrill, and Heatran. U-turn gives Tornadus an option to pivot out of unfavorable matchups, while Taunt grants Tornadus utility against bulky support Pokemon like Cresselia and Jellicent that it otherwise cannot pressure. Flying Gem allows Tornadus to have access to full-powered Acrobatics. Notably, it gives Tornadus a high chance of OHKOing Latios and guarantees the OHKO on Landorus-T at +1 Attack. Tornadus synergizes well with sand teams due to its Ground-immunity, ability to deter Intimidate users, and capability for threatening Fighting-types that can give Excadrill and Tyranitar trouble. In return, Excadrill beats Heatran and Metagross while Tyranitar threatens Cresselia and Jellicent. Both Excadrill and Tyranitar also threaten Thundurus, one of Tornadus's biggest counters. Strong physical attackers appreciate Tornadus's ability to deter Intimidate as well, with Conkeldurr being a notable teammate thanks to its ability to threaten Flying-resistant Pokemon, such as Heatran and Tyranitar.