Tornadus Best Moveset: A Comprehensive Guide
Tornadus, the Cyclone Pokémon, is a powerful Legendary creature known for its exceptional Speed and strong Attack stats. Whether you’re battling in Pokémon GO raids or engaging in competitive play, understanding the Tornadus best moveset is crucial for maximizing its potential. This guide will delve into the optimal move combinations for both the Incarnate and Therian forms of Tornadus, ensuring you’re well-equipped to dominate your opponents. We’ll cover everything from Fast Moves and Charged Moves to specific strategies for different battle scenarios.
Understanding Tornadus’s Forms and Stats
Tornadus comes in two distinct forms: Incarnate Forme and Therian Forme. Each has its own unique stat distribution, affecting its performance in battle. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each form is the first step in selecting the Tornadus best moveset.
Incarnate Forme
Incarnate Tornadus boasts a more balanced stat spread, with high Attack and Speed. This form is generally preferred for its immediate offensive pressure. Key stats to consider include:
- Attack: High, allowing for significant damage output.
- Speed: Excellent, ensuring it often moves first.
- Defense: Moderate, making it somewhat susceptible to strong attacks.
Therian Forme
Therian Tornadus sacrifices some Attack for improved Special Attack and Defense, making it a more versatile special attacker and slightly bulkier. Key stats to consider include:
- Special Attack: High, making it a potent special attacker.
- Defense: Improved, providing better survivability.
- Attack: Slightly lower compared to Incarnate Forme.
Best Moveset for Pokémon GO
In Pokémon GO, the Tornadus best moveset depends on whether you’re facing raids or participating in Trainer Battles. Given its Flying-type nature, choosing moves that capitalize on this typing is essential.
Raid Battles
For raiding, the ideal moveset maximizes damage per second (DPS) against the raid boss. Here’s a recommended setup:
- Fast Move: Air Slash (Flying-type)
- Charged Move: Hurricane (Flying-type)
Air Slash provides a good balance of damage and energy generation, while Hurricane is a powerful, high-damage Flying-type move. This combination allows Tornadus to deal significant damage quickly. Using a Tornadus best moveset like this ensures maximum effectiveness in raids.
Trainer Battles (PvP)
In Trainer Battles, the Tornadus best moveset needs to be more strategic, considering energy management and move coverage. A viable option is:
- Fast Move: Air Slash (Flying-type)
- Charged Move: Hurricane (Flying-type)
- Second Charged Move: Focus Blast (Fighting-type)
While Hurricane remains a strong choice, Focus Blast offers crucial coverage against Rock, Steel, and Ice-type Pokémon that resist Flying-type attacks. This broader coverage helps Tornadus remain relevant in more matchups. Having Focus Blast as part of your Tornadus best moveset will give you an edge against common threats.
Best Moveset for Competitive Battling (Main Series Games)
In the main series Pokémon games, Tornadus can be a formidable threat in competitive battles, especially in formats like VGC (Video Game Championships) and Smogon tiers. The Tornadus best moveset here varies depending on the role you want it to fulfill, whether it’s a fast offensive threat or a supportive Tailwind setter.
Offensive Sets
For an offensive Tornadus, maximizing its Speed and Special Attack is key. A common moveset includes:
- Hurricane (Flying-type): A powerful STAB (Same-Type Attack Bonus) move.
- Heat Wave (Fire-type): Provides coverage against Steel-type Pokémon.
- Grass Knot (Grass-type): Deals with heavy Ground and Rock-type Pokémon.
- Protect (Normal-type): Essential for scouting and protecting against powerful attacks in doubles formats.
This Tornadus best moveset is designed to hit hard and fast, exploiting weaknesses in the opponent’s team. Items like Life Orb or Choice Specs can further amplify its damage output.
Support Sets
Tornadus can also function as a valuable support Pokémon, primarily due to its access to Tailwind, which doubles the Speed of your team. A support-oriented moveset might look like this:
- Tailwind (Flying-type): Doubles the Speed of your team for several turns.
- Hurricane (Flying-type): For STAB damage when needed.
- Taunt (Dark-type): Prevents opponents from setting up or using status moves.
- Protect (Normal-type): For survival and scouting.
With this Tornadus best moveset, you’re prioritizing team support and control. Items like Focus Sash can ensure Tornadus survives long enough to set up Tailwind. [See also: Optimizing Your Pokémon Team Composition]
Detailed Move Analysis
Let’s take a closer look at some of the key moves that make up the Tornadus best moveset, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses.
Hurricane
Hurricane is a signature Flying-type move with high power but imperfect accuracy. Its high damage output makes it a staple in any Tornadus best moveset, but the 70% accuracy can be a drawback. In Pokémon GO, it’s a powerful Charged Move that deals significant damage. In the main series games, its high power is balanced by its accuracy, making it a risk-reward move.
Air Slash
Air Slash is a reliable Flying-type move with good damage and a chance to flinch the opponent. In Pokémon GO, it’s a solid Fast Move for generating energy and dealing damage. In the main series games, the flinch chance adds an element of disruption, making it a useful option for stalling or preventing setup. When considering the Tornadus best moveset for Pokémon GO, Air Slash is often a top contender.
Focus Blast
Focus Blast is a powerful Fighting-type move that provides crucial coverage against Rock, Steel, and Ice-type Pokémon. While it has a high base power, its accuracy is only 70%, making it a risky move. However, the coverage it provides is often worth the risk, especially in formats where Steel-types are prevalent. Including Focus Blast in your Tornadus best moveset can significantly improve its matchup against certain opponents.
Heat Wave
Heat Wave is a Fire-type move that hits both opponents in double battles, making it an excellent choice for VGC. Its high power and wide coverage make it a valuable asset in any Tornadus best moveset focused on offense. It’s particularly effective against Steel-types that resist Flying-type attacks.
Grass Knot
Grass Knot is a Grass-type move that deals damage based on the target’s weight. It’s particularly effective against heavy Pokémon like Tyranitar and Rhyperior. This move provides valuable coverage against Ground and Rock-types, making it a situational but useful addition to the Tornadus best moveset.
Tailwind
Tailwind is a non-damaging Flying-type move that doubles the Speed of the user’s team for three turns. This move is invaluable in competitive battles, allowing your team to outspeed opponents and control the pace of the game. Including Tailwind in the Tornadus best moveset transforms it into a powerful support Pokémon.
EV and IV Training
Optimizing your Tornadus goes beyond just selecting the right moveset. EV (Effort Value) and IV (Individual Value) training are crucial for maximizing its potential.
EV Training
For offensive sets, focus on maximizing Special Attack and Speed EVs. A common spread is 252 Special Attack, 252 Speed, and 4 in a defensive stat. For support sets, you might invest in HP or Defense to increase survivability. Proper EV training complements the Tornadus best moveset by enhancing its key stats.
IV Training
Ideally, you want perfect IVs (31) in Special Attack, Speed, and HP. A low Attack IV is also desirable if you plan on using Foul Play, as it minimizes the damage you take from that move. Breeding or using Bottle Caps can help you achieve optimal IVs.
Conclusion
Choosing the Tornadus best moveset requires careful consideration of its form, the battle format, and your team composition. Whether you’re raiding in Pokémon GO or competing in the main series games, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each move is essential for success. By following this guide, you’ll be well-equipped to unleash the full potential of Tornadus and dominate your opponents. Remember to adapt your strategy based on the specific challenges you face, and continuously refine your approach to stay ahead of the competition. A well-chosen Tornadus best moveset, combined with proper EV and IV training, will make Tornadus a formidable asset to any team.
