Sun Team
Complete Guide
Koraidon-centered Sun teams are among the most dominant archetypes in VGC Regulation F. Orichalcum Pulse auto-Sun, Flutter Mane Protosynthesis synergy, and Tailwind speed control form three core elements that generate overwhelming board pressure.
Why Sun Is Strong — Full Mechanics
Sun boosts Fire moves ×1.5 and halves Water moves to ×0.5. Koraidon’s Sacred Fire in Sun deals 1.5× normal damage; Chi-Yu’s Fire Blast in Sun under Beads of Ruin becomes extraordinarily powerful.
Harsh Sun automatically activates Protosynthesis (no Booster Energy needed), boosting the highest stat of Paradox Pokémon like Flutter Mane and Koraidon by ×1.3 — freeing up their item slots.
Koraidon’s base 135 Speed is among the fastest restricted legendaries. Under Tailwind, speed doubles to 262+ — Koraidon can attack before virtually any opponent, maximizing Sun damage windows.
Weather priority is determined by activation order — the slower Pokémon’s ability activates last, overriding faster ones. Koraidon (135 Spe) is faster than Kyogre (90 Spe), so when both enter simultaneously, Kyogre’s Drizzle overwrites Koraidon’s Sun. Sun teams must eliminate Kyogre first.
Sun Abuser Tier List
| Pokémon | Ability | Sun Benefit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koraidon | Orichalcum Pulse | Attack ×1.33 + Auto Sun | Sun setter and main attacker; Restricted Legendary |
| Flutter Mane | Protosynthesis | SpAtk ×1.33 (Sun activated) | Best special attacker under Sun |
| Chi-Yu | Drought + Beads of Ruin | Fire ×1.5 + field SpDef ×0.75 | Enormous Fire output under Sun |
| Incineroar | Intimidate | Physical Atk -1 to opponents | Support core; not a direct Sun abuser |
| Tornadus | Prankster | Priority Tailwind setup | Speed enabler; limited direct damage output |
3 Sun Team Archetypes
Tailwind Sun
S-TierTailwind accelerates Sun’s physical core; Flutter Mane gains Protosynthesis SpAtk boost under Sun. Both cores under Tailwind pressure virtually no opponent can survive. Prankster Tailwind guarantees priority setup.
Hyper Offense Sun
A-TierChi-Yu’s Beads of Ruin drops SpDef; Chien-Pao’s Sword of Ruin drops Defense — Koraidon hits an effectively weakened field on both offensive dimensions. The "Triple Ruin" formation nukes everything.
Bulky Sun
A-TierIncineroar’s Fake Out + Parting Shot protects Koraidon; Rillaboom’s Grassy Terrain provides passive Grassy Glide priority. Focuses on sustained damage over burst — suitable for longer attrition games.
4-Step Sun Team Building Framework
Use Koraidon as the primary Sun setter (Orichalcum Pulse requires no held item). For a backup Sun option, Torkoal (Drought) works but consumes a regular team slot — usually not needed in Reg F.
Prioritize Flutter Mane (Protosynthesis SpAtk boost) — it’s the best Sun abuser in Reg F. Chi-Yu for Fire offense. Both can run together as a dual special core. For physical, consider Koraidon itself or Chien-Pao.
Sun teams are inherently fast, but Tailwind is still critical for outpacing opposing Tailwind. Tornadus (Prankster Tailwind) is optimal. Incineroar provides Fake Out to protect Koraidon’s safe entry.
Kyogre Rain is the #1 Sun weakness. Include a fast special attacker capable of threatening Kyogre before it fires Origin Pulse. Also prepare for Rillaboom’s Grassy Terrain overriding your Sun context.
4 Ways to Beat Sun Teams
Kyogre’s Drizzle activates after Koraidon’s Orichalcum Pulse (Kyogre at 90 Spe is slower, so its ability triggers last — overwriting Sun). Rain also halves Koraidon’s Fire moves and eliminates the Orichalcum Pulse Attack boost.
Grassy Surge overwrites Electric/Psychic terrain context, removes the Sun Protosynthesis activation dependency, and provides Grassy Glide priority STAB (+1 priority) — disrupting the Sun team’s speed assumptions.
Water Absorb walls the Sun team’s Fire-type offense direction and converts Water moves into healing. Gastrodon (Storm Drain) or Jellicent can absorb incoming pressure while threatening back.
Sun teams typically depend on Koraidon getting a clean T1 attack. Fake Out disrupts that sequence — combined with Protect or switches, it prevents the Sun core from establishing ideal positioning.