|
-
Torrent
- Boosts power of Water moves 50% when at 1/3 HP or less.
|
Statistics
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
85
|
- |
311 |
374 |
- |
| Atk |
105
|
221 |
246 |
309 |
339 |
| Def |
100
|
212 |
236 |
299 |
328 |
| SpA |
79
|
174 |
194 |
257 |
282 |
| SpD |
83
|
181 |
202 |
265 |
291 |
| Spe |
78
|
172 |
192 |
255 |
280 |
Feraligatr got quite a few new toys to play with in DP, and this set demonstrates three of them: Dragon Dance, physical STAB, and physical Ice Punch. Feraligatr can take a hit reasonably well, so Leftovers makes use of that. If you want to increase Feraligatr's attack power, go with Life Orb. Eventually the recoil will activate Torrent, making Waterfall even more powerful, at least for a couple of turns.
It should be pointed out that Gyarados is a lot more intimidating with this style of set, though.
This set, on the other hand, has no problem demonstrating clear value over Gyarados. You lose the Speed boost provided by Dragon Dance, but Swords Dance powers up Feraligatr twice as fast.
Salac Berry also takes advantage his sturdiness, in some respect. Feraligatr survives a Starmie Thunderbolt (assuming no boosting item) with HP to spare, but will take enough damage to activate Salac Berry. Swords Dance on the switch then boost a second time as the starfish tries to fry you. Salac kicks in, making you faster and able to OHKO it with an Earthquake. Now you are free to sweep with a Swords Dance and Torrent boosted Waterfall. You can pull off a similar strategy against Cresselia's Charge Beam, which barely scratches Feraligatr. Watch out for Thunder Wave though.
This is a more reliable way to get a Salac boost and also affords Feraligatr some status protection. Throw up a Sub, Swords Dance whenever possible, then keep using Sub until you get down into Torrent and Salac range. Return offers the best coverage alongside Waterfall, although Crunch is worth considering for the extra power it has against the likes of Celebi, Starmie, Cresselia and Dusknoir.
Simple Choice Bander that packs quite a punch and has excellent type coverage. Crunch helps against sturdy Ghosts and Psychics, while Rock Slide can hurt Gyarados.
Other Options
Even on the slower sets, Waterfall is recommended over Aqua Tail, because the flinch chance can work against Skarmory and the like. Feraligatr learns Agility, strangely enough, but doesn't carry the raw attack power necessary to make use of it. Feraligatr can be a "bulky Water" with Rest/Sleep Talk, but there are better options for that. Dragon Claw's usefulness is limited entirely to hitting Kingdra. Feraligatr can make use of Sub and Focus Punch, but is better suited to the options listed above.
EVs
For the Dragon Dance set, you'll first want to decide which group of Pokemon you wish to outspeed. 244 (Adamant, 208 EVs) will outrun Raikou, Starmie and Azelf after a Dragon Dance and outrun Jolly Tyranitar even without any boosts. 249 (Adamant, 228 EVs) hits 373 so you can outrun Sceptile and Alakazam, 264 (Jolly, 192 EVs) means you'll be faster than Jolteon after a boost and finally, 270 will ensure Feraligatr is faster than Choice Scarf Heracross. Max Attack, with any leftover EVs placed in HP. Max Speed outruns Choice Scarf Porygon-Z.
For the Swords Dance and Choice Band sets, Jolly and max Speed will beat Modest/Adamant Lucario and others in the same base Speed group, such as Porygon-Z and Drapion. 244 is again a good number to aim for if you wish to outrun Jolly Tyranitar, Adamant Breloom and Timid Magnezone.
Opinion
While some may simply shrug off Feraligatr as a weaker version of Gyarados, he does have some assets that help distinguish him from his Flying counterpart. Feraligatr should not be taken lightly and can be a potent force if you play to his strengths.
Counters
Leafeon, Tangrowth and Celebi can take an Ice Punch from Feraligatr and attack with strong Grass moves. Zapdos can do the same with Thunderbolt. Jolteon can outspeed Feraligatr even after a single Dragon Dance (unless it's Jolly) and KO with Thunderbolt. Skarmory is a pain for Feraligatr unless it gets timely Waterfall flinches. Weezing is a problem thanks to its high Defense and access to Thunderbolt and Will-O-Wisp. Suicune can Roar away Feraligatr's stat boosts without taking much damage. Empoleon beats any set that lacks Earthquake with Grass Knot. Gyarados can handle him well unless Feraligatr has Rock Slide.