Mega Tyranitar

[BlankZero]

Mega Tyranitar
Ability: Sand Stream
Type: Rock / Dark
Stats: 100 HP / 164 Atk / 150 Def / 95 SpA / 120 SpD / 71 Spe​

The King of Gen 5 Doubles is back this Generation, and meaner than ever before. With an increase to everything but base HP and Special Attack, TTar got bigger, harder, faster, and stronger, (now sporting a whopping 700 BST) while keeping its signature sand-starting ability, as well as its vast movepool. However, not everything is rosy for our friendly dinosaur. With the addition of Fairy types this gen, TTar gained yet another weakness, making a whopping total of SEVEN, not to mention it still retains its 4x weakness to Fighting types. In spite of all of this, TTar is posed to remain a threat of the highest tier purely on the basis of Sand Support. However, with new Weather mechanics, it could mean a bit less usage for our big, green friend. Even so, Tyranitar's Mega Evolution grants it superior base stats, with an attack stat comparable to the almighty KyuB, better Defense than even Groudon, and with Sand up, almost nothing can OHKO it outside of the dreaded Fighting types it has always feared. It also completely eclipses Hippowdon now, making the viability of using it almost pathetic. TTar's role as a Weather setter/abuser is already fairly cemented even at the beginning of this new Generation. What else could it be used for?

I'll be reserving this spot for sets, as seems to be the norm. I'll start with my own personal "Standard" set.

Tyranitar @ Tyranitarite
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Crunch
- Rock Slide / Stone Edge
- Fire Blast / Ice Beam
- Protect

This TTar is set up to keep sand around, but not be offensive deadweight. Crunch and Rock Slide are standard, as is Protect. Stone edge can be used to nuke Volcarona (as of yet pretty unpopular) and Talonflame, even if paired with Wide Guard protection. Fire Blast is my tried and true 4th move, nailing Scizor and Ferrothorn (and later Genesect) for 4x damage, without worrying about Intimidate drops (Fire Punch sucks after an Intimidate drop and it's also illegal in 6th Gen until Pokebank). Ice Beam can also be run to nuke Mega Garchomp, one of the newer threats this Gen.

 

[Baldafor]

The main reason why I wouldn't probably consider using Mega Tyranitar is due to the horrible weakness it has to Hitmontop, a very common double's partner.

252+ Atk Hitmontop Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mega Tyranitar: 372-444 (92.07 - 109.9%) -- 56.25% chance to OHKO

That's just not a good idea in this metagame right now. Talonflame + Hitmontop is one of the more popular lead combos, and while it can take out Talonflame, it has to rely on its partner to remove Hitmontop. Switching it in later on may be a good idea, perhaps with a pocket Sand Rush abuser like Excadrill or Stoutland, but I don't think a 4x weakness to Fighting, even with the Fairy nerf, is gonna pan out without a berry or Focus Sash for surviving the numerous fatal blows.

 

[BlankZero]

lol why would you leave TTar in on a fighting type?

 

[Escape Plan]

The main reason why I wouldn't probably consider using Mega Tyranitar is due to the horrible weakness it has to Hitmontop, a very common double's partner.

252+ Atk Hitmontop Close Combat vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mega Tyranitar: 372-444 (92.07 - 109.9%) -- 56.25% chance to OHKO

That's just not a good idea in this metagame right now. Talonflame + Hitmontop is one of the more popular lead combos, and while it can take out Talonflame, it has to rely on its partner to remove Hitmontop. Switching it in later on may be a good idea, perhaps with a pocket Sand Rush abuser like Excadrill or Stoutland, but I don't think a 4x weakness to Fighting, even with the Fairy nerf, is gonna pan out without a berry or Focus Sash for surviving the numerous fatal blows.

So by that theory you wouldn't use Garchomp due to the prevelance of Ice Beam?

Granted, I've not used his Mega yet - Chomp is my mega slot at the moment. Instead I have been running a AV variant on the above set on WiFi; with Brick Break in place of Protect. I expected Screens to be used a lot more than what I've found; However, the fighting attack has come in handy (I suppose just like Low Sweep was a Gen V standard move for him), especially for fellow TTar's. I like his synergy with Rotom-W who is just ridiculous, and a Follow Me Togekiss is great for sponging the odd fighting attack that you decide to leave TTar in on.

I only play on WiFi at the moment so can't vouch for AV TTar's effectiveness against decent players, but then I'd probably only lose anyway!

 

[BlankZero]

TTar pairs off very well with Togekiss, as well as Ghost Types.

 

[Speedholes]

In Doubles Mega TTar seems like pretty much a straight up-grade to its standard set for the regular form. Boosted stats and a better guarantee that you can keep up the sand in the face of opposing weather setters with its mid-turn Sand Stream makes it worth giving up a Chople Berry or whatever. The issue TTar has is whether(heh) or not it's Mega is worth using over another, which I guess is up to just how reliant your team is on sand and if you would rather have something like Mega Garchomp to actually take advantage of Sand Stream.

 

[Laga]

Tyranitar @ Tyranitarite
Trait: Unnerve
EVs: Speed Creep + max Atk + rest in HP
Jolly / Adamant Nature
- Crunch
- Rock Slide
- Dragon Dance
- Protect

Fuck yeah DDance Tar. If you can remove Fighting-types, you almost auto-win. This set capitalizes on MegaTar's RIDICULOUSLY GODLIKE BULK to set up, and hopefully late game sweep. Unnerve is the ability so you can control when you want Sandstorm to kick in, and since Gems are gone, Berries are basically everywhere. Somebody please make the speed creep, I am a lazy fucker :]

So yeah, this set is pretty self explanatory, and you should really try it, since it's good. You wanna know how I know it's good? Because I said so.

 

[Speedholes]

I tried out DD MegaTar and yeah, it's pretty great. Here's the spread I've been using, since you wanted speed creep:

Tyranitar @ Tyranitarite
Sand Stream/Unnerve
Jolly Nature
48 HP / 252 Atk / 208 Spe
- Crunch
- Rock Slide / Stone Edge
- Dragon Dance
- Protect

208 Speed EVs and a Jolly nature outspeed max speed Timid Greninja after a DD when Mega, aka pretty much every relevant unboosted mon. You could invest more if you're really paranoid and want to outrun Jolly max speed Talonflame or Jolteon or whatever, but no one runs those (at least I hope they don't). I'm also not sure if there's anything else you should be aiming for when unboosted as either regular or Mega, but I figured this was a good baseline.

I still think Sand Stream should be the primary ability choice, but it's up to you. Unnerve definitely has more utility now as Laga said, more people are running berries, but Sand Stream is still the ability that will be more consistently useful since it takes effect whenever you switch in.

Pair up with Follow Me Togekiss for funtimes.

 

[ScizLor]

I'm thinking of pairing Mega Tyranitar with a Small Size Gourgeist, which will use Trick-or-Treat on its teammate to free it from the dangerous quadruple weakness to Fighting.

Gourgeist @ Leftovers
Ability: Frisk
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Speed, 4 Defense
- Trick-or-Treat
- Will-o-Wisp
- Pain Split/Protect/Substitute
- Phantom Force

Did you guys already try this out? Is it worth it?

 

[Audiosurfer]

I'm thinking of pairing Mega Tyranitar with a Small Size Gourgeist, which will use Trick-or-Treat on its teammate to free it from the dangerous quadruple weakness to Fighting.

Gourgeist @ Leftovers
Ability: Frisk
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 HP, 252 Speed, 4 Defense
- Trick-or-Treat
- Will-o-Wisp
- Pain Split/Protect/Substitute
- Phantom Force

Did you guys already try this out? Is it worth it?

It really isn't. Tyranitar loses out on the special defense boost from its own sand stream as well as losing access to a good set of STAB attacks in exchange for grass-type stab which isn't as good. If you carry a grass type move to have STAB for if you use Trick-or-Treat, you basically waste a slot if you havent used Trick-or-Treat already, but if you don't pack a Grass-type move on Tyranitar then you lack a STAB attack when you use Trick-or-Treat, which results in a noticeable loss in power.

 

[BurningMan]

It really isn't. Tyranitar loses out on the special defense boost from its own sand stream as well as losing access to a good set of STAB attacks in exchange for grass-type stab which isn't as good. If you carry a grass type move to have STAB for if you use Trick-or-Treat, you basically waste a slot if you havent used Trick-or-Treat already, but if you don't pack a Grass-type move on Tyranitar then you lack a STAB attack when you use Trick-or-Treat, which results in a noticeable loss in power.

Nope everything you say is wrong :P

Trick or Treat adds a ghost typing (not Grass) to the already exsisting types effectivly giving you a third type. So TTar not only keeps his Stabs and the SDef boost from Sand Storm, but also gets a fighting/normal immunity is now neutral to Bug/Dark/ghost and resistant to poison. Since i don't play doubles i can't say how effective this really is (propably still really gimmicky), but its nowhere near as bad as you claim it to be.

 

[Audiosurfer]

Nope everything you say is wrong :P

Trick or Treat adds a ghost typing (not Grass) to the already exsisting types effectivly giving you a third type. So TTar not only keeps his Stabs and the SDef boost from Sand Storm, but also gets a fighting/normal immunity is now neutral to Bug/Dark/ghost and resistant to poison. Since i don't play doubles i can't say how effective this really is (propably still really gimmicky), but its nowhere near as bad as you claim it to be.

Oh, then that's my bad in regards to the mechanics of the move, but it's still pretty gimmicky. Two of the neutral hits you mention for example were previously resistances (dark and ghost) and it already has no problem handling Normal-type hits. Fighting-type immunity is cool though as well as being immune to Fake Out, so yeah not completely useless or anything but definitely still not too great. I tweaked on the Grass-type thing though, was probably confusing it for something else for a moment.
edit: could be a cool utility move on gourgeist to screw with fighting types and such

 

[Jec]

That trick or treat thing might work. Without the 4x weakness to fighting, sand boosted Spdef and really good def, mega ttar would be really really bulky.

Oh, then that's my bad in regards to the mechanics of the move, but it's still pretty gimmicky. Two of the neutral hits you mention for example were previously resistances (dark and ghost) and it already has no problem handling Normal-type hits. Fighting-type immunity is cool though as well as being immune to Fake Out, so yeah not completely useless or anything but definitely still not too great. I tweaked on the Grass-type thing though, was probably confusing it for something else for a moment.

I think you're referring to Forest's Curse. It adds grass typing to a poke.

 

[Pocket]

small gourgeist and Mega DD Tyranitar actually sound like an interesting combo. Trick-or-Treat only works if the user is fast, and 99 base Speed is just fast enough to get the job done, imo. With an additional Ghost-typing, Tyranitar is not only immune to Fighting-type moves (suck it Breloom / Conkeldurr), but also loses its weakness to Bug-type moves. Its new trio typing turns it into an Aegislash-isq Pokemon with a unique set of immunities and resistances. Now Kangaskhan cannot even flinch it with Fake Out or use it as a punching bag to double its offense.

In addition, Small Gourgeist can Trick-or-Treat Landorus-T / Garchomp / Scizor / Breloom, etc and make them super vulnerable to Tyranitar's boosted Crunch ;d Interesting suggestion, ScizLor.

 

[Truce]

I can definitely vouch for Tyranitar + Gourgeist, as it was the first thing I ran into on rated wi-fi back in October. However, the variant I saw that I'll share was indeed Mega Tyranitar, but it was a Gourgeist-Super and was based around Trick Room. As noted above, Gourgeist is able to both aid Tyranitar defensively by making it immune to its 4x weakness (and becoming very hard to take down with its bulk), as well as making enemies weak to Crunch. For this Trick Room pair, the Gourgeist also had Explosion, so it could blow up after making Tyranitar immune to quickly move to the next Trick Room abuser.

 

[ScizLor]

If I had to pair Mega Tyranitar with a Trick Room user, I'd choose Aromatisse.

Aromatisse @ Leftovers
Ability: Aroma Veil
Nature: Sassy/Relaxed/Quiet
EVs: 252 HP, 128 Defense, 128 Sp. Defense
- Trick Room
- Aromatherapy
- Heal Pulse
- Moonblast/Dazzling Gleam/Draining Kiss

With its base 29 Speed and good bulk (101/72/89), Aromatisse is an excellent Trick Room setter; Aromatherapy and Heal Pulse keep Mega Tyranitar healthy while it Dragon Dances or attacks, and thanks to Aroma Veil neither of them has to worry about being Taunted. The last moveslot is dedicated to offensive Fairy moves that can dent opposing Fighting and Dark types: Moonblast hits decently a single enemy, Dazzling Gleam can hurt both, Draining Kiss helps keeping Aromatisse alive along with Leftovers (but without Calm Mind's boost the damage output and the consequent amount of heal will be low). The only two problem are that Mega Tyranitar's Sandstorm will neutralize Aromatisse's Leftovers, and that the use of the optional Earthquake should be avoided when not switching Aromatisse with a Flying type or a Levitate user.

Pocket EDIT: why would Mega Tar use DD under Trick Room?? Curse Tar is what you really want ;).