Overview
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Tyranitar has the stats and movepool to run a lot of okay sets, but the current metagame greatly hurts its viability, as Terrakion and Mega Diancie are better as fast Rock-type sweepers. It has many common weaknesses in Fighting-, Water-, Ground-, and Steel-types in addition to poor Speed; however, Tyranitar does have some purposes that justify its usage. With the most bulk of the three, Tyranitar is the best switch-in to Talonflame and many other strong attackers. In addition, Sand Stream makes Tyranitar a hard counter to most Mega Charizard Y sets and can be used to stop rain, unlike Terrakion and Mega Diancie. It also supports Sand Rush Excadrill, which is a decent threat. Despite Intimidate and burns hurting it a lot, Tyranitar can use its good special movepool to get past them somewhat.
Bulky Attacker
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name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
move 4: Protect
ability: Sand Stream
item: Life Orb / Shuca Berry
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
nature: Quiet
Moves
========
Rock Slide is the main attack, as it is boosted by STAB and deals spread damage. It allows Tyranitar to successfully complete its role as a check to Flying- and Fire-type Pokemon better. Dark Pulse is preferred over Crunch because it isn't weakened by Intimidate or burns and doesn't activate Aegislash's King's Shield. Fire Blast is an option to hit threats such as Ferrothorn, Amoonguss, and Bisharp hard, while Ice Beam can be used to hit Pokemon such as Landorus-T and Hydreigon. Protect keeps Tyranitar alive while partners take care of specific threats, stalls out field conditions, and scouts for attacks.
Set Details
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Life Orb allows all of Tyranitar's attacks to hit harder, which is greatly needed due to its STAB attacks having low Base Power. However, the combination of Shuca Berry and Ice Beam can be used to turn Tyranitar into a great Landorus-T check. The EVs are fitting for a bulky special attacker, and a Quiet nature is used so Rock Slide isn't weakened.
Usage Tips
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It's nice to lead with Tyranitar because Sand Stream is a great way to break Focus Sashes that are often used with leads. However, Tyranitar won't be able to get that much use in battle until its checks, primarily Fighting-types, are taken out. Be extremely careful if the opponent is using rain or sun, as Tyranitar will be extremely crucial to beating the foe's strategy. If Shuca Berry and Ice Beam are being used, scout with Protect before attacking Landorus-T, as it might predict Ice Beam and use U-turn or Superpower.
Team Options
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Excadrill is a good partner because of its ability, Sand Rush, and its high base Attack stat. Pokemon such as Mega Gengar, Sylveon, Talonflame, and Shaymin-S can take out Fighting-type Pokemon easily, easing Tyranitar's time in battle. Shaymin-S and other Grass-types can take out Rotom-W, which is a large threat as well. Amoonguss can redirect super effective Fighting-, Steel-, and Water-type attacks and can put many other checks to sleep. Tyranitar beats the Flying- and Fire-type Pokemon that threaten it as well, making them great partners. Landorus-T is another huge threat to Tyranitar, and partners such as Suicune and Rotom-W can help against it, in addition to supporting Tyranitar with Tailwind and Will-O-Wisp, respectively. Lastly, Wide Guard support, from Pokemon such as Aegislash and Hitmontop, protects Tyranitar from Earthquake or Pixilate Hyper Voice, which is helpful.
Other Options
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Stone Edge is an option over Rock Slide for a much more powerful STAB attack at the cost of losing Rock Slide's spread utility; however, Stone Edge is discouraged, as its accuracy is lower than Rock Slide's. Crunch and Low Kick or Superpower can also be used for greater immediate power at the cost of losing to Intimidate and burn users, but Superpower drops Tyranitar's Attack and Defense, making the move frowned upon. Iron Head is also an option to hit Sylveon hard as well as Mega Gardevoir on the switch. Tyranitar can run a mediocre Choice Scarf set, but this is generally outclassed by Mega Diancie and Terrakion, which outspeed the same Pokemon and don't have to be locked into one move in order to do so. However, Tyranitar's extra bulk could be a reason to use it over them. Tyranitar can run a decent Mega Dragon Dance set too, but it is extremely hard to set up with Intimidate, burns, and Fighting-type coverage everywhere. Due to its good bulk holding off many KOs, Tyranitar can run a decent Weakness Policy set to deal a lot of damage quickly. A Babiri Berry can be used to let Tyranitar function as a lure for Steel-types such as Scizor and Mega Metagross. Using a Chople Berry with Superpower as a coverage move also lets Tyranitar beat Mega Kangaskhan, which usually sets up if it switches in on Tyranitar. Lastly, Tyranitar can hold a Smooth Rock if the team is reliant on Excadrill sweeping.
Checks & Counters
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**Typing Advantage**: Fighting-types such as Terrakion, Keldeo, Conkeldurr, and Breloom can switch in on both of Tyranitar's STAB attacks and threaten it with their 4x super effective STAB attacks. Other Pokemon with Fighting-type coverage, such as Mega Kangaskhan, can easily plow through Tyranitar. Bulky Water-types such as Suicune, Milotic, and Rotom-W can also handle Tyranitar's attacks and threaten it super effectively. Steel-types such as Scizor, Bisharp, and Mega Metagross can switch in on some of Tyranitar's attacks and deal huge damage. Lastly, Sylveon can take several hits from Tyranitar and deal a large amount of damage to both Tyranitar and its partner with Hyper Voice. Mega Gardevoir is in the same boat as Sylveon, but it does not want to switch in on a Rock Slide.
**Intimidate and Burns**: With Landorus-T, Hitmontop, and Scrafty being able to switch in with almost no repercussions, weaken Tyranitar's Attack with Intimidate, and threaten it with their STAB attacks, it is easy to see why Tyranitar only runs Rock Slide as physical coverage. Pokemon such as Rotom-W and Sableye can also burn Tyranitar before it can attack, drastically lowering any chance of Rock Slide dealing significant damage.
**Opposing Weather**: Politoed and Ludicolo can switch in and trample both Tyranitar and Excadrill with rain-boosted STAB super effective attacks.
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Tyranitar has the stats and movepool to run a lot of okay sets, but the current metagame greatly hurts its viability, as Terrakion and Mega Diancie are better as fast Rock-type sweepers. It has many common weaknesses in Fighting-, Water-, Ground-, and Steel-types in addition to poor Speed; however, Tyranitar does have some purposes that justify its usage. With the most bulk of the three, Tyranitar is the best switch-in to Talonflame and many other strong attackers. In addition, Sand Stream makes Tyranitar a hard counter to most Mega Charizard Y sets and can be used to stop rain, unlike Terrakion and Mega Diancie. It also supports Sand Rush Excadrill, which is a decent threat. Despite Intimidate and burns hurting it a lot, Tyranitar can use its good special movepool to get past them somewhat.
Bulky Attacker
########
name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
move 4: Protect
ability: Sand Stream
item: Life Orb / Shuca Berry
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
nature: Quiet
Moves
========
Rock Slide is the main attack, as it is boosted by STAB and deals spread damage. It allows Tyranitar to successfully complete its role as a check to Flying- and Fire-type Pokemon better. Dark Pulse is preferred over Crunch because it isn't weakened by Intimidate or burns and doesn't activate Aegislash's King's Shield. Fire Blast is an option to hit threats such as Ferrothorn, Amoonguss, and Bisharp hard, while Ice Beam can be used to hit Pokemon such as Landorus-T and Hydreigon. Protect keeps Tyranitar alive while partners take care of specific threats, stalls out field conditions, and scouts for attacks.
Set Details
========
Life Orb allows all of Tyranitar's attacks to hit harder, which is greatly needed due to its STAB attacks having low Base Power. However, the combination of Shuca Berry and Ice Beam can be used to turn Tyranitar into a great Landorus-T check. The EVs are fitting for a bulky special attacker, and a Quiet nature is used so Rock Slide isn't weakened.
Usage Tips
========
It's nice to lead with Tyranitar because Sand Stream is a great way to break Focus Sashes that are often used with leads. However, Tyranitar won't be able to get that much use in battle until its checks, primarily Fighting-types, are taken out. Be extremely careful if the opponent is using rain or sun, as Tyranitar will be extremely crucial to beating the foe's strategy. If Shuca Berry and Ice Beam are being used, scout with Protect before attacking Landorus-T, as it might predict Ice Beam and use U-turn or Superpower.
Team Options
========
Excadrill is a good partner because of its ability, Sand Rush, and its high base Attack stat. Pokemon such as Mega Gengar, Sylveon, Talonflame, and Shaymin-S can take out Fighting-type Pokemon easily, easing Tyranitar's time in battle. Shaymin-S and other Grass-types can take out Rotom-W, which is a large threat as well. Amoonguss can redirect super effective Fighting-, Steel-, and Water-type attacks and can put many other checks to sleep. Tyranitar beats the Flying- and Fire-type Pokemon that threaten it as well, making them great partners. Landorus-T is another huge threat to Tyranitar, and partners such as Suicune and Rotom-W can help against it, in addition to supporting Tyranitar with Tailwind and Will-O-Wisp, respectively. Lastly, Wide Guard support, from Pokemon such as Aegislash and Hitmontop, protects Tyranitar from Earthquake or Pixilate Hyper Voice, which is helpful.
Other Options
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Stone Edge is an option over Rock Slide for a much more powerful STAB attack at the cost of losing Rock Slide's spread utility; however, Stone Edge is discouraged, as its accuracy is lower than Rock Slide's. Crunch and Low Kick or Superpower can also be used for greater immediate power at the cost of losing to Intimidate and burn users, but Superpower drops Tyranitar's Attack and Defense, making the move frowned upon. Iron Head is also an option to hit Sylveon hard as well as Mega Gardevoir on the switch. Tyranitar can run a mediocre Choice Scarf set, but this is generally outclassed by Mega Diancie and Terrakion, which outspeed the same Pokemon and don't have to be locked into one move in order to do so. However, Tyranitar's extra bulk could be a reason to use it over them. Tyranitar can run a decent Mega Dragon Dance set too, but it is extremely hard to set up with Intimidate, burns, and Fighting-type coverage everywhere. Due to its good bulk holding off many KOs, Tyranitar can run a decent Weakness Policy set to deal a lot of damage quickly. A Babiri Berry can be used to let Tyranitar function as a lure for Steel-types such as Scizor and Mega Metagross. Using a Chople Berry with Superpower as a coverage move also lets Tyranitar beat Mega Kangaskhan, which usually sets up if it switches in on Tyranitar. Lastly, Tyranitar can hold a Smooth Rock if the team is reliant on Excadrill sweeping.
Checks & Counters
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**Typing Advantage**: Fighting-types such as Terrakion, Keldeo, Conkeldurr, and Breloom can switch in on both of Tyranitar's STAB attacks and threaten it with their 4x super effective STAB attacks. Other Pokemon with Fighting-type coverage, such as Mega Kangaskhan, can easily plow through Tyranitar. Bulky Water-types such as Suicune, Milotic, and Rotom-W can also handle Tyranitar's attacks and threaten it super effectively. Steel-types such as Scizor, Bisharp, and Mega Metagross can switch in on some of Tyranitar's attacks and deal huge damage. Lastly, Sylveon can take several hits from Tyranitar and deal a large amount of damage to both Tyranitar and its partner with Hyper Voice. Mega Gardevoir is in the same boat as Sylveon, but it does not want to switch in on a Rock Slide.
**Intimidate and Burns**: With Landorus-T, Hitmontop, and Scrafty being able to switch in with almost no repercussions, weaken Tyranitar's Attack with Intimidate, and threaten it with their STAB attacks, it is easy to see why Tyranitar only runs Rock Slide as physical coverage. Pokemon such as Rotom-W and Sableye can also burn Tyranitar before it can attack, drastically lowering any chance of Rock Slide dealing significant damage.
**Opposing Weather**: Politoed and Ludicolo can switch in and trample both Tyranitar and Excadrill with rain-boosted STAB super effective attacks.
Overview
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name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
move 4: Protect
ability: Sand Stream
item: Life Orb / Shuca Berry
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
nature: Quiet
Moves
========
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**Type Advantage**:
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- Extremely versatile movepool and stats allowing for a variety of sets.
- Reliable answer to many weather strategies and supports Excadrill, which is a decent Sand sweeper
- Niche typing counters some significant threats such as Talonflame but fighting/ground/water coverage is everywhere so it has a hard time staying alive.
- Base 61 Speed isn't very good in both Tailwind and Trick Room.
- Really weak to Intimidate and Burns, but it can use its okay Special Attack to get around that somewhat.
- Mostly outclassed by Mega Diancie and Terrakion.
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name: Bulky Attacker
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast / Ice Beam
move 4: Protect
ability: Sand Stream
item: Life Orb / Shuca Berry
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA
nature: Quiet
Moves
========
- Rock Slide is a decently powered spread attack that lets Tyranitar check Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y even with Burn or Intimidate accumulation.
- Dark Pulse is used over Crunch because of Burns/Intimidates and it's more reliable vs Aegislash.
- Fire Blast lets TTar hit Ferrothorn, Escavalier, Amoonguss, Bisharp etc.
- Ice Beam lets ttar check stuff like Hydreigon and it can hit Landorus-T on the switch in.
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- Life Orb for powuh.
- Stone Edge for powuh+dealing with wide guard
- Shuca+Ice Beam helps it beat Landorus-T, which is a huge threat to TTar+Exca
- Superpower can donk Kanga if it needs it.
- Quiet doesn't hinder attacking/defending stats and can be useful against certain threats in TR like chandelure.
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- Nice to send out early game to break potential Focus Sashes.
- Can be very important for weather wars, so keep it alive if you see a Charizard or Politoed + Ludicolo/Kingdra/Swampert
- Take out Fighting- and Fairy-types that stop Tyranitar cold if you want Tyranitar to accomplish anything
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- Excadrill is a good partner that can sweep with it's ability Sand Rush.
- Pokemon such as Mega Gengar (also helps with weather wars) and Sylveon can be used to keep Fighting-types away from Tyranitar. Grass-types such as Amoonguss and Shaymin-S can also deal with Fighting-types, but they also take care of Rotom-W, which is a big threat to the Ttar/Exca combo.
- Another threat to Ttar/Esca is Landorus-T, which can be dealt with Pokemon such as Suicune (who can also support Ttar with Tailwind) or Rotom-W (which offers Wow support)
- Talonflame/Sylveon/other stuff to deal with fighting types.
- Wide Guard (Aegislash, Hitmontop, Aerodactyl, etc.) helps with EQ/Fairy Spam
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- Smooth Rock
- Iron Head for Sylveon and maybe Garde on the switch.
- Babiri Berry to lure Scizor/Metagross
- Scarf, but mostly outclassed by Diancie and Terrakion, who are just as fast without being locked into an item. However, Ttar does counter Mega Zard Y the best, and it has the best bulk of the three.
- Weakness Policy + Dragon Dance, but hard to do correctly.
- Chople + Superpower let's it deal with Mega Kanga better. Also better accuracy then Fire Blast for Bisharp
- It can use a decent Mega Dragon Dance set to patch up its Intimidate weakness and Speed issues, but it's STABs get trolled by every Fighting-type in the meta and it has too many weaknesses to set up reliably. This set has potential with redirecting partners such as Rage Powder Amoonguss and Follow Me Togekiss.
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**Type Advantage**:
- Fighting-types: Terrakion/Keldeo/Mega Heracross/Virizion/Breloom/etc.
- Fighting-type coverage: Mega Kanga
- Sylveon can switch in and beat it. So can Mega Garde but Rock Slide might hurt.
- Bulky Waters: Azumarill, Suicune, Rotom-W
- Hitmontop, Scrafty, Landorus-T (can be hurt by the special attacks tho)
- WoW from, for example, Sableye can weaken Rock Slide which severely limits the offensive pressure TTar has
- Well played Politoed + Rain Sweeper can destroy TTar
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