Support Tar
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name: Support Tar
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Pursuit
move 4: Ice Beam / Fire Blast / Crunch
ability: Sand Stream
item: Smooth Rock
evs: 248 HP / 36 Def / 224 SpD
nature: Relaxed
Moves
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Unlike the Choice Scarf set, this set focuses on supporting its team even further with the utility of Stealth Rock. Tyranitar makes for a great user of the move due to its great ability to threaten Defog users. Pursuit traps Latios and Latias, which allows Stealth Rock to be on their side of the field for the remainder of the match. Stone Edge is a secondary STAB move that lets Tyranitar KO Zapdos, Mandibuzz, Kyurem-B, and Talonflame. Ice Beam defeats Garchomp, Landorus-T, and physically defensive Hippowdon. Fire Blast is an option to OHKO Ferrothorn and Scizor, and Crunch can be used for a stronger hit on Slowbro and Celebi. Thunder Wave can also be used to cripple an offensive threat such as Mega Gardevoir. Roar is a choice to prevent Pokemon such as Azumarill and Keldeo from setting up on Tyranitar.
Set Details
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The HP and Defense EVs allow Tyranitar to survive an Earthquake from +1 Dragonite and KO back with Ice Beam, assuming Multiscale is not intact. The rest of the EVs are tossed into Special Defense to help Tyranitar take special attacks better, such as Latios's Draco Meteor and Heatran's Fire Blast. Smooth Rock is the preferred item because it maximizes the duration of sand and allows Tyranitar to support Excadrill. If Excadrill is not being paired with Tyranitar, Leftovers is an option to provide passive healing, which can help Tyranitar stay longer in the match. A Chople Berry can be used as well, allowing Tyranitar to survive Gengar's Focus Blast and hit it back with Pursuit. This is especially useful considering Tyranitar can no longer outpace Gengar without its Choice Scarf.
Usage Tips
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Using Tyranitar to set up Stealth Rock on Pokemon it forces out such as Talonflame and Heatran is advised. Tyranitar makes for a great user of the move because it beats all the common Defog users. This set can also check threats such as Mega Charizard X and Dragonite in a pinch, so it is recommended to keep Tyranitar healthy if the opposing team has any of these Pokemon. Support Tyranitar can also lure in Ferrothorn and Landorus-T and KO them with Fire Blast and Ice Beam, respectively, making it easier for Excadrill to sweep. Tyranitar also walls Latios, Latias, and Swords Dance Talonflame, and Pursuit traps the former two.
Team Options
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Excadrill is Tyranitar's best teammate because Tyranitar brings eight turns of sand for it to abuse. Celebi is a great partner for sand teams because it takes on Breloom, Azumarill, and Keldeo, which are three Pokemon that trouble sand teams. Talonflame can take bulky Grass-types such as Tangrowth and Mega Venusaur, which can annoy Excadrill. Due to Tyranitar's ability to remove Latios and Latias from the game, Keldeo is an amazing teammate because it has a much easier time when they are removed. Mega Charizard Y also appreciates this, as it can freely wallbreak after they are eliminated. Latios also makes for a great partner because it checks Keldeo, which can switch back in on and wall Tyranitar.
Dragon Dance
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name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Ice Punch / Crunch
move 4: Superpower / Fire Punch
ability: Sand Stream
item: Tyranitarite
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
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After one Dragon Dance, Mega Tyranitar turns into a deadly sweeping machine that can outspeed everything up to Tornadus-T. Stone Edge is the main STAB move for hitting bulky Fairy-types such as Clefable and Mega Altaria and can be used if the extra power it provides is needed. Ice Punch covers Gliscor, Garchomp, and Landorus-T, which will try to end Tyranitar'ssweep. Superpower hits Steel- and Rock-types such as Bisharp, Ferrothorn, opposing Tyranitar, and Terrakion, for super effective damage. However, Crunch and Fire Punch are alternatives to Ice Punch and Superpower. Crunch can hit bulky Psychic-types such as Celebi and, most importantly, Slowbro, which walls the coverage moves. Crunch also does not suffer accuracy issues; for example, a Stone Edge miss can be the difference between winning or losing the game. Fire Punch OHKOes Ferrothorn and Scizor, in addition to hitting Skarmory more reliably. Rock Polish can be used as an alternative to Dragon Dance to outpace Mega Lopunny, Weavile, and Choice Scarf Landorus-T, but it misses a lot of power even with an Adamant nature.
Set Details
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Maximum Speed investment and a Jolly nature are needed to outspeed everything up to Tornadus-T. Maximum Attack investment makes Tyranitar very hard to wall after a boost as well. Tyranitarite is mandatory because it gives it a crucial boost to Tyranitar's Speed and, more importantly, its bulk. This means it can set up much easier and survive priority attacks from Azumarill and Mega Scizor.
Usage Tips
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When grabbing a boost, make sure Tyranitar takes little-to-no damage because it can survive priority moves such as Choice Band Azumarill's Aqua Jet and Mega Scizor's Bullet Punch if healthy. Removing faster attackers are needed before setting up. Excadrill, Mega Lopunny, Choice Scarf Landorus-T, and Weavile are examples of this because they can easily cut Tyranitar's sweep short. Necessary walls, such as Rotom-W and Mega Slowbro, should also be weakened.
Team Options
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Mega Tyranitar is walled by Pokemon based upon what coverage move it uses. If Superpower and Ice Punch are used, it is walled by Slowbro, so Celebi is a great teammate for it. Celebi also walls Breloom, which can OHKO Tyranitar with Mach Punch despite its great bulk. If Crunch and Fire Punch are chosen, Tyranitar is walled by bulky Ground-types. Icy Wind Gengar is a great teammate for Tyranitar because Tyranitar can tank a Shadow Ball and lures in specially defensive Gliscor, Garchomp, and Landorus-T that think they can set up Stealth Rock. Pokemon that set up Stealth Rock are appreciated because they make it easier for Tyranitar to sweep. Powerful wallbreakers are also welcome because they can defeat Pokemon that wall Tyranitar. Swords Dance Talonflame makes for a good cleaner because it can sweep once Tyranitar weakens its biggest counters, such as Landorus-T and Gliscor with Ice Punch and Rotom-W with Stone Edge. If running Crunch and Fire Punch, offensive or Choice Scarf Heatran makes for a great teammate because it can do massive damage to Keldeo on the switch and bring it to a point where it can no longer check Tyranitar due to a +1 Stone Edge dealing 50%.
Other Options
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Tyranitar can run a physically defensive set, but it does not have a good typing to utilize it. Tyranitar can run a more offensive mixed set with Crunch, Ice Beam, Fire Blast, and Stealth Rock with a Smooth Rock to provide offensive presence while also supporting Excadrill, but there is a noticeable decrease in bulk. Tyranitar can run a Dragon Dance without Tyranitarite, but it misses a crucial Speed tier and there is a noticeable drop in power. It can work on hyper offensive teams and behind dual screens support because it can get multiple boosts when holding a Lum Berry. The set is rather inferior, however, especially with a huge decrease in bulk. Finally, Earthquake is an option on Choice sets to OHKO Heatran, but it has rather redundant coverage compared to Superpower.
Checks & Counters
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**Fairy-types**: Azumarill, Clefable, and Mega Altaria can take anything from Tyranitar and retaliate back hard. The Choice Band set, however, can do massive damage to these Pokemon.
**Steel-types**: Ferrothorn, Scizor, and Skarmory can wall Tyranitar and can set up entry hazards or Swords Dance in Mega Scizor's case. Ferrothorn and Scizor cannot come in on Fire Punch, however.
**Fighting-types**: Keldeo, Breloom, Terrakion, Mega Lopunny, Conkeldurr, and Mega Gallade can easily take a hit and OHKO back with their Fighting-type STAB moves.
**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Skarmory, Chesnaught, Hippowdon, Gliscor, Landorus-T, Clefable, Mega Sableye, and Rotom-W can easily come in, set up entry hazards, and threaten Tyranitar back with status or their STAB moves. They must careful of the Choice Band and Dragon Dance sets, as they can KO if Tyranitar is sufficiently weakened.
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