Aerodactyl [GP 2/2]


*Insert quote related to Aerodactyl here*

[Overview]

<p>Aerodactyl is extremely fast, outspeeding every Pokemon commonly seen in UU except Crobat, with which it Speed ties. This is the main draw of Aerodactyl, outspeeding threats, such as Tornadus, +1 Scrafty, and non-Ice Shard Weavile, among others, and inflicting damage before they can move. Aerodactyl can either set up Stealth Rock almost guaranteed or hit its opponents hard depending on the set. However, the UU metagame is cruel to Aerodactyl, being filled with bulky Water-types and priority moves, both of which Aerodactyl struggles with, and its mediocre bulk makes it unable to take many hits. Despite these crippling flaws, Aerodactyl is still a very useful Pokemon to have in UU.</p>

[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Taunt / Roost
item: Life Orb
ability: Pressure
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set takes perfect advantage of Aerodactyl's high Speed, great coverage, and access to Stealth Rock. Aerodactyl is the fastest Pokemon in UU that has access to Stealth Rock, which almost guarantees the valuable hazard will be set up every battle. This makes it very useful on offensive teams that need to get Stealth Rock up immediately so the team has the residual damage needed to secure many OHKOs and 2HKOs.</p>

<p>Aerodactyl's great coverage comes in the form of EdgeQuake, which has almost perfect neutral coverage in UU. Stone Edge, the first move of the combo, receives a STAB boost, which makes it very powerful if it doesn't miss. Because of the excellent coverage achieved with just two moves, Aerodactyl has room to run another non-attacking move. Because Aerodactyl is very fast, it can reliably prevent other Pokemon from setting up their own entry hazards with Taunt, as well as prevent Pokemon like Roserade from hitting Aerodactyl with a crippling status move. If Taunt isn't needed, then Roost is a suitable replacement because it can heal off Life Orb damage so that Aerodactyl can continue to attack without killing itself.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EV spread maximizes Aerodactyl's offensive capabilities. Another viable EV spread is 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe with a Jolly Nature, which outspeeds unboosted Raikou and Azelf while giving Aerodactyl some bulk. However, losing out on outspeeding Weavile, Modest Choice Scarf Chandelure, Crobat, and opposing Aerodactyl might not be worth the increase in bulk. If something else on your team is running Stealth Rock, then Taunt and Roost can be used together, but at that point Crobat is usually a better option to use due to its superior bulk and defensive typing, which grants it extra resistances, notably a 4x one to Fighting-type moves.</p>

<p>While the BW metagame doesn't have many dedicated leads, Aerodactyl can still function in that position and set up Stealth Rock on the first turn easily. If Aerodactyl is being used exclusively in this position, Focus Sash is a viable option to guarantee that Aerodactyl will get Stealth Rock up and be able to use Taunt to ensure that Pokemon, such as Roserade, will be unable to set their entry hazards up simultaneously. If Stealth Rock is absolutely critical for your team to function, Ghost-types, such as Sableye and Cofagrigus, are useful to prevent it from being spun away. Aerodactyl struggles with bulky Water-types, so Roserade and Shaymin are the best options to combat them, as they shrug off Scalds and have Natural Cure in case they are burned. In addition, when using Aerodactyl, take time during Team Preview to look for priority users, especially those whose moves deal super effective damage, such as Weavile and Azumarill; if you see one such Pokemon, it might be a good idea to keep Aerodactyl out of the lead position, as these Pokemon can OHKO Aerodactyl before it can even move if it doesn't have a Focus Sash.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Aqua Tail
move 4: Double-Edge
item: Choice Band
ability: Rock Head
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>When equipped with a Choice Band, Aerodactyl reaches a high Attack stat of 463, which allows it to power through most of the UU tier. This, along with its blistering speed stat, allows Aerodactyl to do some serious damage. Despite this, Aerodactyl must be played with caution; with a Stealth Rock weakness, there is little room for error, so you must predict well in order for this set to be effective.</p>

<p>Stone Edge is the powerful STAB move of choice; it is notable for OHKOing some of the biggest threats in UU, such as Crobat, Weavile, Tornadus, and Azelf, all of which Aerodactyl outspeeds. Earthquake has excellent coverage with Stone Edge, allowing Aerodactyl to hit most of the tier for neutral damage or better. It has the bonus of OHKOing Pokemon who are weak to it, such as Raikou. Aqua Tail is Aerodactyl's best option against Ground-type Pokemon, such as Rhyperior and Krookodile, which can otherwise cause problems for Aerodactyl. Finally, Double-Edge is chosen for the last slot to hit Swampert and Flygon hard, as well as OHKO Mienshao. Thanks to Rock Head, Aerodactyl also suffers no recoil damage from the move.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As tempting as it may be to run an Adamant nature, Jolly is needed to outspeed Weavile, Raikou, and Azelf, all of which Aerodactyl can OHKO with Jolly, anyway. Aerial Ace is normally weak with only 60 Base Power, but thanks to STAB, it gets boosted to acceptable levels and can OHKO Heracross, Virizion, and Shaymin after Stealth Rock and Life Orb recoil, as well as uninvested Scrafty after a layer of Spikes. Ice Fang is also usable to OHKO Flygon and 2HKO Gligar which are otherwise difficult to deal with. However, these are mainly situational moves, and Aerodactyl's standard moves will generally be more useful.</p>

<p>Aerodactyl needs Rapid Spin support to function at its best, as it will be switching out a lot and has a Stealth Rock weakness. The best option is Hitmontop, as it resists Rock-type moves that are often aimed at Aerodactyl. Bulky Water-types are troublesome for Aerodactyl, especially those that resist Rock-type moves, such as Empoleon and Swampert, meaning that Grass-types, such as Shaymin and Tangrowth, are good partners, as they can take them down easily. In addition, Steel-types resist Stone Edge, and one of the most prominent&mdash;Bronzong&mdash;is immune to Earthquake. Fire-type Pokemon, such as Darmanitan and Chandelure, can destroy Steel-types with their STAB, which allows Stone Edge to be used more freely.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Aerodactyl has a decent movepool, but many of its other moves are not worth using due to its inferior defenses. One offensive move to consider is Fire Fang to hit Escavalier and Bronzong hard, though it is too weak to put much of a dent in anything else. Another is Rock Slide for better accuracy than Stone Edge, but it is significantly weaker and Aerodactyl needs all the power it can get. Hone Claws is the only way Aerodactyl can boost its Attack and fixes Stone Edge's unreliable accuracy, but a +1 boost isn't enough for Aerodactyl to sweep, especially considering it is hard for Aerodactyl to get a free turn because of its frailty. Aerodactyl can cripple walls, such as Swampert, with Toxic, but a large amount of prediction is needed for Aerodactyl to not end up fainting in the process, and most Pokemon that wall Aerodactyl are Steel-types that are immune to Toxic. Tailwind can be used, but Aerodactyl is so fast that it really doesn't need a boost and is too frail to set up repeatedly for its team. Finally, there is the combination of a Power Herb and Sky Attack, which unleashes the only decently powerful Flying-type move in Aerodactyl's moveset, being over twice as powerful as Aerial Ace. However, this is generally too gimmicky to make use of.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>As far as preventing Stealth Rock, there is really no point in trying because Aerodactyl is so fast unless you have Sableye, as its Prankster is beyond this. Bronzong is hands-down the best counter, resisting almost everything Aerodactyl can throw at it and is able to OHKO with Gyro Ball. Swampert is similar because it can also OHKO Aerodactyl and resists Stone Edge, but other attacks, when boosted by a Choice Band, do hurt quite a bit. Other bulky Water-types, such as Suicune and Slowbro, are annoyed by Taunt, but Scald does a ton of damage to Aerodactyl, and if it burns Aerodactyl it is pretty much down for the count. Azumarill has the bulk to take a hit and can OHKO Aerodactyl with Aqua Jet before it can retaliate. Cofagrigus has excellent physical bulk and can burn it with Will-O-Wisp or use Trick Room to turn Aerodactyl's Speed into a liability. Registeel can take an Earthquake pretty well, paralyze it, and hit it hard with Iron Head. Finally, many Pokemon that wield a Choice Scarf are capable of revenge killing it. These Pokemon include Heracross and Victini, both of which can OHKO Aerodactyl with their respective STAB moves.</p>
 

kokoloko

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Aerodactyl doesn't need max Speed tbh. 136 Jolly hits the benchmark is wants and frees up 120 EVs to put into HP so that it can actually use Roost nicely. The moveset should be:

Stone Edge
Earthquake
Stealth Rock
Taunt / Roost

Basically any combination of the 3 moves works, but honestly, if you're using Aerodactyl in UU, its probably because of that super-fast SR + Taunt, so we give those priority. Mention max Speed to force Weavile to Ice Shard you, and to beat Modest Scarf Chandelure, but its useless otherwise. Also mention how if you want Taunt + Roost you should consider Crobat as an alternative.

On the CB set, move Aerial Ace to AC and just leave Double-Edge in that slot. Also mention Ice Fang to 2HKO Gligar (51.5% - 61.1%) and OHKO Flygon. Not sure if we should keep max Speed here either tbh, but I mind it here less than on the other set.

Also the CB set should be first since its better.
 
Aerodactyl doesn't need max Speed tbh. 136 Jolly hits the benchmark is wants and frees up 120 EVs to put into HP so that it can actually use Roost nicely. The moveset should be:

Stone Edge
Earthquake
Stealth Rock
Taunt / Roost

Basically any combination of the 3 moves works, but honestly, if you're using Aerodactyl in UU, its probably because of that super-fast SR + Taunt, so we give those priority. Mention max Speed to force Weavile to Ice Shard you, and to beat Modest Scarf Chandelure, but its useless otherwise. Also mention how if you want Taunt + Roost you should consider Crobat as an alternative.

On the CB set, move Aerial Ace to AC and just leave Double-Edge in that slot. Also mention Ice Fang to 2HKO Gligar (51.5% - 61.1%) and OHKO Flygon. Not sure if we should keep max Speed here either tbh, but I mind it here less than on the other set.

Also the CB set should be first since its better.
Alright, I changed the Life Orb set, moved it to the second slot, mentioned max speed in AC, mentioned Crobat, mentioned Ice Fang, moved Aerial Ace, and changed the Life Orb EVs. (I think that was all you mentioned)

I think the best course of action on the Choice Band set is to just keep the EVs as they are. While the Life Orb set may need to additional bulk so then it can Roost to see another day, Aerodactyl's CB set is pretty much in existence to hit hard, and nothing else. Using HP EVs isn't going to do much for it, espeically when it doesn't take recoil damage. Also, it honestly wants to outspeed everything possible, and if there is an opposing Aerodactyl (its rare but it happens occasionally), it definently doesn't want to get outsped if possible. This isn't as big of a deal on the Life Orb set since it has a lot more freedom to do what it wants.
 

kokoloko

what matters is our plan!
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Okay sorry I changed my mind. I kind of contradicted myself in my earlier post saying "if you're using Aero in UU its for that fast SR..." but then told you to list the SR set second!

Move it back to first, rename it "Stealth Rock", and make the move order:

Stealth Rock
Stone Edge
Earthquake
Taunt / Roost

Once that's done, I'll approve this.
 
Okay sorry I changed my mind. I kind of contradicted myself in my earlier post saying "if you're using Aero in UU its for that fast SR..." but then told you to list the SR set second!

Move it back to first, rename it "Stealth Rock", and make the move order:

Stealth Rock
Stone Edge
Earthquake
Taunt / Roost

Once that's done, I'll approve this.
I (re)changed the order, so I think this is ready now.
 

kokoloko

what matters is our plan!
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Okay, now just make sure you mention the possibility of using Taunt + Roost in AC, but put some emphasis on how Crobat does it better in this metagame 99% of the time.

QC Approved 1/3
 

Nas

Banned deucer.
I would take outrunning Modest ScarfLure over 120 useless HP EVs every time, so I propose we AC the garbage spread and go back to the tried and true 252/252+. I mean really, we don't put HP EVs on Weavile just because there's nothing else that sits in its speed tier. Aerodactyl's main selling point is that huge Speed stat, even if running max Speed only helps it win a few more battles that is still more significant than what those 120 HP EVs will accomplish.
 

cim

happiness is such hard work
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Honestly I've always thought Rock Slide was much better than Stone Edge on Aerodactyl. That handy 30% flinch rate plays perfectly into its Speed, and you really can't afford to miss with Aero, except maybe the CB set.
 
I would take outrunning Modest ScarfLure over 120 useless HP EVs every time, so I propose we AC the garbage spread and go back to the tried and true 252/252+. I mean really, we don't put HP EVs on Weavile just because there's nothing else that sits in its speed tier. Aerodactyl's main selling point is that huge Speed stat, even if running max Speed only helps it win a few more battles that is still more significant than what those 120 HP EVs will accomplish.
...so which EV spread do I do then? I have a feeling some QC check will be deleted if there isn't some sort of agreement, or at least be put in question. Personally I think that there needs to be the fully offensive spread, and same with you evidently, but I don't really know... I'll change it if there is an areement made.
 

kokoloko

what matters is our plan!
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I don't really feel too strongly about it, but I would rather have my EVs do work 100% of the time than the >1% of the time where you're running into Modest Scarf Chandelure (no one uses this, seriously). However, since Roost isn't the main slash, I'm ok with giving 120/252/136+ heavy emphasis in AC and making 252/4/252+ the main spread.
 

Nas

Banned deucer.
Last time I checked, ~40% of Chandelure were using Scarf and I'm sure most of those were Modest, so that's actually not too uncommon. There's also losing against Weavile, having Crobat U-Turn out of you, etc.

But anyway, do what koko said above me and then,

QC Approved 3/3

nope
 

Jukain

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[Overview]

<p>Aerodactyl is extremely fast, outspeeding everything that is Pokemon commonly seen in UU except Crobat, which it speed ties. This is the main draw of Aerodactyl, as it canto outspeed threats such as Tornadus, +1 Scrafty, and non-Ice Shard Weavile, among other things, and doinflict massive damage to them before they can move. Due to this, Aerodactyl’s role is can either set up Stealth Rock almost guaranteed or to hit theits opponents hard and it is effective at both, depending on the set. However, the UU Mmetagame is cruel to itAerodactyl, being filled with Bbulky Water-types as well asnd priority moves, both of which Aerordactyl struggles with, and its mediocre bulk ensurmakes it will not last long in battleunable to take many hits. Despite these crippling flaws, Aerodactyl is still has itsa very usesful Pokemon to have in UU.</p>

[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Taunt / Roost
item: Life Orb
ability: Pressure
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

<p>Aerodactyl’s main traits, which are its sThis set takes perfect advantage of Aerodactyl's high Speed, its goodgreat coverage, and its access to Stealth Rock, are all epitomized in this one set. Aerodactyl is the fastest Pokemon in the UU that gethas access to Stealth Rock, and therefore iswhich almost guaranteed to set up Stealth Rock first, or at alls the valuable hazard will be set up every battle. This makes it very useful on offensive teams that need to lead off with a Pokemon that will get Stealth Rock up fastimmediately so then the team can appreciatehas the residual damage needed to obtain thesecure many OHKOs and 2HKOs that are desired.</p>

<p>Aerodactyl's great coverage comes in the form of EdgeQuakeEdge, which has almost perfect neutral coverage withinin UU. Stone Edge, the tier. It also getfirst move of the combo, receives a STAB on Stone Edgeboost, which makes ithe said move very powerful if it doesn’t miss. Because of its nicthe excellent coverage achieved with just two move coverage, it cans, Aerodactyl has room to run another non-damagattacking move. Since it has a reallAerodactyl is very fast Taunt, it can reliably prevent other Pokemon from setting up their own entry hazards, and it can with Taunt, as well aso prevent Pokemon like Roserade from statushitting Aerodactyl, which usually renders Aerodactyl ith a crippling status moveless. If Taunt isn't needed, thaen Roost is a suitable replacement, as; it can heal off Life Orb damage so that Aerodactyl takes so then it can keep oncan continue to attack without killing itself.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>While tThe given EV spread forceoutruns Weavile to use Ice Shard to outspeed it and also allows Aerodactyl to outspeed Modest Choice Scarf Chandelure, a. Another viable EV spread is 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe with a Jolly Nature. This is the minimum requirement tospread outspeed alls unboosted variants of Raikou and Azelf while puttgiving the leftover EVs into HP for increasedAerodactyl some bulk. However, losing to allout on outspeeding Weavile, Choice Scarf Chandelure, Crobat, and opposing Aerodactyl, as well as getting Taunted by Crobat before it can set up Stealth Rock, may might not be worth the extra investment in bulk. If something else on your tcream is running Stealth Rock, Taunt and Roost can be used, but at that point Crobat is often a better option due to it having a superior bulk and important resistances to Fighting and Grass which Aerodactyl lacks.</p>

<p>While the Gen VBW metagame doesn't have leads per semany dedicated leads, Aerodactyl can still function well in that position and set up Stealth Rock on the first turn easily. If Aerodactyl is being used exclusively in this position, a Focus Sash is a viable option, as it will guarantee that Aerodactyl will get Stealth Rock up, whil and be also making ble to use Taunt to ensure that Pokemon such as Roserade will be unable to gset their entry hazards up simultaneously. If Stealth Rock is absolutely cruciitical for the Pokemon on your team, Pokem to function, Ghost-types such as Sableye and Cofagrigus are useful since they block Rapid Spin, to prevensuring that Stealth Rock will remain on the field as loit from being as they are alivespun away. Aerodactyl itself struggles against Bwith bulky Waters, and-types; Roserade and Shaymin are the best options to combatake on these Pokemon, as it canthey shrug off their Scalds and their access tohave Natural Cure healsin case them from any status effects that occare burnt. In addition, when using Aerodactyl, takeep a close watch time during Team Preview to look for potential priority users, especially those thatwhose moves deal super effective damage, such as Weavile and Azumarill; if you see one of thesesuch Pokemon, it mayight be a good idea to keep Aerodactyl out of the lead position, as they will outspeed se Pokemon cand often OHKO it before Aerodactyl can accomplish anything, including laying down Stealth Rock,before it can even move if it doesn’t have a Focus Sash.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Aqua Tail
move 4: Double-Edge
item: Choice Band
ability: Rock Head
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
<skip
line>
<p>When equipped with a Choice Band, Aerodactyl reaches a pretty goodhigh Attack stat of 463, which allows it to power through most of the UU tier. This, along with its blistering speed stat, letallows Aerodactyl to do some serious damage to the opponent’s team. Despite this, Aerodactyl must be played with caution; with a Stealth Rock weakness, Aerodactyl doesn’t have muchthere is little margin for error, andso you must predict well in order for this set to be effective.</p>

<p>Stone Edge is the mainpowerful STAB option, andmove of choice; it is notable for OHKOing some of the fastbiggest Pokemonthreats in UU, such as Crobat, Weavile, Tornadus, and Azelf, all of whomich Aerodactyl is capable of outpacingspeeds. Earthquake providehas excellent coverage with Stone Edge, allowing Aerodactyl thuso hits most of the tier for neutral damage or better. It also has the bonus of OHKOing Pokemon such as Raikou, and it is the strongest hit it can get off on Swampert. Aqua Tail is Aerodactyl's best option against Ground-type Pokemon such as Rhyperior and Krookodile, which can otherwise cause problems for Aerodactyl. Finally, Double-Edge is preferredchosen for the last set, and thankslot to Rock Head, Ahit Swamperodactyl doesn’t take recoil damage from the move. It is also a generally strong move Aerodactyl can use against Pokémon that resist Stone Edge like Swampert or Flygon, and it OHKOs Mienshaoand Flygon hard as well as OHKO Mienshao, and thanks to Rock Head has no recoil damage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As tempting as it may be to run an Adamant, nature, Jolly nature is needed to outspeed Weavile, Raikou, and Azelf, all of whomich it can OHKO with Jolly anyway and it cannot outspeed with Adamant. Aerial Ace is normally weak with only 60 base power, but thanks to STAB it gets boosted to acceptable levels and can OHKO Heracross, Virizion, and Shaymin after Stealth Rock and Life Orb damage, ands well as uninvested Scrafty after a layer of Spikes. Ice Fang is also usable, as ito OHKOs Flygon and 2HKOs Gligar, which are otherwise painsdifficult to deal with. However, these are mainly situational moves, and in general Aerodactyl’s standard moves will be more useful.</p>

<p>Aerodactyl needs Rapid Spin support to function at its best, since it will be switching out a lot and it has a Stealth Rock weakness. AnThe best option to pair up with Aerodactyl is Hitmontop, as it resists Rock-type moves that are aimed at it, and thoften it can use Rapimed Spin to clear out the field of entry hazardsat Aerodactyl. Bulky Water-types can be dangeare trous towardblesome for Aerodactyl, especially those that resist Rock-type moves likesuch as Empoleon and Swampert, meaning that Grass-types likesuch as Shaymin and Tangrowth are good opartioners, as tohey can take them down. In addition, Steel-types resist Stone Edge and Bronzong in particular e of the most prominent&mdash;Bronzong&mdash;is immune to Earthquake. Fire-type Pokemon such as Darmanitan and Chandelure can destroy Steel-types with their Fire STABs, which allows Stone Edge to be used more freely.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Aerodactyl has a decent movepool, but many of its other moves are not worth using thanksdue to its badinferior defenses. In anOne offensive perspective,move to consider is Fire Fang to hits Escavalier and Bronzong hardest, buthough it is usually too situational and weak. As withweak to put much of a dent in anything that runs Stone Edge,else. Another is Rock Slide is a weakfor better alternativeccuracy that doesn’n Stone Edge, but it miss as often, butsignificantly weaker and Aerodactyl needs all the power it can get. Hone Claws is the only way Aerodactyl can boost its aAttack, and it fixes Stone Edge’s disappointing's unreliable accuracy, but a +1 boost isn't enough for Aerodactyl to sweep, especially considering it is hard for Aerodactyl to get a free turn thanks tobecause of its fraility. Aerodactyl can cripple Pokemon likewalls such as Swampert with Toxic, but this takes a large amount of prediction to Toxic it without lettingis needed for Aerodactyl to not end up fainting in the process, and most thingsPokemon that wall Aerodactyl are Steel-types regardless.that are immune to Toxic. Lastly, Tailwind can be used, but Aerodactyl is so fast that it really doesn’t need a boost, and it is usually too frail to support its team with it. Finally, there is the almighty combination of a Power Herb and Sky Attack, which unlet up repeashes the only decent Flying-type move for in Aerodactyl’s moveset, but this is obviously more of a gimmick than anything.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>As far as making it not set uppreventing Stealth Rock, there is really no point in trying sincbecause Aerodactyl is so fast. Beyond this, Bronzong is hands-down the best counter, resisting almost everything Aerodactyl can throw at it and taking littable damage from anything it doesn’t resist, and it can easily OHKO with Gyro Ball. Swampert is similar sincbecause it can also OHKO Aerodactyl too and resists Stone Edge, but neutralother attacks when boosted by a Choice Banded hits do hurt quite a bit. Other Bbulky Waters like-types such as Suicune and Slowbro are annoyed by Taunt, but Scald does a ton of damage to Aerodactyl, and if it burns Aerodactyl it is pretty much down for the count. Azumarill has a nicthe bulk to take a hit and can OHKO Aerodactyl with Aqua Jet before it can attack backretaliate. Cofagrigus has an excellent physical bulk, and can either burn it with Will-o-Wisp or use Trick Room to turn Aerodactyl’s sSpeed into a liability. Registeel can take an Earthquake pretty well, and can then either paralyze it or, and hit moderatelyit hard with an Iron Head. Finally, many Pokemon that wield a Choice Scarfed Pokemon are capable of revenge killing it even if they cannot switch in. These include Pokemon likinclude Heracross and Victini, both of which can OHKO Aerodactyl with a their STAB or a super effrespective STAB moves.

[Overview]

<p>Aerodactyl is extremely fast, outspeeding every Pokemon commonly seen in UU except Crobat, which it ties. This is the main draw of Aerodactyl, to outspeed threats such as Tornadus, +1 Scrafty, and non-Ice Shard Weavile, among others, inflict massive damage before they can move. Aerodactyl can either set up Stealth Rock almost guaranteed or hit its opponents hard, depending on the set. However, the UU metagame is cruel to Aerodactyl, being filled with bulky Water-types and priority moves, both of which Aerodactyl struggles with, and its mediocre bulk makes it unable to take many hits. Despite these crippling flaws, Aerodactyl is still a very useful Pokemon to have in UU.</p>

[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Taunt / Roost
item: Life Orb
ability: Pressure
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

<p>This set takes perfect advantage of Aerodactyl's high Speed, great coverage, and access to Stealth Rock. Aerodactyl is the fastest Pokemon in the UU that has access to Stealth Rock, which almost guarantees the valuable hazard will be set up every battle. This makes it very useful on offensive teams that need get Stealth Rock up immediately so the team has the residual damage needed to secure many OHKOs and 2HKOs.</p>

<p>Aerodactyl's great coverage comes in the form of EdgeQuake, which has almost perfect neutral coverage in UU. Stone Edge, the first move of the combo, receives a STAB boost, which makes it very powerful if it doesn’t miss. Because of the excellent coverage achieved with just two moves, Aerodactyl has room to run another non-attacking move. Since Aerodactyl is very fast, it can reliably prevent other Pokemon from setting up their own entry hazards with Taunt, as well as prevent Pokemon like Roserade from hitting Aerodactyl with a crippling status move. If Taunt isn't needed, then Roost is a suitable replacement; it can heal off Life Orb damage so that Aerodactyl can continue to attack without killing itself.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EV spread outruns Weavile and Modest Choice Scarf Chandelure. Another viable EV spread is 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe with a Jolly Nature. This spread outspeeds unboosted Raikou and Azelf while giving Aerodactyl some bulk. However, losing out on outspeeding Weavile, Choice Scarf Chandelure, Crobat, and opposing Aerodactyl might not be worth the increase in bulk.</p>

<p>While the BW metagame doesn't have many dedicated leads, Aerodactyl can still function well in that position and set up Stealth Rock on the first turn easily. If Aerodactyl is being used exclusively in this position, Focus Sash is a viable to guarantee Aerodactyl will get Stealth Rock up and be able to use Taunt to ensure that Pokemon such as Roserade will be unable to set their entry hazards up simultaneously. If Stealth Rock is absolutely critical for your team to function, Ghost-types such as Sableye and Cofagrigus are useful to prevent it from being spun away. Aerodactyl struggles with bulky Water-types; Roserade and Shaymin are the best options to combat them, as they shrug off Scalds and have Natural Cure in case they are burnt. In addition, when using Aerodactyl, take time during Team Preview to look for priority users, especially those whose moves deal super effective damage, such as Weavile and Azumarill; if you see one such Pokemon, it might be a good idea to keep Aerodactyl out of the lead position, as these Pokemon can OHKO Aerodactyl before it can even move if it doesn’t have a Focus Sash.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Aqua Tail
move 4: Double-Edge
item: Choice Band
ability: Rock Head
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>When equipped with a Choice Band, Aerodactyl reaches a high Attack stat of 463, which allows it to power through most of the UU tier. This, along with its blistering speed stat, allows Aerodactyl to do some serious damage to the opponent’s team. Despite this, Aerodactyl must be played with caution; with a Stealth Rock weakness, there is little margin for error, so you must predict well in order for this set to be effective.</p>

<p>Stone Edge is the powerful STAB move of choice; it is notable for OHKOing some of the biggest threats in UU, such as Crobat, Weavile, Tornadus, and Azelf, all of which Aerodactyl outspeeds. Earthquake has excellent coverage with Stone Edge, allowing Aerodactyl to hit most of the tier for neutral damage or better. It has the bonus of OHKOing Pokemon such as Raikou. Aqua Tail is Aerodactyl's best option against Ground-type Pokemon such as Rhyperior and Krookodile, which can otherwise cause problems for Aerodactyl. Finally, Double-Edge is chosen for the last slot to hit Swampert and Flygon hard as well as OHKO Mienshao, and thanks to Rock Head has no recoil damage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As tempting as it may be to run an Adamant nature, Jolly is needed to outspeed Weavile, Raikou, and Azelf, all of which it can OHKO with Jolly anyway. Aerial Ace is normally weak with only 60 base power, but thanks to STAB gets boosted to acceptable levels and can OHKO Heracross, Virizion, and Shaymin after Stealth Rock and Life Orb damage, as well as uninvested Scrafty after a layer of Spikes. Ice Fang is also usable to OHKO Flygon and 2HKO Gligar, which are otherwise difficult to deal with. However, these are mainly situational moves, and in general Aerodactyl’s standard moves will be more useful.</p>

<p>Aerodactyl needs Rapid Spin support to function at its best, since it will be switching out a lot and has a Stealth Rock weakness. The best option is Hitmontop, as it resists Rock-type moves that are often aimed at Aerodactyl. Bulky Water-types are troublesome for Aerodactyl, especially those that resist Rock-type moves such as Empoleon and Swampert, meaning that Grass-types such as Shaymin and Tangrowth are good partners, as they can take them down. In addition, Steel-types resist Stone Edge and one of the most prominent&mdash;Bronzong&mdash;is immune to Earthquake. Fire-type Pokemon such as Darmanitan and Chandelure can destroy Steel-types with their STAB, which allows Stone Edge to be used more freely.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Aerodactyl has a decent movepool, but many of its other moves are not worth using due to its inferior defenses. One offensive move to consider is Fire Fang to hit Escavalier and Bronzong hard, though it is too weak to put much of a dent in anything else. Another is Rock Slide for better accuracy than Stone Edge, but it is significantly weaker and Aerodactyl needs all the power it can get. Hone Claws is the only way Aerodactyl can boost its Attack and fixes Stone Edge's unreliable accuracy, but a +1 boost isn't enough for Aerodactyl to sweep, especially considering it is hard for Aerodactyl to get a free turn because of its frailty. Aerodactyl can cripple walls such as Swampert with Toxic, but a large amount of prediction is needed for Aerodactyl to not end up fainting in the process, and most Pokemon that wall Aerodactyl are Steel-types that are immune to Toxic. Lastly, Tailwind can be used, but Aerodactyl is so fast that it really doesn’t need a boost and is too frail to set up repeatedly for its team.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>As far as preventing Stealth Rock, there is really no point in trying because Aerodactyl is so fast. Beyond this, Bronzong is hands-down the best counter, resisting almost everything Aerodactyl can throw at it and able to OHKO with Gyro Ball. Swampert is similar because it can also OHKO Aerodactyl and resists Stone Edge, but other attacks when boosted by a Choice Band do hurt quite a bit. Other bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Slowbro are annoyed by Taunt, but Scald does a ton of damage to Aerodactyl, and if it burns Aerodactyl it is pretty much down for the count. Azumarill has the bulk to take a hit and can OHKO Aerodactyl with Aqua Jet before it can retaliate. Cofagrigus has excellent physical bulk and can burn it with Will-o-Wisp or use Trick Room to turn Aerodactyl’s Speed into a liability. Registeel can take an Earthquake pretty well, paralyze it, and hit it hard with Iron Head. Finally, many Pokemon that wield a Choice Scarf are capable of revenge killing it. These Pokemon include Heracross and Victini, both of which can OHKO Aerodactyl with their respective STAB moves.

Mainly just a few standards and awkward bits that needed to be corrected. I guess some of the changes might be a bit more subjective so you can go through and pick and choose if you'd like.

EDIT: in a couple of places the diff app screwed up so that's why a few areas look weird
 

cb aaron judge

ALL RISE
is a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Researcher Alumnus
Amcheck


[Overview]

<p>Aerodactyl is extremely fast, outspeeding every Pokemon commonly seen in UU except Crobat, which it ties. This is the main draw of Aerodactyl, to outspeeding threats such as Tornadus, +1 Scrafty, and non-Ice Shard Weavile, among others, and inflict damage before they can move. Aerodactyl can either set up Stealth Rock almost guaranteed or hit its opponents hard, depending on the set. However, the UU metagame is cruel to Aerodactyl, being filled with bulky Water-types and priority moves, both of which Aerodactyl struggles with, and its mediocre bulk makes it unable to take many hits. Despite these crippling flaws, Aerodactyl is still a very useful Pokemon to have in UU.</p>

[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Taunt / Roost
item: Life Orb
ability: Pressure
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

<p>This set takes perfect advantage of Aerodactyl's high Speed, great coverage, and access to Stealth Rock. Aerodactyl is the fastest Pokemon in the UU that has access to Stealth Rock, which almost guarantees the valuable hazard will be set up every battle. This makes it very useful on offensive teams that need to get Stealth Rock up immediately so the team has the residual damage needed to secure many OHKOs and 2HKOs.</p>

<p>Aerodactyl's great coverage comes in the form of EdgeQuake, which has almost perfect neutral coverage in UU. Stone Edge, the first move of the combo, receives a STAB boost, which makes it very powerful if it doesn’t miss. Because of the excellent coverage achieved with just two moves, Aerodactyl has room to run another non-attacking move. Since Aerodactyl is very fast, it can reliably prevent other Pokemon from setting up their own entry hazards with Taunt, as well as prevent Pokemon like Roserade from hitting Aerodactyl with a crippling status move. If Taunt isn't needed, then Roost is a suitable replacement; as it can heal off Life Orb damage so that Aerodactyl can continue to attack without killing itself.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EV spread outruns Weavile and Modest Choice Scarf Chandelure. Another viable EV spread is 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe with a Jolly Nature. This spread outspeeds unboosted Raikou and Azelf while giving Aerodactyl some bulk. However, losing out on outspeeding Weavile, Choice Scarf Chandelure, Crobat, and opposing Aerodactyl might not be worth the increase in bulk. If something else on your team is running Stealth Rock, Taunt and Roost can be used together, but at that point Crobat is usually a better option to use due to a its superior bulk and defensive typing which grants it extra resistances, notably a 4x one to Fighting-type moves..</p>

<p>While the BW metagame doesn't have many dedicated leads, Aerodactyl can still function well in that position and set up Stealth Rock on the first turn easily. If Aerodactyl is being used exclusively in this position, Focus Sash is a viable to guarantee Aerodactyl will get Stealth Rock up and be able to use Taunt to ensure that Pokemon such as Roserade will be unable to set their entry hazards up simultaneously. If Stealth Rock is absolutely critical for your team to function, Ghost-types such as Sableye and Cofagrigus are useful to prevent it from being spun away. Aerodactyl struggles with bulky Water-types; Roserade and Shaymin are the best options to combat them, as they shrug off Scalds and have Natural Cure in case they are burnt. In addition, when using Aerodactyl, take time during Team Preview to look for priority users, especially those whose moves deal super effective damage, such as Weavile and Azumarill; if you see one such a Pokemon, it might be a good idea to keep Aerodactyl out of the lead position, as these Pokemon can OHKO Aerodactyl before it can even move if it doesn’t have a Focus Sash.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Aqua Tail
move 4: Double-Edge
item: Choice Band
ability: Rock Head
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>When equipped with a Choice Band, Aerodactyl reaches a high Attack stat of 463, which allows it to power through most of the UU tier. This, along with its blistering speed stat, allows Aerodactyl to do some serious damage to the opponent’s team. Despite this, Aerodactyl must be played with caution; with a Stealth Rock weakness, there is little margin for error, so you must predict well in order for this set to be effective.</p>

<p>Stone Edge is the powerful STAB move of choice; it is notable for OHKOing some of the biggest threats in UU, such as Crobat, Weavile, Tornadus, and Azelf, all of which Aerodactyl outspeeds. Earthquake has excellent coverage with Stone Edge, allowing Aerodactyl to hit most of the tier for neutral damage or better. It has the bonus of OHKOing Pokemon such as Raikou. Aqua Tail is Aerodactyl's best option against Ground-type Pokemon such as Rhyperior and Krookodile, which can otherwise cause problems for Aerodactyl. Finally, Double-Edge is chosen for the last slot to hit Swampert and Flygon hard as well as to OHKO Mienshao. Thanks to Rock Head, Aerodactyl also suffers no recoil damage from the move.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As tempting as it may be to run an Adamant nature, Jolly is needed to outspeed Weavile, Raikou, and Azelf, all of which it Aerodactyl can OHKO with Jolly anyway. Aerial Ace is normally weak with only 60 base power, but thanks to STAB gets boosted to acceptable levels and can OHKO Heracross, Virizion, and Shaymin after Stealth Rock and Life Orb damage, as well as uninvested Scrafty after a layer of Spikes. Ice Fang is also usable to OHKO Flygon and 2HKO Gligar, which are otherwise difficult to deal with. However, these are mainly situational moves, and in general Aerodactyl’s standard moves will be more useful.</p>

<p>Aerodactyl needs Rapid Spin support to function at its best, since it will be switching out a lot and has a Stealth Rock weakness. The best option is Hitmontop, as it resists Rock-type moves that are often aimed at Aerodactyl. Bulky Water-types are troublesome for Aerodactyl, especially those that resist Rock-type moves such as Empoleon and Swampert, meaning that Grass-types such as Shaymin and Tangrowth are good partners, as they can take them down. In addition, Steel-types resist Stone Edge and one of the most prominent&mdash;Bronzong&mdash;is immune to Earthquake. Fire-type Pokemon such as Darmanitan and Chandelure can destroy Steel-types with their STAB, which allows Stone Edge to be used more freely.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Aerodactyl has a decent movepool, but many of its other moves are not worth using due to its inferior defenses. One offensive move to consider is Fire Fang to hit Escavalier and Bronzong hard, though it is too weak to put much of a dent in anything else. Another is Rock Slide for better accuracy than Stone Edge, but it is significantly weaker and Aerodactyl needs all the power it can get. Hone Claws is the only way Aerodactyl can boost its Attack and fixes Stone Edge's unreliable accuracy, but a +1 boost isn't enough for Aerodactyl to sweep, especially considering it is hard for Aerodactyl to get a free turn because of its frailty. Aerodactyl can cripple walls such as Swampert with Toxic, but a large amount of prediction is needed for Aerodactyl to not end up fainting in the process, and most Pokemon that wall Aerodactyl are Steel-types that are immune to Toxic. Tailwind can be used, but Aerodactyl is so fast that it really doesn’t need a boost and is too frail to set up repeatedly for its team. Finally, there is the combination of a Power Herb and Sky Attack, which unleashes the only decently powerful Flying-type move in Aerodactyl's moveset, being over twice as powerful as Aerial Ace. However, this is generally too gimmicky to make use of.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>As far as preventing Stealth Rock, there is really no point in trying because Aerodactyl is so fast. Beyond this, Bronzong is hands-down the best counter, resisting almost everything Aerodactyl can throw at it and is able to OHKO with Gyro Ball. Swampert is similar because it can also OHKO Aerodactyl and resists Stone Edge, but other attacks when boosted by a Choice Band do hurt quite a bit. Other bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Slowbro are annoyed by Taunt, but Scald does a ton of damage to Aerodactyl, and if it burns Aerodactyl it is pretty much down for the count. Azumarill has the bulk to take a hit and can OHKO Aerodactyl with Aqua Jet before it can retaliate. Cofagrigus has excellent physical bulk and can burn it with Will-o-Wisp or use Trick Room to turn Aerodactyl’s Speed into a liability. Registeel can take an Earthquake pretty well, paralyze it, and hit it hard with Iron Head. Finally, many Pokemon that wield a Choice Scarf are capable of revenge killing it. These Pokemon include Heracross and Victini, both of which can OHKO Aerodactyl with their respective STAB moves.</p>[/QUOTE]
 

Nix_Hex

Uangaana kasuttortunga!
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Researcher Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
CBTerrakion's changes in red/green, mine in purple/blue (omit/add respectively)

[Overview]
<p>Aerodactyl is extremely fast, outspeeding every Pokemon commonly seen in UU except Crobat, with which it ties. This is the main draw of Aerodactyl, to outspeeding threats such as Tornadus, +1 Scrafty, and non-Ice Shard Weavile, among others, and inflicting damage before they can move. Aerodactyl can either set up Stealth Rock almost guaranteed or hit its opponents hard, depending on the set. However, the UU metagame is cruel to Aerodactyl, being filled with bulky Water-types and priority moves, both of which Aerodactyl struggles with, and its mediocre bulk makes it unable to take many hits. Despite these crippling flaws, Aerodactyl is still a very useful Pokemon to have in UU.</p>

[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Taunt / Roost
item: Life Orb
ability: Pressure
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

<p>This set takes perfect advantage of Aerodactyl's high Speed, great coverage, and access to Stealth Rock. Aerodactyl is the fastest Pokemon in the UU that has access to Stealth Rock, which almost guarantees the valuable hazard will be set up every battle. This makes it very useful on offensive teams that need to get Stealth Rock up immediately so the team has the residual damage needed to secure many OHKOs and 2HKOs.</p>

<p>Aerodactyl's great coverage comes in the form of EdgeQuake, which has almost perfect neutral coverage in UU. Stone Edge, the first move of the combo, receives a STAB boost, which makes it very powerful if it doesn't miss. Because of the excellent coverage achieved with just two moves, Aerodactyl has room to run another non-attacking move. Since Aerodactyl is very fast, it can reliably prevent other Pokemon from setting up their own entry hazards with Taunt, as well as prevent Pokemon like Roserade from hitting Aerodactyl with a crippling status move. If Taunt isn't needed, then Roost is a suitable replacement;(no semicolon) as it can heal off Life Orb damage so that Aerodactyl can continue to attack without killing itself.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EV spread outruns Weavile and Modest Choice Scarf Chandelure. Another viable EV spread is 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe with a Jolly Nature. This spread outspeeds unboosted Raikou and Azelf while giving Aerodactyl some bulk. However, losing out on outspeeding Weavile, Choice Scarf Chandelure, Crobat, and opposing Aerodactyl might not be worth the increase in bulk. If something else on your team is running Stealth Rock, then Taunt and Roost can be used together, but at that point Crobat is usually a better option to use due to a its superior bulk and defensive typing, which grants it extra resistances, notably a 4x one to Fighting-type moves..</p>

<p>While the BW metagame doesn't have many dedicated leads, Aerodactyl can still function well in that position and set up Stealth Rock on the first turn easily. If Aerodactyl is being used exclusively in this position, Focus Sash is a viable option to guarantee that Aerodactyl will get Stealth Rock up and be able to use Taunt to ensure that Pokemon such as Roserade will be unable to set their entry hazards up simultaneously. If Stealth Rock is absolutely critical for your team to function, Ghost-types such as Sableye and Cofagrigus are useful to prevent it from being spun away. Aerodactyl struggles with bulky Water-types;, so Roserade and Shaymin are the best options to combat them, as they shrug off Scalds and have Natural Cure in case they are burned. In addition, when using Aerodactyl, take time during Team Preview to look for priority users, especially those whose moves deal super effective damage, such as Weavile and Azumarill; if you see one such a (the first is grammatically correct and is up to the flavor of the writer) Pokemon, it might be a good idea to keep Aerodactyl out of the lead position, as these Pokemon can OHKO Aerodactyl before it can even move if it doesn't have a Focus Sash.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Aqua Tail
move 4: Double-Edge
item: Choice Band
ability: Rock Head
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>When equipped with a Choice Band, Aerodactyl reaches a high Attack stat of 463, which allows it to power through most of the UU tier. This, along with its blistering speed stat, allows Aerodactyl to do some serious damage. to the opponent’s team. Despite this, Aerodactyl must be played with caution; with a Stealth Rock weakness, there is little margin roomfor error, so you must predict well in order for this set to be effective.</p>

<p>Stone Edge is the powerful STAB move of choice; it is notable for OHKOing some of the biggest threats in UU, such as Crobat, Weavile, Tornadus, and Azelf, all of which Aerodactyl outspeeds. Earthquake has excellent coverage with Stone Edge, allowing Aerodactyl to hit most of the tier for neutral damage or better. It has the bonus of OHKOing Pokemon who are weak to it such as Raikou. Aqua Tail is Aerodactyl's best option against Ground-type Pokemon such as Rhyperior and Krookodile, which can otherwise cause problems for Aerodactyl. Finally, Double-Edge is chosen for the last slot to hit Swampert and Flygon hard as well as to OHKO Mienshao. Thanks to Rock Head, Aerodactyl also suffers no recoil damage from the move.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As tempting as it may be to run an Adamant nature, Jolly is needed to outspeed Weavile, Raikou, and Azelf, all of which it Aerodactyl can OHKO with Jolly anyway. Aerial Ace is normally weak with only 60 base power, but thanks to STAB gets boosted to acceptable levels and can OHKO Heracross, Virizion, and Shaymin after Stealth Rock and Life Orb damage, as well as uninvested Scrafty after a layer of Spikes. Ice Fang is also usable to OHKO Flygon and 2HKO Gligar, which are otherwise difficult to deal with. However, these are mainly situational moves, and in general Aerodactyl's standard moves will be more useful.</p>

<p>Aerodactyl needs Rapid Spin support to function at its best, since it will be switching out a lot and has a Stealth Rock weakness. The best option is Hitmontop, as it resists Rock-type moves that are often aimed at Aerodactyl. Bulky Water-types are troublesome for Aerodactyl, especially those that resist Rock-type moves such as Empoleon and Swampert, meaning that Grass-types such as Shaymin and Tangrowth are good partners, as they can take them down easily. In addition, Steel-types resist Stone Edge and one of the most prominent&mdash;Bronzong&mdash;is immune to Earthquake. Fire-type Pokemon such as Darmanitan and Chandelure can destroy Steel-types with their STAB, which allows Stone Edge to be used more freely.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Aerodactyl has a decent movepool, but many of its other moves are not worth using due to its inferior defenses. One offensive move to consider is Fire Fang to hit Escavalier and Bronzong hard, though it is too weak to put much of a dent in anything else. Another is Rock Slide for better accuracy than Stone Edge, but it is significantly weaker and Aerodactyl needs all the power it can get. Hone Claws is the only way Aerodactyl can boost its Attack and fixes Stone Edge's unreliable accuracy, but a +1 boost isn't enough for Aerodactyl to sweep, especially considering it is hard for Aerodactyl to get a free turn because of its frailty. Aerodactyl can cripple walls such as Swampert with Toxic, but a large amount of prediction is needed for Aerodactyl to not end up fainting in the process, and most Pokemon that wall Aerodactyl are Steel-types that are immune to Toxic. Tailwind can be used, but Aerodactyl is so fast that it really doesn't need a boost and is too frail to set up repeatedly for its team. Finally, there is the combination of a Power Herb and Sky Attack, which unleashes the only decently powerful Flying-type move in Aerodactyl's moveset, being over twice as powerful as Aerial Ace. However, this is generally too gimmicky to make use of.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>As far as preventing Stealth Rock, there is really no point in trying because Aerodactyl is so fast. (I don't know how viable it is since I don't have any experience in UU, but maybe Whimsicott? Sableye?) Beyond this, Bronzong is hands-down the best counter, resisting almost everything Aerodactyl can throw at it and is able to OHKO with Gyro Ball. Swampert is similar because it can also OHKO Aerodactyl and resists Stone Edge, but other attacks when boosted by a Choice Band do hurt quite a bit. Other bulky Water-types such as Suicune and Slowbro are annoyed by Taunt, but Scald does a ton of damage to Aerodactyl, and if it burns Aerodactyl it is pretty much down for the count. Azumarill has the bulk to take a hit and can OHKO Aerodactyl with Aqua Jet before it can retaliate. Cofagrigus has excellent physical bulk and can burn it with Will-O-Wisp or use Trick Room to turn Aerodactyl’s Speed into a liability. Registeel can take an Earthquake pretty well, paralyze it, and hit it hard with Iron Head. (Is Regirock anywhere to be seen in UU? Seems like it would do the same thing except better.) Finally, many Pokemon that wield a Choice Scarf are capable of revenge killing it. These Pokemon include Heracross and Victini, both of which can OHKO Aerodactyl with their respective STAB moves.</p>

I inserted some annoying comments but since you know the tier better than I do, feel free to ignore them if they are out of line.
[gp]1/2[/gp]
 
Thanks NixHex! I had actually already implemented CBTerrakion's changes... and I added/changed two things

<p>When equipped with a Choice Band, Aerodactyl reaches a high Attack stat of 463, which allows it to power through most of the UU tier. This, along with its blistering speed stat, allows Aerodactyl to do some serious damage. Despite this, Aerodactyl must be played with caution; with a Stealth Rock weakness, there is little roomfor room for error, so you must predict well in order for this set to be effective.</p>
[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Taunt / Roost
item: Life Orb
ability: Pressure
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set takes perfect advantage of Aerodactyl's high Speed, great coverage, and access to Stealth Rock. Aerodactyl is the fastest Pokemon in the UU that has access to Stealth Rock, which almost guarantees the valuable hazard will be set up every battle. This makes it very useful on offensive teams that need to get Stealth Rock up immediately so the team has the residual damage needed to secure many OHKOs and 2HKOs.</p>
EDIT: Added Sableye to C&C, but not Whimsicott or Regirock since they are very rare.
 

Redew

κακκῶ σεαυτόν
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
[Overview]

<p>Aerodactyl is extremely fast, outspeeding every Pokemon commonly seen in UU except Crobat, with which it Speed ties. This is the main draw of Aerodactyl, outspeeding threats, such as Tornadus, +1 Scrafty, and non-Ice Shard Weavile, among others, and inflicting damage before they can move. Aerodactyl can either set up Stealth Rock almost guaranteed or hit its opponents hard, depending on the set. However, the UU metagame is cruel to Aerodactyl, being filled with bulky Water-types and priority moves, both of which Aerodactyl struggles with, and its mediocre bulk makes it unable to take many hits. Despite these crippling flaws, Aerodactyl is still a very useful Pokemon to have in UU.</p>

[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Taunt / Roost
item: Life Orb
ability: Pressure
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set takes perfect advantage of Aerodactyl's high Speed, great coverage, and access to Stealth Rock. Aerodactyl is the fastest Pokemon in the UU that has access to Stealth Rock, which almost guarantees the valuable hazard will be set up every battle. This makes it very useful on offensive teams that need to get Stealth Rock up immediately so the team has the residual damage needed to secure many OHKOs and 2HKOs.</p>

<p>Aerodactyl's great coverage comes in the form of EdgeQuake, which has almost perfect neutral coverage in UU. Stone Edge, the first move of the combo, receives a STAB boost, which makes it very powerful if it doesn't miss. Because of the excellent coverage achieved with just two moves, Aerodactyl has room to run another non-attacking move. SincBecause Aerodactyl is very fast, it can reliably prevent other Pokemon from setting up their own entry hazards with Taunt, as well as prevent Pokemon like Roserade from hitting Aerodactyl with a crippling status move. If Taunt isn't needed, then Roost is a suitable replacement becausince it can heal off Life Orb damage so that Aerodactyl can continue to attack without killing itself.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EV spread maximizes Aerodactyl's offensive capabilities. Another viable EV spread is 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe with a Jolly Nature, which outspeeds unboosted Raikou and Azelf while giving Aerodactyl some bulk. However, losing out on outspeeding Weavile, Modest Choice Scarf Chandelure, Crobat, and opposing Aerodactyl might not be worth the increase in bulk. If something else on your team is running Stealth Rock, then Taunt and Roost can be used together, but at that point Crobat is usually a better option to use due to its superior bulk and defensive typing, which grants it extra resistances, notably a 4x one to Fighting-type moves..</p>

<p>While the BW metagame doesn't have many dedicated leads, Aerodactyl can still function well in that position and set up Stealth Rock on the first turn easily. If Aerodactyl is being used exclusively in this position, Focus Sash is a viable option to guarantee that Aerodactyl will get Stealth Rock up and be able to use Taunt to ensure that Pokemon, such as Roserade, will be unable to set their entry hazards up simultaneously. If Stealth Rock is absolutely critical for your team to function, Ghost-types, such as Sableye and Cofagrigus, are useful to prevent it from being spun away. Aerodactyl struggles with bulky Water-types, so Roserade and Shaymin are the best options to combat them, as they shrug off Scalds and have Natural Cure in case they are burned. In addition, when using Aerodactyl, take time during Team Preview to look for priority users, especially those whose moves deal super effective damage, such as Weavile and Azumarill; if you see one such Pokemon, it might be a good idea to keep Aerodactyl out of the lead position, as these Pokemon can OHKO Aerodactyl before it can even move if it doesn't have a Focus Sash.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Aqua Tail
move 4: Double-Edge
item: Choice Band
ability: Rock Head
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>When equipped with a Choice Band, Aerodactyl reaches a high Attack stat of 463, which allows it to power through most of the UU tier. This, along with its blistering speed stat, allows Aerodactyl to do some serious damage. Despite this, Aerodactyl must be played with caution; with a Stealth Rock weakness, there is little room for error, so you must predict well in order for this set to be effective.</p>

<p>Stone Edge is the powerful STAB move of choice; it is notable for OHKOing some of the biggest threats in UU, such as Crobat, Weavile, Tornadus, and Azelf, all of which Aerodactyl outspeeds. Earthquake has excellent coverage with Stone Edge, allowing Aerodactyl to hit most of the tier for neutral damage or better. It has the bonus of OHKOing Pokemon who are weak to it, such as Raikou. Aqua Tail is Aerodactyl's best option against Ground-type Pokemon, such as Rhyperior and Krookodile, which can otherwise cause problems for Aerodactyl. Finally, Double-Edge is chosen for the last slot to hit Swampert and Flygon hard, as well as to OHKO Mienshao. Thanks to Rock Head, Aerodactyl also suffers no recoil damage from the move.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As tempting as it may be to run an Adamant nature, Jolly is needed to outspeed Weavile, Raikou, and Azelf, all of which Aerodactyl can OHKO with Jolly, anyway. Aerial Ace is normally weak with only 60 bBase pPower, but thanks to STAB, it gets boosted to acceptable levels and can OHKO Heracross, Virizion, and Shaymin after Stealth Rock and Life Orb damagerecoil, as well as uninvested Scrafty after a layer of Spikes. Ice Fang is also usable to OHKO Flygon and 2HKO Gligar, which are otherwise difficult to deal with. However, these are mainly situational moves, and in general Aerodactyl's standard moves will generally be more useful.</p>

<p>Aerodactyl needs Rapid Spin support to function at its best, asince it will be switching out a lot and has a Stealth Rock weakness. The best option is Hitmontop, as it resists Rock-type moves that are often aimed at Aerodactyl. Bulky Water-types are troublesome for Aerodactyl, especially those that resist Rock-type moves, such as Empoleon and Swampert, meaning that Grass-types, such as Shaymin and Tangrowth, are good partners, as they can take them down easily. In addition, Steel-types resist Stone Edge, and one of the most prominent&mdash;Bronzong&mdash;is immune to Earthquake. Fire-type Pokemon, such as Darmanitan and Chandelure, can destroy Steel-types with their STAB, which allows Stone Edge to be used more freely.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Aerodactyl has a decent movepool, but many of its other moves are not worth using due to its inferior defenses. One offensive move to consider is Fire Fang to hit Escavalier and Bronzong hard, though it is too weak to put much of a dent in anything else. Another is Rock Slide for better accuracy than Stone Edge, but it is significantly weaker and Aerodactyl needs all the power it can get. Hone Claws is the only way Aerodactyl can boost its Attack and fixes Stone Edge's unreliable accuracy, but a +1 boost isn't enough for Aerodactyl to sweep, especially considering it is hard for Aerodactyl to get a free turn because of its frailty. Aerodactyl can cripple walls, such as Swampert, with Toxic, but a large amount of prediction is needed for Aerodactyl to not end up fainting in the process, and most Pokemon that wall Aerodactyl are Steel-types that are immune to Toxic. Tailwind can be used, but Aerodactyl is so fast that it really doesn't need a boost and is too frail to set up repeatedly for its team. Finally, there is the combination of a Power Herb and Sky Attack, which unleashes the only decently powerful Flying-type move in Aerodactyl's moveset, being over twice as powerful as Aerial Ace. However, this is generally too gimmicky to make use of.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>As far as preventing Stealth Rock, there is really no point in trying because Aerodactyl is so fast unless you have Sableye, asince its Prankster Bis beyond this,. Bronzong is hands-down the best counter, resisting almost everything Aerodactyl can throw at it and is able to OHKO with Gyro Ball. Swampert is similar because it can also OHKO Aerodactyl and resists Stone Edge, but other attacks, when boosted by a Choice Band, do hurt quite a bit. Other bulky Water-types, such as Suicune and Slowbro, are annoyed by Taunt, but Scald does a ton of damage to Aerodactyl, and if it burns Aerodactyl it is pretty much down for the count. Azumarill has the bulk to take a hit and can OHKO Aerodactyl with Aqua Jet before it can retaliate. Cofagrigus has excellent physical bulk and can burn it with Will-O-Wisp or use Trick Room to turn Aerodactyl's Speed into a liability. Registeel can take an Earthquake pretty well, paralyze it, and hit it hard with Iron Head. Finally, many Pokemon that wield a Choice Scarf are capable of revenge killing it. These Pokemon include Heracross and Victini, both of which can OHKO Aerodactyl with their respective STAB moves.</p>


[Overview]

<p>Aerodactyl is extremely fast, outspeeding every Pokemon commonly seen in UU except Crobat, with which it Speed ties. This is the main draw of Aerodactyl, outspeeding threats, such as Tornadus, +1 Scrafty, and non-Ice Shard Weavile, among others, and inflicting damage before they can move. Aerodactyl can either set up Stealth Rock almost guaranteed or hit its opponents hard depending on the set. However, the UU metagame is cruel to Aerodactyl, being filled with bulky Water-types and priority moves, both of which Aerodactyl struggles with, and its mediocre bulk makes it unable to take many hits. Despite these crippling flaws, Aerodactyl is still a very useful Pokemon to have in UU.</p>

[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Stone Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Taunt / Roost
item: Life Orb
ability: Pressure
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set takes perfect advantage of Aerodactyl's high Speed, great coverage, and access to Stealth Rock. Aerodactyl is the fastest Pokemon in UU that has access to Stealth Rock, which almost guarantees the valuable hazard will be set up every battle. This makes it very useful on offensive teams that need to get Stealth Rock up immediately so the team has the residual damage needed to secure many OHKOs and 2HKOs.</p>

<p>Aerodactyl's great coverage comes in the form of EdgeQuake, which has almost perfect neutral coverage in UU. Stone Edge, the first move of the combo, receives a STAB boost, which makes it very powerful if it doesn't miss. Because of the excellent coverage achieved with just two moves, Aerodactyl has room to run another non-attacking move. Because Aerodactyl is very fast, it can reliably prevent other Pokemon from setting up their own entry hazards with Taunt, as well as prevent Pokemon like Roserade from hitting Aerodactyl with a crippling status move. If Taunt isn't needed, then Roost is a suitable replacement because it can heal off Life Orb damage so that Aerodactyl can continue to attack without killing itself.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The given EV spread maximizes Aerodactyl's offensive capabilities. Another viable EV spread is 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe with a Jolly Nature, which outspeeds unboosted Raikou and Azelf while giving Aerodactyl some bulk. However, losing out on outspeeding Weavile, Modest Choice Scarf Chandelure, Crobat, and opposing Aerodactyl might not be worth the increase in bulk. If something else on your team is running Stealth Rock, then Taunt and Roost can be used together, but at that point Crobat is usually a better option to use due to its superior bulk and defensive typing, which grants it extra resistances, notably a 4x one to Fighting-type moves.</p>

<p>While the BW metagame doesn't have many dedicated leads, Aerodactyl can still function in that position and set up Stealth Rock on the first turn easily. If Aerodactyl is being used exclusively in this position, Focus Sash is a viable option to guarantee that Aerodactyl will get Stealth Rock up and be able to use Taunt to ensure that Pokemon, such as Roserade, will be unable to set their entry hazards up simultaneously. If Stealth Rock is absolutely critical for your team to function, Ghost-types, such as Sableye and Cofagrigus, are useful to prevent it from being spun away. Aerodactyl struggles with bulky Water-types, so Roserade and Shaymin are the best options to combat them, as they shrug off Scalds and have Natural Cure in case they are burned. In addition, when using Aerodactyl, take time during Team Preview to look for priority users, especially those whose moves deal super effective damage, such as Weavile and Azumarill; if you see one such Pokemon, it might be a good idea to keep Aerodactyl out of the lead position, as these Pokemon can OHKO Aerodactyl before it can even move if it doesn't have a Focus Sash.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Stone Edge
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Aqua Tail
move 4: Double-Edge
item: Choice Band
ability: Rock Head
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>When equipped with a Choice Band, Aerodactyl reaches a high Attack stat of 463, which allows it to power through most of the UU tier. This, along with its blistering speed stat, allows Aerodactyl to do some serious damage. Despite this, Aerodactyl must be played with caution; with a Stealth Rock weakness, there is little room for error, so you must predict well in order for this set to be effective.</p>

<p>Stone Edge is the powerful STAB move of choice; it is notable for OHKOing some of the biggest threats in UU, such as Crobat, Weavile, Tornadus, and Azelf, all of which Aerodactyl outspeeds. Earthquake has excellent coverage with Stone Edge, allowing Aerodactyl to hit most of the tier for neutral damage or better. It has the bonus of OHKOing Pokemon who are weak to it, such as Raikou. Aqua Tail is Aerodactyl's best option against Ground-type Pokemon, such as Rhyperior and Krookodile, which can otherwise cause problems for Aerodactyl. Finally, Double-Edge is chosen for the last slot to hit Swampert and Flygon hard, as well as OHKO Mienshao. Thanks to Rock Head, Aerodactyl also suffers no recoil damage from the move.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As tempting as it may be to run an Adamant nature, Jolly is needed to outspeed Weavile, Raikou, and Azelf, all of which Aerodactyl can OHKO with Jolly, anyway. Aerial Ace is normally weak with only 60 Base Power, but thanks to STAB, it gets boosted to acceptable levels and can OHKO Heracross, Virizion, and Shaymin after Stealth Rock and Life Orb recoil, as well as uninvested Scrafty after a layer of Spikes. Ice Fang is also usable to OHKO Flygon and 2HKO Gligar which are otherwise difficult to deal with. However, these are mainly situational moves, and Aerodactyl's standard moves will generally be more useful.</p>

<p>Aerodactyl needs Rapid Spin support to function at its best, as it will be switching out a lot and has a Stealth Rock weakness. The best option is Hitmontop, as it resists Rock-type moves that are often aimed at Aerodactyl. Bulky Water-types are troublesome for Aerodactyl, especially those that resist Rock-type moves, such as Empoleon and Swampert, meaning that Grass-types, such as Shaymin and Tangrowth, are good partners, as they can take them down easily. In addition, Steel-types resist Stone Edge, and one of the most prominent&mdash;Bronzong&mdash;is immune to Earthquake. Fire-type Pokemon, such as Darmanitan and Chandelure, can destroy Steel-types with their STAB, which allows Stone Edge to be used more freely.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Aerodactyl has a decent movepool, but many of its other moves are not worth using due to its inferior defenses. One offensive move to consider is Fire Fang to hit Escavalier and Bronzong hard, though it is too weak to put much of a dent in anything else. Another is Rock Slide for better accuracy than Stone Edge, but it is significantly weaker and Aerodactyl needs all the power it can get. Hone Claws is the only way Aerodactyl can boost its Attack and fixes Stone Edge's unreliable accuracy, but a +1 boost isn't enough for Aerodactyl to sweep, especially considering it is hard for Aerodactyl to get a free turn because of its frailty. Aerodactyl can cripple walls, such as Swampert, with Toxic, but a large amount of prediction is needed for Aerodactyl to not end up fainting in the process, and most Pokemon that wall Aerodactyl are Steel-types that are immune to Toxic. Tailwind can be used, but Aerodactyl is so fast that it really doesn't need a boost and is too frail to set up repeatedly for its team. Finally, there is the combination of a Power Herb and Sky Attack, which unleashes the only decently powerful Flying-type move in Aerodactyl's moveset, being over twice as powerful as Aerial Ace. However, this is generally too gimmicky to make use of.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>As far as preventing Stealth Rock, there is really no point in trying because Aerodactyl is so fast unless you have Sableye, as its Prankster is beyond this. Bronzong is hands-down the best counter, resisting almost everything Aerodactyl can throw at it and is able to OHKO with Gyro Ball. Swampert is similar because it can also OHKO Aerodactyl and resists Stone Edge, but other attacks, when boosted by a Choice Band, do hurt quite a bit. Other bulky Water-types, such as Suicune and Slowbro, are annoyed by Taunt, but Scald does a ton of damage to Aerodactyl, and if it burns Aerodactyl it is pretty much down for the count. Azumarill has the bulk to take a hit and can OHKO Aerodactyl with Aqua Jet before it can retaliate. Cofagrigus has excellent physical bulk and can burn it with Will-O-Wisp or use Trick Room to turn Aerodactyl's Speed into a liability. Registeel can take an Earthquake pretty well, paralyze it, and hit it hard with Iron Head. Finally, many Pokemon that wield a Choice Scarf are capable of revenge killing it. These Pokemon include Heracross and Victini, both of which can OHKO Aerodactyl with their respective STAB moves.</p>


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