Altaria

religiousjedi

Old man.
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Status: Implemented November Blue's GP Check
QC Approval: (In Leman's analysis)
GP Checks: November Blue, sirndpt


Leman's Analysis

[Overview]

<p>The only fully evolved Dragon-type in NU, Altaria is an oddity in terms of your typical Dragon-type. Whereas most Dragon-types in the upper tiers concentrate their efforts on a powerful onslaught through superb base Attack or Special Attack stats (or sometimes both!), Altaria is more of a bulky Dragon-type, with 75 / 90 / 105 defenses. Subpar base 70 attacking stats are the reason for the tier drop, and indeed, Altaria starts off by hitting like a fluffy cloud. However, dismissing it outright would be a huge mistake. Altaria is the only fully evolved Dragon-type in NU capable of using Dragon Dance to bolster its Attack and decent Speed to sweeping levels, and with the powerful Outrage and Earthquake, it has near-perfect coverage in just two moves. Roost complements Altaria's defensive prowess by healing any damage taken, while Natural Cure ensures that Altaria isn't dead weight when afflicted with status. Altaria may not start off strong, but it is a potent attacker when set-up, and is even a decent defensive team member capable of providing cleric support if needed.</p>

[SET]
name: Offensive Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage / Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Roost
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>As mentioned, Altaria's Attack is subpar, while its Speed, though far from depressing, is not something to write home about. Dragon Dance fixes those two issues, turning Altaria from a fluffy cloud into a terrifying hurricane. This is further emphasized by its access to one of the most powerful Outrages in the NU tier. However, the hurricanes it summons can be weathered by a strong Rock- or Steel-type, such as Regirock or Bastiodon. For that reason, Earthquake is the chosen coverage move, granting Altaria a near-perfect attacking combo, which scores a neutral hit on all of NU bar Bronzor and Shedinja. Finally, as mentioned before, Altaria is quite the bulky Pokemon, able to shrug off resisted and uninvested neutral attacks. Therefore, it has ample opportunities to recover any damage taken, which makes Roost the premier option for healing. In addition, Roost removes Altaria's Flying typing the turn it is used, granting it a resistance to Electric-type attacks, a neutrality to Rock-type ones, and only a single weakness to Ice-type attacks for the duration of the turn. This allows Altaria to survive weaker and unboosted attacks, and if it manages to recover full health, allows it to survive an Ice Beam from neutral natured base 95 Special Attackers, accounting for STAB. Examples of this include Timid Cryogonal and Timid Articuno.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Dragon Claw is a possibility over Outrage. While the damage output is much lower, it is a conservative choice for those who fear locking their Altaria into Outrage, an invitation for a Steel-type to come in. Substitute protects Altaria from status and enables it to gain a boost more easily. However, Altaria hardly has the room to give up a crucial coverage move or Roost. As for the item choice, Life Orb increases Altaria's damage output while Leftovers supplements its natural bulk. If you do decide to go use Substitute, the item choice should definitely be Leftovers, especially if you use Substitute over Roost. The given EVs maximize Altaria's damage output while making it as fast as possible. The choice of nature comes down to if one wants to outspeed more foes or if one wants more power behind their Altaria's attacks.</p>

<p>Regardless of one's choices, Altaria despises the prospect of Stealth Rock on the field. Therefore, a Rapid Spin user is highly recommended. With Ice-types the bane of Altaria, Torkoal and Armaldo are great teammates to consider. Both can scare away Ice-types with their respective STAB move, which gives them ample opportunity to spin entry hazards away. Meanwhile, Altaria is immune to Ground-type attacks and resists Fighting-type ones. In addition, entry hazards of your own help Altaria's sweep, and both Torkoal and Armaldo are capable of laying Stealth Rock. Finally, even with a +1 boost, Altaria will struggle to muscle through bulkier Pokemon. A wallbreaker such as Magmortar or Emboar helps in this regard, as both have a wide movepool and can severely weaken opposing foes for Altaria to set up and sweep.</p>

[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Roost
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Roar / Perish Song / Toxic
move 4: Heal Bell
item: Leftovers
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Altaria's bulk, particularly its Special Defense, makes it a superb specially defensive sponge. It can sponge specially based Fire-, Water-, and Grass-type attacks while taking little from physical Fighting- and Grass-type attacks, and nothing at all from Ground-type attacks. These resistances and immunities make it a really good check to threatening sweepers such as Exeggutor and Magmortar, as long as they do not carry Hidden Power Ice. Roost keeps Altaria healthy while Dragon Pulse is chosen over Dragon Claw due to the former's slightly better Base Power.</p>

<p>The third slot is up for grabs. Roar eliminates any stat boosts a foe has gained, and in addition to shuffling your opponent's Pokemon, it works superbly with entry hazards. Perish Song is a pseudo-phazing move, which also puts pressure on potentially threatening opponents: do they really want to risk KOing themselves by trying to break through Altaria? It is also far more useful than Roar against a last-Pokemon Calm Mind user, such as Musharna and Misdreavus. Toxic is another option to consider as it is useful for bulkier Pokemon such as Calm Mind Musharna, Cryogonal, and Alomomola. The final slot is reserved for Heal Bell, which allows Altaria to serve as a cleric for its teammates, as well as getting rid of any status affliction it may have received without having to switch out.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>If one desires a stronger hit on Grass-types, Flamethrower is an option over Dragon Pulse. This also does more damage against incoming Ice-types, such as Cryogonal and Jynx. Haze is an option over Roar, as it doesn't require moving last in order to eliminate stat changes. A Careful nature is an option if one prefers to hit on the physical side, but Altaria will be restricted to Dragon Claw in order to deal any meaningful damage. Cotton Guard serves a niche in making Altaria a difficult wall to take down from either side, as the move boosts its Defense by three levels. However, Altaria is hard-pressed to make room for it.</p>

<p>This Altaria set relies on entry hazard to be effective. Generally, one will want at least Stealth Rock on the field in order to make best use of Roar or Perish Song. If one does pass up on Cotton Guard, a Pokemon able to spread burns is greatly appreciated to Altaria to take physical hits better. Frillish in particular is a great Pokemon to complement Altaria, as it can cause burns with Will-O-Wisp, as well as lure in Grass-types such as Leafeon and Exeggutor. In addition, Frillish provides excellent spinblocking support, while also taking Ice-type attacks aimed at Altaria. Rapid Spin support is also greatly appreciated. Cryogonal and Torkoal are excellent choices to take Ice-type attacks and spin away entry hazards, and the latter can lay Stealth Rock as well. Armaldo and Regirock can both set up Stealth Rock and deter Ice-type foes with their STAB Rock-type attacks; the former can provide Rapid Spin support too. Finally, Garbodor can lay Toxic Spikes. In return, Altaria provides immunity and resistance to Ground- and Fighting-type moves, respectively.</p>

[SET]
name: Bulky Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Roost
move 4: Heal Bell / Earthquake
item: Leftovers
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 228 SpD / 28 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set combines the benefits of both an offensive and a defensive set, in that this Altaria can both pose an offensive threat with Attack and Speed boosts, while being a useful defensive pivot. The idea is to come in on something that doesn't threaten Altaria and use Dragon Dance on the switch. Dragon Claw is used over Outrage to avoid locking Altaria into one move and avoiding confusion. Roost takes advantage of Altaria's bulk, recovering any damage received. The choice of Heal Bell or Earthquake comes down to a matter of cleric support or additional coverage. It should be noted that the EV spread given aims to give Altaria as much bulk as possible as it attempts to gain multiple boosts for a sweep. Therefore, it does not hit hard even after one boost.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread favors Altaria's special bulk in order to serve as a decent specially defensive against the myriad of special attackers in the tier, such as Rotom-S and Calm Mind Musharna. However, one may try to take a physically defensive route by shifting the Special Defense EVs into Defense and using an Impish nature. The 28 Speed EVs let Altaria outrun up to neutral +1 base 85 Speed foes after two boosts. If one wishes to outspeed scarfed Rotom-A, 112 Speed EVs are required; remove the EVs from Altaria's Special Defense. This, however, means a good amount of loss to Altaria's special bulk. This particular Altaria also wouldn't mind using Cloud Nine as its ability, as it ruins Swift Swim and Chlorophyll users, not to mention Water- and Fire-types relying on Rain Dance and Sunny Day, respectively. It should be noted that Heal Bell is illegal with Cloud Nine, so in addition to Earthquake, Roar or Substitute can be worth considering in the last moveslot.</p>

<p>Cotton Guard makes Altaria particularly difficult to take out. One boost is enough to make Altaria a particularly bulky wall as it sets up Dragon Dance all night long. However, it should be noted that powerful Ice-type attacks will make this particular cloud fall apart. Therefore, strong wallbreakers such as Emboar and Magmortar are great teammates for Altaria, as they rip through Articuno, Cryogonal, and Lapras before most can launch an attack. Sawk can also take care of these Ice-type foes with STAB Close Combat or a super effective Stone Edge. Unaware Quagsire is possibly the greatest counter to this set, as it ignores any stat boosts and can wear Altaria down with Ice Beam. A Grass-type, such as Exeggutor, Tangela, or Meganium, can scare Quagsire—and most other bulky Water-types—away with the threat of a STAB attack. Entry hazard support is also a necessity, with Armaldo and Cradily good choices for providing Stealth Rock. Cradily also has the benefit of forcing Quagsire and a myriad of Water-types to switch out, thanks to both Storm Drain and its part-Grass typing.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Fire Blast—and to a lesser extent, Flamethrower—attains perfect coverage in the NU tier alongside a Dragon-type move and Earthquake. However, the main targets of said Fire-type move, Bronzor and Shedinja, are rarely seen, while other potential targets, such as Tangela and Exeggutor, won't particularly enjoy a boosted Outrage. In addition, resorting to a Fire-type attack not only sacrifices a moveslot, but also means that EV investment in Special Attack and a defense-lowering nature is necessary for Altaria to do any meaningful damage. It can be considered if Sunny Day support is provided, though.</p>

<p>Choice Specs allows Altaria to wield a powerful Draco Meteor in a tier sorely lacking such punishment. However, outside of that, there are very few moves to make it a worthwhile set. In all, the previously mentioned Flamethrower / Fire Blast, Dragon Pulse, and Ice Beam are really the only worthwhile moves to fill such a set. Similarly, Altaria generally lacks the moves to fill a good Choice Band set. Both sets also require constant switching, so Stealth Rock becomes an even greater nuisance. Cloud Nine is aesthetically fitting for a cloud-covered Pokemon like Altaria, but in reality, Altaria has very little use for the ability. There are no permanent weather inducers in the NU tier, and using Cloud Nine means that Altaria has no way of healing itself of status, whether freely through Natural Cure, or via the use of Heal Bell.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Even with max investment, Altaria's offenses are rather weak. After a Dragon Dance boost, Altaria is still a bit of a lightweight, so as long as entry hazards are avoided, bulky Pokemon such as Tangela and Weezing can take it on reliably. If Altaria lacks Earthquake or Fire Blast, Steel-types are the best counters, with Bastiodon and Probopass tanking Outrage without breaking a sweat. Rock-types such as Regirock and Carracosta can comfortably take a boosted Altaria's Earthquake and threaten it with STAB Stone Edge. Special variants of Altaria are easily countered by Regice and Articuno, and both scare Altaria away with STAB Ice Beam. Priority is another way to eliminate Altaria, with Piloswine threatening a KO with STAB Ice Shard.</p>
 
I'm not QC or anything but I think you should consider slashing Cotton Guard onto the last set in the fourth slot. With his already massive special defense and with the speed boosts from Dragon Dance, he can boost his defense and actually tank some pretty powerful hits. This lets him set up on some pretty dangerous sweepers.
 

November Blue

A universe where hot chips don't exist :(
is a Contributor Alumnus


[Overview]

<p>The only fully evolved Dragon-type in the NeverUsed tier NU, Altaria is an oddity in terms of your typical Dragon-type. Whereas most in the upper tiers concentrate their efforts on a powerful onslaught through powerful base Attack or Special Attack stats (or sometimes both!), Altaria is more of a bulky Dragon-type, with 75/90/105 defenses. Subpar dual 70/70 attacking stats are the reason for the tier drop, so Altaria starts off by hitting like a fluffy cloud (pun intended). However, dismissing it outright would be a huge mistake. Altaria is the only fully evolved Dragon-type in NU capable of using Dragon Dance to bolster its subpar Attack and decent Speed to sweeping levels, and with the powerful Outrage and Earthquake, it has near perfect coverage in just two moves. Roost compliments its complements Altaria's defensive prowess by taking hits and healing off the any damage taken while the superb Natural Cure ensures that Altaria isn't dead weight when afflicted with a status. Altaria may not start off strong, but it is a potent attacker when set up, and is even a decent defensive/cleric team member if needed.</p>

[SET]
name: Offensive Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage / Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Roost
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>As mentioned, Altaria's Attack is subpar while its Speed, though far from depressing, is not something to write home about. Dragon Dance fixes those two issues, turning Altaria from a fluffy cloud into a terrorizing hurricane. This is further emphasized by the most powerful Outrage in the NU tier. However, hurricanes can be weathered with a strong Rock- or Steel-type foundation, such as Regirock or Bastiodon. For that reason, Earthquake is the chosen coverage move, enabling a near perfect near-perfect combo that is unresisted by nearly all Pokemon scores a neutral hit at worst on every Pokemon in NU. Finally, as mentioned before, Altaria is quite the bulky Pokemon, able to shrug off resisted and uninvested neutral attacks. Therefore, it has ample opportunities to recover any damage received taken, which makes Roost the premier option for healing. In addition, Roost neutralizes removes Altaria's Flying-type the turn it is used, making Electric-type attacks resisted, Rock-type attacks neutral, and making Ice-type attacks hit for only 2x super effectiveness for the duration of the turn.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Dragon Claw is a possibility over Outrage. While the damage output is significantly less than Outrage much lower, it is a conservative choice for those who fear locking themselves in their Altaria into Outrage, an invitation for a Steel-type to come in. Substitute is an option in that it protects from status and enables Altaria to gain a boost easily. However, Altaria rarely hardly has the room to give up a crucial coverage move or Roost for one that cuts its decent HP. As for the item choice, Life Orb increases Altaria's damage output while Leftovers conserves its natural bulk. If you do decide to go with use Substitute, the item choice should definitely be Leftovers, especially if you use Substitute over Roost.</p>

<p>The given EVs maximizes the Altaria's damage output of Altaria while making it as fast as possible. The choice of nature comes down to if one wants to outspeed more foes or if one wants more power behind their Altaria's attacks. Through it all, Altaria will despise the prospect of Stealth Rock on the field. Therefore, a spinner Rapid Spin user is highly recommended. With Ice-types the bane of Altaria, Torkoal or Armaldo are great teammates to consider. Both can scare away Ice-types with their respective STAB move, (< Comma) in order to give which gives them ample opportunity to Rapid Spin spin entry hazards away. Meanwhile, Altaria is immune to or and resists Ground- and Fighting-types, respectively. In addition, entry hazards of your own help Altaria's sweep, with both Torkoal and Armaldo capable of laying up Stealth Rock. Finally, even with a +1 boost, Altaria will still struggle to muscle through bulkier Pokemon. A general wallbreaker like such as Magmortar or Emboar helps in this aspect regard, as both have a wide movepool to use to severly severely weaken opposing foes for Altaria to set up and sweep.</p>

[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Roost
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Roar / Perish Song / Toxic
move 4: Heal Bell
item: Leftovers
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Altaria's bulk, particularly its Special Defense, makes it a superb specially defensive sponge. It can sponge specially based Fire-, Water-, and Grass-types attacks while taking little from physical Fighting- and Grass-types attacks, including an immunity to Ground types attacks. This makes it a really good check to threatening sweepers such as Exeggutor and Magmortar (as long as they do not carry Hidden Power Ice). Roost is chosen to keep Altaria's health at peak while Dragon Pulse is chosen over Dragon Claw due to a slightly better base power.</p>

<p>The third slot is up for grabs. Roar eliminates any stat boosts a foe has gained, and in addition to shuffling your opponent's Pokemon, it works superbly with entry hazards. Perish Song is a pseudo-phazing move, but it puts pressure on potentially threatening opponents: do they really want to risk KOing themselves by trying to break through Altaria? Toxic is another option to consider as it is useful for bulkier Pokemon such as Calm Mind Musharna, Cryogonal, and Alomomola. The final slot is reserved for Heal Bell: this allows Altaria to serve as a cleric for teammates as well as getting rid of any status infliction affliction it may have received.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>If one desires a stronger hit on Grass-types, Flamethrower is an option over Dragon Pulse. This also provides a stronger hit on incoming Ice-types such as Cryogonal and Jynx. Haze is an option over Roar, (< Comma) as it doesn't require moving last in order to eliminate stat changes. A Careful nature is an option if one prefers to hit on the physical side, but Altaria will be restricted to Dragon Claw in order to make deal any meaningful damage. Cotton Guard serves a niche in making Altaria a difficult wall to take down from either side, (< Comma) as it the move boosts its Defense by three levels. However, Altaria is hard pressed to make room for such a move it.</p>

<p>The effectiveness of this Altaria set relies on the amount of entry hazards on the field. Generally, one will want at least Stealth Rock on the field on in order to make an even greater effect with Roar or Perish Song. If one does pass up on Cotton Guard, a Pokemon able to inflict a burn status is greatly appreciated in order for Altaria to take physical hits better. This makes Frillish a great Pokemon to compliment complement Altaria, as it can cause burns through with Will-O-Wisp and lures in Grass-types like such as Leafeon and Exeggutor. In addition, Frillish provides excellent anti-spin support while also taking Ice-type attacks aimed at Altaria. Rapid Spin support is also greatly appreciated, with Cryogonal or Torkoal in excellent position to also take Ice-type attacks and spin away entry hazards. Both They can also set up Spikes and Stealth Rock, respectively. For alternative users of entry hazards, Armaldo (who can also provide spin Rapid Spin support) and Regirock provide Stealth Rock and are a deterrent to Ice-type foes, (< Comma) while Garbador Garbodor can lay up Toxic Spikes. In return, Altaria provides immunity and resistance to Ground- and Fighting-types, respectively.</p>

[SET]
name: Bulky Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Roost
move 4: Heal Bell / Earthquake
item: Leftovers
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 228 SpD / 28 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set combines the benefits of the previous two sets both an offensive and a defensive set, in that this Altaria gains boosts in its Attack and Speed while being a useful defensive pivot. The idea is to come in on something that doesn't threaten Altaria and use Dragon Dance to increase its Attack and Speed on the switch. Dragon Claw is used over Outrage due to avoid locking Altaria into one move for two to three turns and avoiding confusion. Roost once again shows off the bulky side of Altaria, recovering any damage received while Altaria attempts to boost through Dragon Dance. The choice of Heal Bell or Earthquake comes down to a matter of coverage or cleric support. It should be noted that the EV spread given aims to give Altaria as much bulk as possible as it attempts to gain various boosts for a sweep. Therefore, it does not hit hard even after one boost.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread favors Altaria's special bulk, though one may try to go a physically defensive route, shifting the Special Defense EVs into Defense and going with taking an Impish nature. Regardless, the 28 Speed EVs enable let Altaria to outspeed up to neutral +1 base 85 Speed foes after two boosts. Simply put, this Altaria is able to outspeed the whole unboosted NU metagame besides Ninjask and Electrode. If one wishes to outspeed Electrode, 52 Speed EVs are required, with the recommendation being to pull them from its Special Defense EVs. This particular Altaria also wouldn't mind using Cloud Nine as its ability, as it ruins Swift Swimmers or and Chlorophyll users, not to mention Water- and Fire-types, relying on Rain Dance and Sunny Day, respectively. It should be noted that Heal Bell is illegal with Cloud Nine, so Earthquake now competes with Roar or Substitute in this scenario.</p>

<p>Cotton Guard makes Altaria particularly difficult to take out. One boost is enough to make Altaria a particularly bulky wall from both attacking spectrums as it sets up Dragon Dance all night long. However, it should be noted that powerful Ice-type attacks will make this particular cloud fall apart. Therefore, strong wallbreakers like such as Emboar and Magmortar are great teammates to for this Altaria, ripping through Articuno, Cryogonal, and Lapras before most can launch an attack. Sawk can also take care of them with STAB Close Combat or Stone Edge. Unaware Quagsire is possibly the greatest counter to this set, as it ignores any stat boosts and can wear Altaria down with Ice Beam. A Grass-type such as Exeggutor, Tangela, or Meganium, each with a STAB Grass-type attack, can scare Quagsire and any other bulky Water-type away. Entry hazard support is also a necessity, with Armaldo or Cradilly Cradily providing Stealth Rock. Cradilly Cradily also has the benefit of scaring away Quagsire and a myriad of Water-types, thanks to both Storm Drain and its secondary Grass-typing.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Fire Blast (and to a lesser extent, Flamethrower), alongside a Dragon-type move and Earthquake attains perfect coverage in the NU tier. However, the main target, Bronzor, is rarely seen while other potential targets, such as Tangela and Exeggutor, won't particularly enjoy a boosted Outrage. In addition, resorting to a Fire-type attack not only sacrifices a moveslot, but it also means that in order for Altaria to do any meaningful damage, EV investment in Special Attack is necessary for Altaria to deal any meaningful damage, as is a nature that does not hinder Special Attack. It can be considered with Sunny Day though.</p>

<p>Choice Specs allows Altaria to wield a powerful Draco Meteor in a tier sorely lacking such punishment. However, outside of that, there are very few moves to make it a worthwhile set. In all, the previously mentioned Flamethrower / Fire Blast, Dragon Pulse, and Ice Beam are really the only worthwhile moves to fill such a set. The same can be said about a Choice Band set. Both sets also require constant switching, so Stealth Rock becomes an even greater nuisance. Cloud Nine is aestheically aesthetically fitting for a cloud covered cloud-covered Pokemon like Altaria, but in reality, it has very little use on it for the ability. There are no permanent weather inducers in the NU tier, (< Comma) and using Cloud Nine means that Altaria misses out on free status healing through Natural Cure, in addition to missing out on Heal Bell.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Even with max investment, Altaria's offense is rather weak, requiring either a turn to set up with Dragon Dance, or having no ability to boost its Special Attack. Even at +1, Altaria is a bit of a lightweight, so as long as entry hazards are avoided, bulky Pokemon such as Tangela or Weezing are the best choice can take it on reliably. If it Altaria lacks Earthquake or Fire Blast, Steel-types are the best counters, with Bastiodon and Probopass taking Outrage like its it's no one's business. Rock-types like such as Regirock and Carracosta can easily take a +1 Altaria's Earthquake and threaten it with STAB Stone Edge. Special variants of Altaria are easily countered by Regice and Articuno, and both easily scare Altaria with STAB Ice Beam. Priority is another way to eliminate Altaria, with Piloswine threatening a KO with STAB Ice Shard.</p>


GP Approved 1/2
 

shnen

שוני
is a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
hi, dragon claw and earthquake do not attain a neutral hit on everything in NU as you said in set comments, it misses out on bronzor and shedinja, who, although rarely seen, do still exist and deserve mention!
Edit:also no way does altaria have the strongest outrage in NU; it is out powerered by nearly all the dragon types, and we have zweilous: the strongest outrage in the game; his outrage at +1 is even weaker then +0 zweilous' outrage!
 

religiousjedi

Old man.
is a Top Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
hi, dragon claw and earthquake do not attain a neutral hit on everything in NU as you said in set comments, it misses out on bronzor and shedinja, who, although rarely seen, do still exist and deserve mention!
Edit:also no way does altaria have the strongest outrage in NU; it is out powerered by nearly all the dragon types, and we have zweilous: the strongest outrage in the game; his outrage at +1 is even weaker then +0 zweilous' outrage!
I apologize to Shedinja and Bronzor for that gaffe. Fixed.
 
[Overview]

<p>The only fully evolved Dragon-type in NU, Altaria is an oddity in terms of your typical Dragon-type. Whereas most Dragon-types in the upper tiers concentrate their efforts on a powerful onslaught through superb base Attack or Special Attack stats (or sometimes both!), Altaria is more of a bulky Dragon-type, with 75/90/ / 90 / 105 defenses. Subpar dual 70/base 70 attacking stats are the reason for the tier drop, soand indeed, Altaria starts off by hitting like a fluffy cloud. However, dismissing it outright would be a huge mistake. Altaria is the only fully evolved Dragon-type in NU capable of using Dragon Dance to bolster its Attack and decent Speed to sweeping levels, and with the powerful Outrage and Earthquake, it has near -perfect coverage in just two moves. Roost complements Altaria's defensive prowess by healing any damage taken, while the superb Natural Cure ensures that Altaria isn't dead weight when afflicted with status. Altaria may not start off strong, but it is a potent attacker when set -up, and is even a decent defensive/cleric team member capable of providing cleric support if needed.</p>

[SET]
name: Offensive Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage / Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Roost
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>As mentioned, Altaria's Attack is subpar, while its Speed, though far from depressing, is not something to write home about. Dragon Dance fixes those two issues, turning Altaria from a fluffy cloud into a terrorizifying hurricane. This is further emphasized by its access to one of the most powerful Outrages in the NU tier. However, the hurricanes it summons can be weathered withby a strong Rock- or Steel-type foundation, such as Regirock or Bastiodon. For that reason, Earthquake is the chosen coverage move, enabling a near-perfect combo thatgranting Altaria a near-perfect attacking combo, which scores a neutral hit on nearly all of NU (bar Bronzor and Shedinja). Finally, as mentioned before, Altaria is quite the bulky Pokemon, able to shrug off resisted and uninvested neutral attacks. Therefore, it has ample opportunities to recover any damage taken, which makes Roost the premier option for healing. In addition, Roost removes Altaria's Flying- typeing the turn it is used, making Electric-type attacks resisted, Rock-type attacks neutral, and making Ice-type attacks hit for only 2x super effectiveness for the duration of the turn.granting it a resistance to Electric-type attacks, a neutrality to Rock-type ones, and only a single weakness to Ice-type attacks for the duration of the turn. <are there any examples of common attacks it can live while roosting?> </p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Dragon Claw is a possibility over Outrage. While the damage output is much lower, it is a conservative choice for those who fear locking their Altaria into Outrage, an invitation for a Steel-type to come in. Substitute is an option in that it protects Altaria from status and enables Altariait to gain a boost more easily. However, Altaria hardly has the room to give up a crucial coverage move or Roost. As for the item choice, Life Orb increases Altaria's damage output while Leftovers conservesupplements its natural bulk. If you do decide to go use Substitute, the item choice should definitely be Leftovers, especially if you use Substitute over Roost.</p>

<p>
The given EVs maximize Altaria's damage output while making it as fast as possible. The choice of nature comes down to if one wants to outspeed more foes or if one wants more power behind their Altaria's attacks. Through it all</p>

<p>Regardless of one's choices
, Altaria will despises the prospect of Stealth Rock on the field. Therefore, a Rapid Spin user is highly recommended. With Ice-types the bane of Altaria, Torkoal orand Armaldo are great teammates to consider. Both can scare away Ice-types with their respective STAB move, which gives them ample opportunity to spin entry hazards away. Meanwhile, Altaria is immune to and resists Ground- and Fighting-types, respectivelyGround-type attacks and resists Fighting-type ones. In addition, entry hazards of your own help Altaria's sweep, withand both Torkoal and Armaldo are capable of laying Stealth Rock. Finally, even with a +1 boost, Altaria will struggle to muscle through bulkier Pokemon. A general wall breaker such as Magmortar or Emboar helps in this regard, as both have a wide movepool to use toand can severely weaken opposing foes for Altaria to set up and sweep.</p>

[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Roost
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Roar / Perish Song / Toxic
move 4: Heal Bell
item: Leftovers
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Altaria's bulk, particularly its Special Defense, makes it a superb specially defensive sponge. It can sponge specially based Fire-, Water-, and Grass-type attacks while taking little from physical Fighting- and Grass-type attacks, including an immunity to Ground-type attacks. Thiand nothing at all from Ground-type attacks. These resistances and immunities makes it a really good check to threatening sweepers such as Exeggutor and Magmortar (, as long as they do not carry Hidden Power Ice). Roost is chosen to keeps Altaria's health at peaky while Dragon Pulse is chosen over Dragon Claw due to athe former's slightly better bBase pPower.</p>

<p>The third slot is up for grabs. Roar eliminates any stat boosts a foe has gained, and in addition to shuffling your opponent's Pokemon, it works superbly with entry hazards. Perish Song is a pseudo-phazing move, but itwhich also puts pressure on potentially threatening opponents: do they really want to risk KOing themselves by trying to break through Altaria? It is also far more useful than Roar against a last-Pokemon Calm Mind user, such as <example>. Toxic is another option to consider as it is useful for bulkier Pokemon such as Calm Mind Musharna, Cryogonal, and Alomomola. The final slot is reserved for Heal Bell: this, which allows Altaria to serve as a cleric for its teammates, as well as getting rid of any status affliction it may have received without having to switch out.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>If one desires a stronger hit on Grass-types, Flamethrower is an option over Dragon Pulse. This also provides a stronger hit ondoes more damage against incoming Ice-types, such as Cryogonal and Jynx. Haze is an option over Roar, as it doesn't require moving last in order to eliminate stat changes. A Careful nature is an option if one prefers to hit on the physical side, but Altaria will be restricted to Dragon Claw in order to deal any meaningful damage. Cotton Guard serves a niche in making Altaria a difficult wall to take down from either side, as the move boosts its Defense by three levels. However, Altaria is hard -pressed to make room for it.</p>

<p>The effectiveness of this Altaria set relies on the amount of entry hazards on the fieldentry hazard to be effective. Generally, one will want at least Stealth Rock on the field in order to make an even greater effect withbest use of Roar or Perish Song. If one does pass up on Cotton Guard, a Pokemon able to inflict aspread burns is greatly appreciated in order forto Altaria to take physical hits better. This makes FrillFrillish in particular ish a great Pokemon to complement Altaria, as it can cause burns with Will-O-Wisp, ands well as lure in Grass-types such as Leafeon and Exeggutor. In addition, Frillish provides excellent anti-spinspinblocking support, while also taking Ice-type attacks aimed at Altaria. Rapid Spin support is also greatly appreciated, with. Cryogonal orand Torkoal inare excellent position to alschoices to take Ice-type attacks and spin away entry hazards. They can also set up Spikes and Stealth Rock, respectively. For alternative users of entry hazards, Armaldo (who can also provide Rapid Spin support) and Regirock provide Stealth Rock and are a deterrent to Ice-type foes, while, and the latter can lay Stealth Rock as well. Armaldo and Regirock can both set up Stealth Rock and deter Ice-type foes with their STAB Rock-type attacks; the former can provide Rapid Spin support too. Finally, Garbodor can lay Toxic Spikes. In return, Altaria provides immunity and resistance to Ground- and Fighting-type moves, respectively.</p>

[SET]
name: Bulky Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Roost
move 4: Heal Bell / Earthquake
item: Leftovers
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 228 SpD / 28 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set combines the benefits of both an offensive and a defensive set, in that this Altaria gains boosts in itscan both pose an offensive threat with Attack and Speed boosts, while being a useful defensive pivot. The idea is to come in on something that doesn't threaten Altaria and use Dragon Dance on the switch. Dragon Claw is used over Outrage to avoid locking Altaria into one move and avoiding confusion. Roost shows off the bulky sidtakes advantage of Altaria's bulk, recovering any damage received. The choice of Heal Bell or Earthquake comes down to a matter of coverage or cleric support or additional coverage. It should be noted that the EV spread given aims to give Altaria as much bulk as possible as it attempts to gain variousmultiple boosts for a sweep. Therefore, it does not hit hard even after one boost.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread favors Altaria's special bulk, though <why?>, but one may try to gotake a physically defensive route, by shifting the Special Defense EVs into Defense and takusing an Impish nature. Regardless, tThe 28 Speed EVs let Altaria outspeedrun up to neutral +1 base 85 Speed foes after two boosts. Simply put, this Altaria is able to outspeed the whole unboosted NU metagame besides Ninjask and Electrode. If one wishes to outspeed Electrode, 52 Speed EVs are required, with the recommendation being to pull them from it<scarf rotom-a?> If one wishes to outspeed Electrode, 52 Speed EVs are required; remove the EVs from Altaria's Special Defense. This particular Altaria also wouldn't mind using Cloud Nine as its ability, as it ruins Swift Swim and Chlorophyll users, not to mention Water- and Fire-types, relying on Rain Dance and Sunny Day, respectively. It should be noted that Heal Bell is illegal with Cloud Nine, so Earthquake now competes with Roar or Substitute in this scenarioin addition to Earthquake, Roar or Substitute can be worth considering in the last moveslot.</p>

<p>Cotton Guard makes Altaria particularly difficult to take out. One boost is enough to make Altaria a particularly bulky wall as it sets up Dragon Dance all night long. However, it should be noted that powerful Ice-type attacks will make this particular cloud fall apart. Therefore, strong wallbreakers such as Emboar and Magmortar are great teammates for this Altaria, rippingas they rip through Articuno, Cryogonal, and Lapras before most can launch an attack. Sawk can also take care of themse Ice-type foes with STAB Close Combat or a super effective Stone Edge. Unaware Quagsire is possibly the greatest counter to this set, as it ignores any stat boosts and can wear Altaria down with Ice Beam. A Grass-type, such as Exeggutor, Tangela, or Meganium, each with a STAB Grass-type attack, can scare Quagsire and anymost other bulky Water-type s—away with the threat of a STAB attack. Entry hazard support is also a necessity, with Armaldo orand Cradily good choices for providing Stealth Rock. Cradily also has the benefit of scaring awayforcing Quagsire and a myriad of Water-types to switch out, thanks to both Storm Drain and its secondary part-Grass- typing.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Fire Blast (and to a lesser extent, Flamethrower),—attains perfect coverage in the NU tier alongside a Dragon-type move and Earthquake attains perfect coverage in the NU tier. However, the main targets of said Fire-type move, Bronzor and Shedinja, are rarely seen, while other potential targets, such as Tangela and Exeggutor, won't particularly enjoy a boosted Outrage. In addition, resorting to a Fire-type attack not only sacrifices a moveslot, but it also means that EV investment in Special Attack and a defense-lowering nature is necessary for Altaria to do any meaningful damage, as is a nature that does not hinder Special Attack. It can be considered withif Sunny Day support is provided, though.</p>

<p>Choice Specs allows Altaria to wield a powerful Draco Meteor in a tier sorely lacking such punishment. However, outside of that, there are very few moves to make it a worthwhile set. In all, the previously mentioned Flamethrower / Fire Blast, Dragon Pulse, and Ice Beam are really the only worthwhile moves to fill such a set. The same can be said about aSimilarly, Altaria generally lacks the moves to fill a good Choice Band set. Both sets also require constant switching, so Stealth Rock becomes an even greater nuisance. Cloud Nine is aesthetically fitting for a cloud-covered Pokemon like Altaria, but in reality, itAltaria has very little use for the ability. There are no permanent weather inducers in the NU tier, and using Cloud Nine means that Altaria misses out on free status healing through Natural Cure, in addition to missing out onhas no way of healing itself of status, whether freely through Natural Cure, or via the use of Heal Bell.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Even with max investment, Altaria's offense iss are rather weak, requiring either a turn to set up with Dragon Dance, or having no ability to boost its Special Attack. Even at +1, Altaria is. After a Dragon Dance boost, Altaria is still a bit of a lightweight, so as long as entry hazards are avoided, bulky Pokemon such as Tangela orand Weezing can take it on reliably. If itAltaria lacks Earthquake or Fire Blast, Steel-types are the best counters, with Bastiodon and Probopass tanking Outrage like it's no one's businesswithout breaking a sweat. Rock-types such as Regirock and Carracosta can easicomfortably take a +1boosted Altaria's Earthquake and threaten it with STAB Stone Edge. Special variants of Altaria are easily countered by Regice and Articuno, and both easily scare Altaria away with STAB Ice Beam. Priority is another way to eliminate Altaria, with Piloswine threatening a KO with STAB Ice Shard.</p>


2/2

[Overview]

<p>The only fully evolved Dragon-type in NU, Altaria is an oddity in terms of your typical Dragon-type. Whereas most Dragon-types in the upper tiers concentrate their efforts on a powerful onslaught through superb base Attack or Special Attack stats (or sometimes both!), Altaria is more of a bulky Dragon-type, with 75 / 90 / 105 defenses. Subpar base 70 attacking stats are the reason for the tier drop, and indeed, Altaria starts off by hitting like a fluffy cloud. However, dismissing it outright would be a huge mistake. Altaria is the only fully evolved Dragon-type in NU capable of using Dragon Dance to bolster its Attack and decent Speed to sweeping levels, and with the powerful Outrage and Earthquake, it has near-perfect coverage in just two moves. Roost complements Altaria's defensive prowess by healing any damage taken, while Natural Cure ensures that Altaria isn't dead weight when afflicted with status. Altaria may not start off strong, but it is a potent attacker when set-up, and is even a decent defensive team member capable of providing cleric support if needed.</p>

[SET]
name: Offensive Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage / Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Roost
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>As mentioned, Altaria's Attack is subpar, while its Speed, though far from depressing, is not something to write home about. Dragon Dance fixes those two issues, turning Altaria from a fluffy cloud into a terrifying hurricane. This is further emphasized by its access to one of the most powerful Outrages in the NU tier. However, the hurricanes it summons can be weathered by a strong Rock- or Steel-type, such as Regirock or Bastiodon. For that reason, Earthquake is the chosen coverage move, granting Altaria a near-perfect attacking combo, which scores a neutral hit on all of NU bar Bronzor and Shedinja. Finally, as mentioned before, Altaria is quite the bulky Pokemon, able to shrug off resisted and uninvested neutral attacks. Therefore, it has ample opportunities to recover any damage taken, which makes Roost the premier option for healing. In addition, Roost removes Altaria's Flying typing the turn it is used, granting it a resistance to Electric-type attacks, a neutrality to Rock-type ones, and only a single weakness to Ice-type attacks for the duration of the turn. <are there any examples of common attacks it can live while roosting?> </p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Dragon Claw is a possibility over Outrage. While the damage output is much lower, it is a conservative choice for those who fear locking their Altaria into Outrage, an invitation for a Steel-type to come in. Substitute protects Altaria from status and enables it to gain a boost more easily. However, Altaria hardly has the room to give up a crucial coverage move or Roost. As for the item choice, Life Orb increases Altaria's damage output while Leftovers supplements its natural bulk. If you do decide to go use Substitute, the item choice should definitely be Leftovers, especially if you use Substitute over Roost. The given EVs maximize Altaria's damage output while making it as fast as possible. The choice of nature comes down to if one wants to outspeed more foes or if one wants more power behind their Altaria's attacks.</p>

<p>Regardless of one's choices, Altaria despises the prospect of Stealth Rock on the field. Therefore, a Rapid Spin user is highly recommended. With Ice-types the bane of Altaria, Torkoal and Armaldo are great teammates to consider. Both can scare away Ice-types with their respective STAB move, which gives them ample opportunity to spin entry hazards away. Meanwhile, Altaria is immune to Ground-type attacks and resists Fighting-type ones. In addition, entry hazards of your own help Altaria's sweep, and both Torkoal and Armaldo are capable of laying Stealth Rock. Finally, even with a +1 boost, Altaria will struggle to muscle through bulkier Pokemon. A wallbreaker such as Magmortar or Emboar helps in this regard, as both have a wide movepool and can severely weaken opposing foes for Altaria to set up and sweep.</p>

[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Roost
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Roar / Perish Song / Toxic
move 4: Heal Bell
item: Leftovers
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Altaria's bulk, particularly its Special Defense, makes it a superb specially defensive sponge. It can sponge specially based Fire-, Water-, and Grass-type attacks while taking little from physical Fighting- and Grass-type attacks, and nothing at all from Ground-type attacks. These resistances and immunities make it a really good check to threatening sweepers such as Exeggutor and Magmortar, as long as they do not carry Hidden Power Ice. Roost keeps Altaria healthy while Dragon Pulse is chosen over Dragon Claw due to the former's slightly better Base Power.</p>

<p>The third slot is up for grabs. Roar eliminates any stat boosts a foe has gained, and in addition to shuffling your opponent's Pokemon, it works superbly with entry hazards. Perish Song is a pseudo-phazing move, which also puts pressure on potentially threatening opponents: do they really want to risk KOing themselves by trying to break through Altaria? It is also far more useful than Roar against a last-Pokemon Calm Mind user, such as <example>. Toxic is another option to consider as it is useful for bulkier Pokemon such as Calm Mind Musharna, Cryogonal, and Alomomola. The final slot is reserved for Heal Bell, which allows Altaria to serve as a cleric for its teammates, as well as getting rid of any status affliction it may have received without having to switch out.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>If one desires a stronger hit on Grass-types, Flamethrower is an option over Dragon Pulse. This also does more damage against incoming Ice-types, such as Cryogonal and Jynx. Haze is an option over Roar, as it doesn't require moving last in order to eliminate stat changes. A Careful nature is an option if one prefers to hit on the physical side, but Altaria will be restricted to Dragon Claw in order to deal any meaningful damage. Cotton Guard serves a niche in making Altaria a difficult wall to take down from either side, as the move boosts its Defense by three levels. However, Altaria is hard-pressed to make room for it.</p>

<p>This Altaria set relies on entry hazard to be effective. Generally, one will want at least Stealth Rock on the field in order to make best use of Roar or Perish Song. If one does pass up on Cotton Guard, a Pokemon able to spread burns is greatly appreciated to Altaria to take physical hits better. Frillish in particular is a great Pokemon to complement Altaria, as it can cause burns with Will-O-Wisp, as well as lure in Grass-types such as Leafeon and Exeggutor. In addition, Frillish provides excellent spinblocking support, while also taking Ice-type attacks aimed at Altaria. Rapid Spin support is also greatly appreciated. Cryogonal and Torkoal are excellent choices to take Ice-type attacks and spin away entry hazards, and the latter can lay Stealth Rock as well <cryogonal doesn't get spikes>. Armaldo and Regirock can both set up Stealth Rock and deter Ice-type foes with their STAB Rock-type attacks; the former can provide Rapid Spin support too. Finally, Garbodor can lay Toxic Spikes. In return, Altaria provides immunity and resistance to Ground- and Fighting-type moves, respectively.</p>

[SET]
name: Bulky Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Roost
move 4: Heal Bell / Earthquake
item: Leftovers
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 228 SpD / 28 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set combines the benefits of both an offensive and a defensive set, in that this Altaria can both pose an offensive threat with Attack and Speed boosts, while being a useful defensive pivot. The idea is to come in on something that doesn't threaten Altaria and use Dragon Dance on the switch. Dragon Claw is used over Outrage to avoid locking Altaria into one move and avoiding confusion. Roost takes advantage of Altaria's bulk, recovering any damage received. The choice of Heal Bell or Earthquake comes down to a matter of cleric support or additional coverage. It should be noted that the EV spread given aims to give Altaria as much bulk as possible as it attempts to gain multiple boosts for a sweep. Therefore, it does not hit hard even after one boost.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread favors Altaria's special bulk <why?>, but one may try to take a physically defensive route by shifting the Special Defense EVs into Defense and using an Impish nature. The 28 Speed EVs let Altaria outrun up to neutral +1 base 85 Speed foes after two boosts. <scarf rotom-a?> If one wishes to outspeed Electrode, 52 Speed EVs are required; remove the EVs from Altaria's Special Defense. This particular Altaria also wouldn't mind using Cloud Nine as its ability, as it ruins Swift Swim and Chlorophyll users, not to mention Water- and Fire-types relying on Rain Dance and Sunny Day, respectively. It should be noted that Heal Bell is illegal with Cloud Nine, so in addition to Earthquake, Roar or Substitute can be worth considering in the last moveslot.</p>

<p>Cotton Guard makes Altaria particularly difficult to take out. One boost is enough to make Altaria a particularly bulky wall as it sets up Dragon Dance all night long. However, it should be noted that powerful Ice-type attacks will make this particular cloud fall apart. Therefore, strong wallbreakers such as Emboar and Magmortar are great teammates for Altaria, as they rip through Articuno, Cryogonal, and Lapras before most can launch an attack. Sawk can also take care of these Ice-type foes with STAB Close Combat or a super effective Stone Edge. Unaware Quagsire is possibly the greatest counter to this set, as it ignores any stat boosts and can wear Altaria down with Ice Beam. A Grass-type, such as Exeggutor, Tangela, or Meganium, can scare Quagsire—and most other bulky Water-types—away with the threat of a STAB attack. Entry hazard support is also a necessity, with Armaldo and Cradily good choices for providing Stealth Rock. Cradily also has the benefit of forcing Quagsire and a myriad of Water-types to switch out, thanks to both Storm Drain and its part-Grass typing.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Fire Blast—and to a lesser extent, Flamethrower—attains perfect coverage in the NU tier alongside a Dragon-type move and Earthquake. However, the main targets of said Fire-type move, Bronzor and Shedinja, are rarely seen, while other potential targets, such as Tangela and Exeggutor, won't particularly enjoy a boosted Outrage. In addition, resorting to a Fire-type attack not only sacrifices a moveslot, but also means that EV investment in Special Attack and a defense-lowering nature is necessary for Altaria to do any meaningful damage. It can be considered if Sunny Day support is provided, though.</p>

<p>Choice Specs allows Altaria to wield a powerful Draco Meteor in a tier sorely lacking such punishment. However, outside of that, there are very few moves to make it a worthwhile set. In all, the previously mentioned Flamethrower / Fire Blast, Dragon Pulse, and Ice Beam are really the only worthwhile moves to fill such a set. Similarly, Altaria generally lacks the moves to fill a good Choice Band set. Both sets also require constant switching, so Stealth Rock becomes an even greater nuisance. Cloud Nine is aesthetically fitting for a cloud-covered Pokemon like Altaria, but in reality, Altaria has very little use for the ability. There are no permanent weather inducers in the NU tier, and using Cloud Nine means that Altaria has no way of healing itself of status, whether freely through Natural Cure, or via the use of Heal Bell.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Even with max investment, Altaria's offenses are rather weak. After a Dragon Dance boost, Altaria is still a bit of a lightweight, so as long as entry hazards are avoided, bulky Pokemon such as Tangela and Weezing can take it on reliably. If Altaria lacks Earthquake or Fire Blast, Steel-types are the best counters, with Bastiodon and Probopass tanking Outrage without breaking a sweat. Rock-types such as Regirock and Carracosta can comfortably take a boosted Altaria's Earthquake and threaten it with STAB Stone Edge. Special variants of Altaria are easily countered by Regice and Articuno, and both scare Altaria away with STAB Ice Beam. Priority is another way to eliminate Altaria, with Piloswine threatening a KO with STAB Ice Shard.</p>
 

jake

underdog of the year
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hmm

okay so i'm not GP, but this really doesn't need another GP check for a few sentences. if either the OP or any GP members have an issue with this go ahead and PM me and i'll change it but i'm going to upload this with the following changes

add remove

set comments of offensive dd said:
...to Electric-type attacks, a neutrality to Rock-type ones, and only a single weakness to Ice-type attacks for the duration of the turn. This allows Altaria to survive weaker and unboosted attacks, and if it manages to recover full health, allows it to survive an Ice Beam from neutral natured base 95 Special Attackers, such as Cryogonal and Articuno, accounting for STAB. Examples of this include Timid Cryogonal and Timid Articuno.</p>
ac of bulky dd said:
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread favors Altaria's special bulk in order to serve as a decent specially defensive fare better against the myriad of special attackers in the tier, such as Rotom-S and Calm Mind Musharna. However, one may try to take a physically defensive route...
not really sure of that one but that seems to be the best wording i can think of without being weirdly vague

anyway uploading now! good job
 

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