#98
[Overview]
<p>There is no Pokemon more violent than Hydreigon; it's well-known for attacking anything that so much as moves. This is a fairly apt observation, since in competitive play, Hydreigon will do everything in its power to destroy its target. Hydreigon has a scary combination of high powered STAB moves, high offensive stats, and a wide array of coverage moves that target everything in OU for at least neutral damage. While other Dragon-types come close to being uncounterable, Hydreigon drops all pretenses and actually IS uncounterable. To put it bluntly, Hydreigon is flat out impossible to wall, and if you think that it can be beaten by a Steel-type, think again. It can obliterate every single Steel-type in OU given the chance, and turn them into a fine powder with its large selection of coverage moves. If that wasn't enough, Hydreigon has some pretty decent defensive stats for an offensively oriented Pokemon. 92 / 90 / 90 is nothing to laugh at, and it will usually take a strong super effective move to take it down. Access to Levitate and Roost also means it's hard to wear it down with hazards. Fortunately (or unfortunately?), Hydreigon has a fairly crippling shortcoming that prevents it from utterly destroying teams: its Speed. Due to its mediocre Speed, Hydreigon is outsped by the majority of offensive Pokemon in the tier, meaning it will often be forced out after a KO. This is the fundamental flaw that keeps Hydreigon from being a staple on most teams. It has awesome power, but being forced out after a KO is a clear detriment. Being weak to common priority moves such as Mach Punch and Ice Shard doesn't help either. However, none of that really matters if you're committed to making Hydreigon work. When it comes to pure wallbreaking, none can match Hydreigon's ability to eliminate everything in its path.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Roost / Earthquake / Dark Pulse
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
nature: Mild / Rash
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set takes advantage of Hydreigon's superb offensive stats and incredible coverage to break through common walls and deal heavy damage to the opponent's team. The beauty of this set is that even if your opponent switches into a resisted attacking move, Hydreigon typically has a coverage move that is powerful enough to 2HKO said switch in. Draco Meteor is Hydreigon's strongest move, and is an incredible move when used effectively. Its effects are immediate; either the opposing Pokemon is flat out OHKOed by the sheer power of Draco Meteor, or weakened enough to break through at later points in the match. One important thing to consider is that the mere threat of Draco Meteor is an advantage, as it also allows for much more liberty in prediction. For example, your opponent isn't likely to leave a Pokemon that takes neutral damage from Draco Meteor in on Hydreigon (unless they're specially defensive), and are far more likely to switch into a Steel-type. From there, your choice of appropriate coverage move can pick them off and secure yourself an early game advantage. Fire Blast is an essential coverage move as it synergizes semi-perfectly with Draco Meteor by hitting nearly every Steel-type for super effective damage. Common Steel-types such as Jirachi, Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Skarmory are beaten with relative ease.</p>
<p>Superpower is an awesome tool for Hydreigon, as it allows it to overpower several of its checks. Tyranitar, Heatran, and Blissey are all capable of tanking Draco Meteor, and aren't phased by Fire Blast in the slightest, but they cower in the face of Superpower. Tyranitar is always OHKOed by Superpower, while Heatran and Blissey both face 2HKOs from it. Blissey and Heatran are actually 2HKOed by the combination of Draco Meteor and Superpower if Stealth Rock is in play, so you don't actually have to predict with Superpower to defeat them. The final move choice is a tossup and largely based on the player. Roost significantly increases Hydreigon's durability, and it offsets the recoil from Life Orb. Additionally, it has some utility against stall teams that rely on passive damage to wear down attackers. Earthquake jacks up Hydreigon's offensive power by destroying would-be checks such as Heatran and Jirachi under certain conditions. With Earthquake as an attacking option, you can play it safe and use Draco Meteor, regardless of Heatran's presence since Earthquake will always crush it to pieces. It's especially effective against Jirachi in the rain, too, as Hydreigon no longer has to rely on neutral Fire Blast to get consistent damage on it. Finally, we have Dark Pulse which rounds out Hydreigon's final moveslot and provides it with an effective, albeit situational, secondary STAB move that is useful against the likes of Reuniclus and Jellicent.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Expert Belt can be used over Life Orb to bluff a Choice set; in addition, Expert Belt has no recoil. It still allows Hydreigon to OHKO Tyranitar and 2HKO Blissey and Heatran with Superpower. However, Expert Belt can't compare to the sheer power of Life Orb on average. Mild is the nature of choice because it boosts Hydreigon's Special Attack without reducing its Attack stat. Mild makes Hydreigon a little more susceptible to priority attacks, however, which results in Hydreigon being a bit more vulnerable to Scizor and Mamoswine than usual. You can choose to use a Rash nature over Mild to keep its physical defense intact, but the consequence of doing so makes Hydreigon more susceptible to special attacks. Hydreigon tends to switch into resisted special attacks from the likes of Rotom-W, Ninetales, and Politoed, so weakening its Special Defense stat will lower its effectiveness against these Pokemon. Another thing to keep in mind is Genesect and its ability, Download, which, depending on the chosen nature, can result in Genesect receiving an Attack or Special Attack boost, so choose a nature that lessens Genesect's offensive boost effectiveness towards your team. There shouldn't be any deviations from the standard EV spread, but if you're reluctant about not outspeeding Timid Hydreigon, Jolly Haxorus, or Gliscor, a Timid nature may be used. Hydreigon can use a spread consisting of 56 HP / 252 SpA / 200 to boost its defenses whilst still maintaining the ability to at least outspeed neutral natured Pokemon with base 91 speed and below.</p>
<p>Hydreigon has an extensive movepool; it literally has everything you could ask for in an offensive Pokemon. For instance, Hydreigon can opt to use Focus Blast over Superpower, which trades accuracy and the ability to always beat Tyranitar and Blissey for more power in general, the ability to use a Modest nature, and the lack of negative stat drops. U-turn provides Hydreigon with a useful scouting option and is generally useful, but it goes against the point of using mixed attacking Hydreigon in the first place: to force switches and wallbreak. Furthermore, Hydreigon should attempt to stay in battle for as long as possible, since it might not get another chance to attack. Earth Power is similar to Focus Blast in that it's a special counterpart to Earthquake that does more damage in general; however, it's less effective against Calm Mind Jirachi which makes it an inferior choice. Furthermore, after a Draco Meteor Special Attack drop, Earth Power's damage output is dramatically lowered. Taunt can be used to shut down Blissey, Chansey, Jellicent, and other defensive Pokemon that can recover to beat Draco Meteor at all times without worrying about their current health and battle conditions. Tailwind is an unconventional move option, but it has a few perks that make a viable option. It can be used to temporarily grant Hydreigon a complete advantage over offensive teams by outspeeding them for 3 turns. It's difficult to justify using Tailwind as Hydreigon is usually better off attacking, but it's extremely useful in certain cases and can turn a match around when executed properly.</p>
<p>Hydreigon is a very low maintenance Pokemon that doesn't really need that much support in order to excel. Hazards are useful, but it isn't really necessary to go beyond Stealth Rock, as Hydreigon is 2HKOing most of the OU metagame anyway. Chansey is the exception to the aforementioned statement; it avoids the 2HKO from Superpower and needs residual damage in order to be 2HKOed. Fortunately, its lack of passive recovery makes it susceptible to residual damage, meaning it can be beaten under the right circumstances; it can be 2HKOed by Draco Meteor and Superpower if Stealth Rock and Spikes are up under sandstorm. Despite having no counters to speak of in OU, Hydreigon has a plethora of checks that can stop it from wreaking havoc on the opposing team. It's outsped and OHKOed by pretty much every relevant offensive Pokemon in OU. This means that you'll probably want to carry checks and counters to popular offensive threats. Latios is an awesome offensive partner to Hydreigon because it's a good check to Thundurus-T, Keldeo, and Breloom, all of whom threaten Hydreigon. Hydreigon returns the favor by systematically luring out and beating every single one of Latios's counters, which makes them a formidable offensive duo. Defensive Celebi is a good pick, since it can check Keldeo and counter Breloom, Pokemon that turn Hydreigon into a liability, while it can also spread paralysis, which Hydreigon greatly appreciates. Genesect proofing your team is important, as the mechanical menace is always capable of revenge killing Hydreigon, as well as forcing you into a catch 22 situation with U-turn.</p>
<p>Ultimately, Hydreigon users need to contend with the fact that its suboptimal Speed stat will always be its downfall. It's sheer destructive power usually makes up for the difference, but sometimes that just isn't enough. In the end, its effectiveness will largely depend on the match. In some cases, its attempts to crack open teams are thwarted with smart prediction and no openings. In other cases, its high power coverage moves are absolutely ridiculous and impossible to avoid.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Fire Blast / Roost
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Substitute goes hand-in-hand with Hydreigon's excellent coverage and ability to force switches. Instead of viciously attempting to tear its opponents apart, this set adopts the tried and true method of whittling down its foes into KO range. Substitute lets Hydreigon scout its checks, protects it from status effects, and most important of all, protects Hydreigon from taking hits. Hydreigon's mere presence forces Pokemon out, so you will have no trouble setting up Substitutes on forced switches. In other cases, its typing allows it to set up Substitutes on Pokemon that can't really damage it, such as Rotom-W and Celebi. Dragon Pulse is a step down from Draco Meteor, and its disappointing Base Power leaves a lot to be desired; however, it's a reliable STAB move that generally deals sufficient damage. Focus Blast and Fire Blast are awesome coverage moves that ensure that Hydreigon hits everything in OU for at least neutral damage. Hydreigon is still capable of beating its most common checks, such as Tyranitar and Heatran, but dedicated special walls such as Blissey and Chansey are out of Hydreigon's reach. Roost is a decent alternative to Fire Blast, as it helps stave off Substitute recoil, and is a flat out requirement if you're planning on using Life Orb, as Substitute and Life Orb recoil (and other forms of passive damage) eventually take their toll on Hydreigon.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb was previously mentioned as an alternative to Leftovers on Hydreigon. With a Life Orb equipped, Hydreigon trades longevity for power, but note that Life Orb basically forces Hydreigon to rely on Roost which could cost it some coverage. A Timid nature, is as always, an option for those who want Hydreigon to outspeed Jolly Haxorus, Gliscor, and opposing Modest Hydreigon. These threats are exceedingly rare, however, and you're weakening a set that already needs all the power it can get. Dark Pulse can deal with Jellicent and Mew who invest in Special Defense, as well as Reuniclus. However, it's far too weak and specialized to be of any use on average. Work Up might seem like a lesser option, but when you're safely behind a Substitute and Hydreigon gets going, you can really get some damage against the opposing team. With Work Up, Superpower with a Rash or Timid nature can be used over Focus Blast. If you're worried about consistency, Flamethrower can be used over Fire Blast. It's noticeably weaker than Fire Blast, though; Flamethrower fails to 2HKO specially defensive Jirachi, for example. In the same vein, Earth Power can be used over Focus Blast to grant Hydreigon reliable coverage against Heatran and Tyranitar. If the above recommendations are of any indication, this set relies on too many imperfect accuracy moves, so replacing one of them might not seem like a bad idea in practice.</p>
<p>Above all else, this set appreciates having multiple entry hazards on the field. As Hydreigon is prone to causing switches, and most of its checks are grounded, Spikes users are ideal partners. Deoxys-D is the perfect candidate for the job, as it can quickly lay down entry hazards, defeat most spinners, and is extremely difficult to OHKO. Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Skarmory are also relatively good Spikes users each with the ability to perform another task for your team, whether it be tanking hits, walling, or spinning. Forretress stands above the rest, since it has incredible defensive synergy with Hydreigon, resisting its Ice-, Dragon-, and Bug-type weaknesses, and is capable of Rapid Spinning.</p>
<p>This set is useful for players who want a wallbreaking Dragon-type that takes neutral damage from Stealth Rock and can switch into weak Grass-, Electric-, and Water-type moves. This set is also useful on offensive teams, but it tends to fit better on balanced teams where its disappointing Speed isn't as much of a detriment. Hydreigon helps most Pokemon by virtue of wearing down and defeating most walls, but Pokemon such as Latios especially appreciate this set for its ability to lure most of its checks and beat them down one-on-one. In comparison to the mixed attacker set, this set is actually more dangerous against offensive teams. Whereas offensive teams could easily revenge kill the mixed attacker set using Pokemon such as Genesect or Terrakion, it's a struggle to actually remove Hydreigon when it's behind a Substitute, and it usually ends up with the opponent losing at least one Pokemon to remove its Substitute. Unfortunately, this set suffers against stall teams as they tend to carry dedicated special walls that can beat this set. Hydreigon will never break through Blissey or Chansey, so running a dedicated counter is helpful. Strong Fighting-types are as always the solution to avoid being walled by pink blobs; running any of Terrakion, Breloom, or Conkeldurr should suffice.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 4: U-turn / Dark Pulse
item: Choice Specs
nature: Modest
ability: Levitate
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Specs promotes a different way of playing with Hydreigon, which focuses on a more extreme hit and run playstyle, therefore overriding Hydreigon's standard role of wallbreaking. Choice Specs-boosted Draco Meteor pretty much steamrolls anything that isn't a dedicated special wall or a Steel-type, and even then most Steel-types take heavy damage from Draco Meteor. Focus Blast is the most important coverage move on this set, and knowing when to use Focus Blast is the key to being effective with it; it lets Hydreigon power its way through most of the Steel-types in OU in addition to OHKOing all variants of Tyranitar and Heatran, as well as 2HKOing Blissey most of the time after Stealth Rock damage. Fire Blast targets Jirachi and hits Ferrothorn even harder, though you should avoid using this move in general because it's very easy for the opponent to capitalize on. Tyranitar, Politoed, Heatran, and Dragon-types can switch in and put your team at a massive disadvantage. Only use Fire Blast when you absolutely need to remove Jirachi or Ferrothorn.</p>
<p>U-turn is a useful move to scout its checks and gain momentum, and is useful when paired with a Dugtrio; though, on average, Hydreigon is usually better off attacking. Dark Pulse is a fairly strong and consistent STAB move, though it's similar to Fire Blast in that it's too easy for the opponent to abuse; however, Dark Pulse is particularly effective against Reuniclus and Jellicent. This set is easier to use than the other Hydreigon sets, but therein lies the problem; the mixed attacker set is more effective at netting KOs because of its ability to switch moves. Choice Specs is easier to use in general, as you can spam Draco Meteor to get meaningful damage on most of the OU metagame, but don't be tricked into thinking that this is acceptable, because you're better off using the mixed attacker set if you want to simply KO things. If you're going to use the Choice Specs set, it's for its 20% boost in power and lack of recoil in comparison to the mixed attacker set.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Giving Hydreigon a Choice Scarf makes it capable of revenge killing faster threats, which is an obvious use it has over the Choice Specs set. On the other hand, Choice Scarf Hydreigon is completely inferior at actually KOing opponents, and it's useless in the face of sturdy Pokemon. It's somewhat of a hybrid set, and is a gimmicky version of Choice Specs that can only KO weakened Pokemon or Pokemon that are weak to Hydreigon's coverage moves, but at the same time Hydreigon is also a gimmicky Choice Scarf user with suboptimal Speed and an spammable STAB move. What makes Choice Scarf Hydreigon so difficult to justify using is that, looking at the set as one whole, cohesive experience, it's sorely lacking and is a definite crutch. However, it does exactly what its intended to do, and that hasn't stopped a large number of players from using it. Surf is a legitimate option over Fire Blast on rain teams; it's a pseudo-STAB move under the rain that's effective against Heatran, Jirachi, and the rest of the Steel-types, while also maintaining some effectiveness against Tyranitar as well. Earth Power can be used over Focus Blast as a weaker, albeit more consistent, coverage move that targets Tyranitar and grounded Steel-types such as Jirachi and Heatran. You give up at ever being able to defeat Blissey without Focus Blast, however. Superpower might seem like a weird option on a Choice Specs set, but a neutral natured 0 Atk Superpower can 2HKO Blissey and almost always OHKO Tyranitar after Stealth Rock.</p>
<p>Because Choice Specs Hydreigon is a useful battering ram that can basically be used on any team, it doesn't necessarily need much team support to be of any use. Choice Specs Hydreigon appreciates having entry hazards up since it can turn 3HKOs into 2HKOs and 2HKOs into OHKOs with them. Since Blissey and Chansey are full stops to this set, so carrying appropriate counters can do wonders. Choice Band Dugtrio is capable of 2HKOing Blissey after Stealth Rock damage, but removing Chansey is a little trickier. Fortunately, since it's forced to rely on Eviolite, wearing it down with hazards and passive damage is fairly easy; it only needs a little passive damage in order to be 2HKOed by Focus Blast. You can also rely on Stealth Rock and a single layer of Spikes to guarantee the 2HKO.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Hydreigon's offensive movepool is enormous; it has access to nearly every single respectable attacking move in the game, which gives it a myriad of options to choose from. On the physical side, Hydreigon has access to Acrobatics, Crunch, Dragon Tail, Outrage, and Head Smash. One can choose to use a Choice Band set mostly consisting of these moves, however, it's mostly outclassed by other Choice Band using Dragon-types. Hydreigon has access to Thunder Wave and can use it on any given set to cripple attackers; however, it's not that useful, as most if its common switch-ins are barely impeded by Thunder Wave. Hydreigon can use a defensive set consisting of Taunt / Thunder Wave / Dragon Tail / Roost, and act as sort of defensive tank that spreads paralysis strikingly similar to the parashuffle set that Dragonite employs. Truthfully, Taunt is a fairly large reason to use Hydreigon over Dragonite, as Taunt prevents opposing Pokemon from setting up entry hazards on it, though usually you're much better off using Dragonite or any of Hydreigon's other sets. Make no mistake: these moves and sets are in Other Options for a reason. It's not because the moves themselves are poor, but because a large number of of these moves are significantly outclassed by the ones already listed in the above sets.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>There aren't any! The closest thing to a concrete counter now is Chansey, but even then it's easily 2HKOed by Superpower with some prior damage (a common reality when you consider that Chansey doesn't use Leftovers). Nothing else can touch Hydreigon on a good day. Tyranitar is always OHKOed by Superpower, and Ferrothorn and Jirachi are scorched by Fire Blast. Heatran is OHKOed by Earthquake and it takes a ton of damage from Superpower and everything else is at best 2HKOed by Draco Meteor. Fortunately, Hydreigon is fairly easy to check in the current BW metagame. The omnipresent Genesect is quite simply the best Hydreigon check in the tier and a common obstacle for Hydreigon users. Genesect can either hit it with a powerful Ice Beam or U-turn to simultaneously threaten Hydreigon and its teammates while also gaining momentum in the process. Tornadus-T, Breloom, and Keldeo are common and every single one of them can destroy Hydreigon with their powerful Fighting-type moves. The ever-popular Terrakion exists at every corner, waiting to turn Hydreigon into a liability since it is forced to switch out from its powerful Close Combats. It's also naturally outsped and KOed by Latios and Latias. Outside of fast offensive checks, you can rely on good old fashioned priority to take it down. Breloom, Mamoswine and Scizor are decent choices, though they should only bother trying to take on Hydreigon when it has been weakened as Hydreigon's 92 / 90 physical defense are nothing to sneeze at.</p>
[Overview]
<p>There is no Pokemon more violent than Hydreigon; it's well-known for attacking anything that so much as moves. This is a fairly apt observation, since in competitive play, Hydreigon will do everything in its power to destroy its target. Hydreigon has a scary combination of high powered STAB moves, high offensive stats, and a wide array of coverage moves that target everything in OU for at least neutral damage. While other Dragon-types come close to being uncounterable, Hydreigon drops all pretenses and actually IS uncounterable. To put it bluntly, Hydreigon is flat out impossible to wall, and if you think that it can be beaten by a Steel-type, think again. It can obliterate every single Steel-type in OU given the chance, and turn them into a fine powder with its large selection of coverage moves. If that wasn't enough, Hydreigon has some pretty decent defensive stats for an offensively oriented Pokemon. 92 / 90 / 90 is nothing to laugh at, and it will usually take a strong super effective move to take it down. Access to Levitate and Roost also means it's hard to wear it down with hazards. Fortunately (or unfortunately?), Hydreigon has a fairly crippling shortcoming that prevents it from utterly destroying teams: its Speed. Due to its mediocre Speed, Hydreigon is outsped by the majority of offensive Pokemon in the tier, meaning it will often be forced out after a KO. This is the fundamental flaw that keeps Hydreigon from being a staple on most teams. It has awesome power, but being forced out after a KO is a clear detriment. Being weak to common priority moves such as Mach Punch and Ice Shard doesn't help either. However, none of that really matters if you're committed to making Hydreigon work. When it comes to pure wallbreaking, none can match Hydreigon's ability to eliminate everything in its path.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Roost / Earthquake / Dark Pulse
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
nature: Mild / Rash
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set takes advantage of Hydreigon's superb offensive stats and incredible coverage to break through common walls and deal heavy damage to the opponent's team. The beauty of this set is that even if your opponent switches into a resisted attacking move, Hydreigon typically has a coverage move that is powerful enough to 2HKO said switch in. Draco Meteor is Hydreigon's strongest move, and is an incredible move when used effectively. Its effects are immediate; either the opposing Pokemon is flat out OHKOed by the sheer power of Draco Meteor, or weakened enough to break through at later points in the match. One important thing to consider is that the mere threat of Draco Meteor is an advantage, as it also allows for much more liberty in prediction. For example, your opponent isn't likely to leave a Pokemon that takes neutral damage from Draco Meteor in on Hydreigon (unless they're specially defensive), and are far more likely to switch into a Steel-type. From there, your choice of appropriate coverage move can pick them off and secure yourself an early game advantage. Fire Blast is an essential coverage move as it synergizes semi-perfectly with Draco Meteor by hitting nearly every Steel-type for super effective damage. Common Steel-types such as Jirachi, Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Skarmory are beaten with relative ease.</p>
<p>Superpower is an awesome tool for Hydreigon, as it allows it to overpower several of its checks. Tyranitar, Heatran, and Blissey are all capable of tanking Draco Meteor, and aren't phased by Fire Blast in the slightest, but they cower in the face of Superpower. Tyranitar is always OHKOed by Superpower, while Heatran and Blissey both face 2HKOs from it. Blissey and Heatran are actually 2HKOed by the combination of Draco Meteor and Superpower if Stealth Rock is in play, so you don't actually have to predict with Superpower to defeat them. The final move choice is a tossup and largely based on the player. Roost significantly increases Hydreigon's durability, and it offsets the recoil from Life Orb. Additionally, it has some utility against stall teams that rely on passive damage to wear down attackers. Earthquake jacks up Hydreigon's offensive power by destroying would-be checks such as Heatran and Jirachi under certain conditions. With Earthquake as an attacking option, you can play it safe and use Draco Meteor, regardless of Heatran's presence since Earthquake will always crush it to pieces. It's especially effective against Jirachi in the rain, too, as Hydreigon no longer has to rely on neutral Fire Blast to get consistent damage on it. Finally, we have Dark Pulse which rounds out Hydreigon's final moveslot and provides it with an effective, albeit situational, secondary STAB move that is useful against the likes of Reuniclus and Jellicent.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Expert Belt can be used over Life Orb to bluff a Choice set; in addition, Expert Belt has no recoil. It still allows Hydreigon to OHKO Tyranitar and 2HKO Blissey and Heatran with Superpower. However, Expert Belt can't compare to the sheer power of Life Orb on average. Mild is the nature of choice because it boosts Hydreigon's Special Attack without reducing its Attack stat. Mild makes Hydreigon a little more susceptible to priority attacks, however, which results in Hydreigon being a bit more vulnerable to Scizor and Mamoswine than usual. You can choose to use a Rash nature over Mild to keep its physical defense intact, but the consequence of doing so makes Hydreigon more susceptible to special attacks. Hydreigon tends to switch into resisted special attacks from the likes of Rotom-W, Ninetales, and Politoed, so weakening its Special Defense stat will lower its effectiveness against these Pokemon. Another thing to keep in mind is Genesect and its ability, Download, which, depending on the chosen nature, can result in Genesect receiving an Attack or Special Attack boost, so choose a nature that lessens Genesect's offensive boost effectiveness towards your team. There shouldn't be any deviations from the standard EV spread, but if you're reluctant about not outspeeding Timid Hydreigon, Jolly Haxorus, or Gliscor, a Timid nature may be used. Hydreigon can use a spread consisting of 56 HP / 252 SpA / 200 to boost its defenses whilst still maintaining the ability to at least outspeed neutral natured Pokemon with base 91 speed and below.</p>
<p>Hydreigon has an extensive movepool; it literally has everything you could ask for in an offensive Pokemon. For instance, Hydreigon can opt to use Focus Blast over Superpower, which trades accuracy and the ability to always beat Tyranitar and Blissey for more power in general, the ability to use a Modest nature, and the lack of negative stat drops. U-turn provides Hydreigon with a useful scouting option and is generally useful, but it goes against the point of using mixed attacking Hydreigon in the first place: to force switches and wallbreak. Furthermore, Hydreigon should attempt to stay in battle for as long as possible, since it might not get another chance to attack. Earth Power is similar to Focus Blast in that it's a special counterpart to Earthquake that does more damage in general; however, it's less effective against Calm Mind Jirachi which makes it an inferior choice. Furthermore, after a Draco Meteor Special Attack drop, Earth Power's damage output is dramatically lowered. Taunt can be used to shut down Blissey, Chansey, Jellicent, and other defensive Pokemon that can recover to beat Draco Meteor at all times without worrying about their current health and battle conditions. Tailwind is an unconventional move option, but it has a few perks that make a viable option. It can be used to temporarily grant Hydreigon a complete advantage over offensive teams by outspeeding them for 3 turns. It's difficult to justify using Tailwind as Hydreigon is usually better off attacking, but it's extremely useful in certain cases and can turn a match around when executed properly.</p>
<p>Hydreigon is a very low maintenance Pokemon that doesn't really need that much support in order to excel. Hazards are useful, but it isn't really necessary to go beyond Stealth Rock, as Hydreigon is 2HKOing most of the OU metagame anyway. Chansey is the exception to the aforementioned statement; it avoids the 2HKO from Superpower and needs residual damage in order to be 2HKOed. Fortunately, its lack of passive recovery makes it susceptible to residual damage, meaning it can be beaten under the right circumstances; it can be 2HKOed by Draco Meteor and Superpower if Stealth Rock and Spikes are up under sandstorm. Despite having no counters to speak of in OU, Hydreigon has a plethora of checks that can stop it from wreaking havoc on the opposing team. It's outsped and OHKOed by pretty much every relevant offensive Pokemon in OU. This means that you'll probably want to carry checks and counters to popular offensive threats. Latios is an awesome offensive partner to Hydreigon because it's a good check to Thundurus-T, Keldeo, and Breloom, all of whom threaten Hydreigon. Hydreigon returns the favor by systematically luring out and beating every single one of Latios's counters, which makes them a formidable offensive duo. Defensive Celebi is a good pick, since it can check Keldeo and counter Breloom, Pokemon that turn Hydreigon into a liability, while it can also spread paralysis, which Hydreigon greatly appreciates. Genesect proofing your team is important, as the mechanical menace is always capable of revenge killing Hydreigon, as well as forcing you into a catch 22 situation with U-turn.</p>
<p>Ultimately, Hydreigon users need to contend with the fact that its suboptimal Speed stat will always be its downfall. It's sheer destructive power usually makes up for the difference, but sometimes that just isn't enough. In the end, its effectiveness will largely depend on the match. In some cases, its attempts to crack open teams are thwarted with smart prediction and no openings. In other cases, its high power coverage moves are absolutely ridiculous and impossible to avoid.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Fire Blast / Roost
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Substitute goes hand-in-hand with Hydreigon's excellent coverage and ability to force switches. Instead of viciously attempting to tear its opponents apart, this set adopts the tried and true method of whittling down its foes into KO range. Substitute lets Hydreigon scout its checks, protects it from status effects, and most important of all, protects Hydreigon from taking hits. Hydreigon's mere presence forces Pokemon out, so you will have no trouble setting up Substitutes on forced switches. In other cases, its typing allows it to set up Substitutes on Pokemon that can't really damage it, such as Rotom-W and Celebi. Dragon Pulse is a step down from Draco Meteor, and its disappointing Base Power leaves a lot to be desired; however, it's a reliable STAB move that generally deals sufficient damage. Focus Blast and Fire Blast are awesome coverage moves that ensure that Hydreigon hits everything in OU for at least neutral damage. Hydreigon is still capable of beating its most common checks, such as Tyranitar and Heatran, but dedicated special walls such as Blissey and Chansey are out of Hydreigon's reach. Roost is a decent alternative to Fire Blast, as it helps stave off Substitute recoil, and is a flat out requirement if you're planning on using Life Orb, as Substitute and Life Orb recoil (and other forms of passive damage) eventually take their toll on Hydreigon.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb was previously mentioned as an alternative to Leftovers on Hydreigon. With a Life Orb equipped, Hydreigon trades longevity for power, but note that Life Orb basically forces Hydreigon to rely on Roost which could cost it some coverage. A Timid nature, is as always, an option for those who want Hydreigon to outspeed Jolly Haxorus, Gliscor, and opposing Modest Hydreigon. These threats are exceedingly rare, however, and you're weakening a set that already needs all the power it can get. Dark Pulse can deal with Jellicent and Mew who invest in Special Defense, as well as Reuniclus. However, it's far too weak and specialized to be of any use on average. Work Up might seem like a lesser option, but when you're safely behind a Substitute and Hydreigon gets going, you can really get some damage against the opposing team. With Work Up, Superpower with a Rash or Timid nature can be used over Focus Blast. If you're worried about consistency, Flamethrower can be used over Fire Blast. It's noticeably weaker than Fire Blast, though; Flamethrower fails to 2HKO specially defensive Jirachi, for example. In the same vein, Earth Power can be used over Focus Blast to grant Hydreigon reliable coverage against Heatran and Tyranitar. If the above recommendations are of any indication, this set relies on too many imperfect accuracy moves, so replacing one of them might not seem like a bad idea in practice.</p>
<p>Above all else, this set appreciates having multiple entry hazards on the field. As Hydreigon is prone to causing switches, and most of its checks are grounded, Spikes users are ideal partners. Deoxys-D is the perfect candidate for the job, as it can quickly lay down entry hazards, defeat most spinners, and is extremely difficult to OHKO. Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Skarmory are also relatively good Spikes users each with the ability to perform another task for your team, whether it be tanking hits, walling, or spinning. Forretress stands above the rest, since it has incredible defensive synergy with Hydreigon, resisting its Ice-, Dragon-, and Bug-type weaknesses, and is capable of Rapid Spinning.</p>
<p>This set is useful for players who want a wallbreaking Dragon-type that takes neutral damage from Stealth Rock and can switch into weak Grass-, Electric-, and Water-type moves. This set is also useful on offensive teams, but it tends to fit better on balanced teams where its disappointing Speed isn't as much of a detriment. Hydreigon helps most Pokemon by virtue of wearing down and defeating most walls, but Pokemon such as Latios especially appreciate this set for its ability to lure most of its checks and beat them down one-on-one. In comparison to the mixed attacker set, this set is actually more dangerous against offensive teams. Whereas offensive teams could easily revenge kill the mixed attacker set using Pokemon such as Genesect or Terrakion, it's a struggle to actually remove Hydreigon when it's behind a Substitute, and it usually ends up with the opponent losing at least one Pokemon to remove its Substitute. Unfortunately, this set suffers against stall teams as they tend to carry dedicated special walls that can beat this set. Hydreigon will never break through Blissey or Chansey, so running a dedicated counter is helpful. Strong Fighting-types are as always the solution to avoid being walled by pink blobs; running any of Terrakion, Breloom, or Conkeldurr should suffice.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 4: U-turn / Dark Pulse
item: Choice Specs
nature: Modest
ability: Levitate
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Specs promotes a different way of playing with Hydreigon, which focuses on a more extreme hit and run playstyle, therefore overriding Hydreigon's standard role of wallbreaking. Choice Specs-boosted Draco Meteor pretty much steamrolls anything that isn't a dedicated special wall or a Steel-type, and even then most Steel-types take heavy damage from Draco Meteor. Focus Blast is the most important coverage move on this set, and knowing when to use Focus Blast is the key to being effective with it; it lets Hydreigon power its way through most of the Steel-types in OU in addition to OHKOing all variants of Tyranitar and Heatran, as well as 2HKOing Blissey most of the time after Stealth Rock damage. Fire Blast targets Jirachi and hits Ferrothorn even harder, though you should avoid using this move in general because it's very easy for the opponent to capitalize on. Tyranitar, Politoed, Heatran, and Dragon-types can switch in and put your team at a massive disadvantage. Only use Fire Blast when you absolutely need to remove Jirachi or Ferrothorn.</p>
<p>U-turn is a useful move to scout its checks and gain momentum, and is useful when paired with a Dugtrio; though, on average, Hydreigon is usually better off attacking. Dark Pulse is a fairly strong and consistent STAB move, though it's similar to Fire Blast in that it's too easy for the opponent to abuse; however, Dark Pulse is particularly effective against Reuniclus and Jellicent. This set is easier to use than the other Hydreigon sets, but therein lies the problem; the mixed attacker set is more effective at netting KOs because of its ability to switch moves. Choice Specs is easier to use in general, as you can spam Draco Meteor to get meaningful damage on most of the OU metagame, but don't be tricked into thinking that this is acceptable, because you're better off using the mixed attacker set if you want to simply KO things. If you're going to use the Choice Specs set, it's for its 20% boost in power and lack of recoil in comparison to the mixed attacker set.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Giving Hydreigon a Choice Scarf makes it capable of revenge killing faster threats, which is an obvious use it has over the Choice Specs set. On the other hand, Choice Scarf Hydreigon is completely inferior at actually KOing opponents, and it's useless in the face of sturdy Pokemon. It's somewhat of a hybrid set, and is a gimmicky version of Choice Specs that can only KO weakened Pokemon or Pokemon that are weak to Hydreigon's coverage moves, but at the same time Hydreigon is also a gimmicky Choice Scarf user with suboptimal Speed and an spammable STAB move. What makes Choice Scarf Hydreigon so difficult to justify using is that, looking at the set as one whole, cohesive experience, it's sorely lacking and is a definite crutch. However, it does exactly what its intended to do, and that hasn't stopped a large number of players from using it. Surf is a legitimate option over Fire Blast on rain teams; it's a pseudo-STAB move under the rain that's effective against Heatran, Jirachi, and the rest of the Steel-types, while also maintaining some effectiveness against Tyranitar as well. Earth Power can be used over Focus Blast as a weaker, albeit more consistent, coverage move that targets Tyranitar and grounded Steel-types such as Jirachi and Heatran. You give up at ever being able to defeat Blissey without Focus Blast, however. Superpower might seem like a weird option on a Choice Specs set, but a neutral natured 0 Atk Superpower can 2HKO Blissey and almost always OHKO Tyranitar after Stealth Rock.</p>
<p>Because Choice Specs Hydreigon is a useful battering ram that can basically be used on any team, it doesn't necessarily need much team support to be of any use. Choice Specs Hydreigon appreciates having entry hazards up since it can turn 3HKOs into 2HKOs and 2HKOs into OHKOs with them. Since Blissey and Chansey are full stops to this set, so carrying appropriate counters can do wonders. Choice Band Dugtrio is capable of 2HKOing Blissey after Stealth Rock damage, but removing Chansey is a little trickier. Fortunately, since it's forced to rely on Eviolite, wearing it down with hazards and passive damage is fairly easy; it only needs a little passive damage in order to be 2HKOed by Focus Blast. You can also rely on Stealth Rock and a single layer of Spikes to guarantee the 2HKO.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Hydreigon's offensive movepool is enormous; it has access to nearly every single respectable attacking move in the game, which gives it a myriad of options to choose from. On the physical side, Hydreigon has access to Acrobatics, Crunch, Dragon Tail, Outrage, and Head Smash. One can choose to use a Choice Band set mostly consisting of these moves, however, it's mostly outclassed by other Choice Band using Dragon-types. Hydreigon has access to Thunder Wave and can use it on any given set to cripple attackers; however, it's not that useful, as most if its common switch-ins are barely impeded by Thunder Wave. Hydreigon can use a defensive set consisting of Taunt / Thunder Wave / Dragon Tail / Roost, and act as sort of defensive tank that spreads paralysis strikingly similar to the parashuffle set that Dragonite employs. Truthfully, Taunt is a fairly large reason to use Hydreigon over Dragonite, as Taunt prevents opposing Pokemon from setting up entry hazards on it, though usually you're much better off using Dragonite or any of Hydreigon's other sets. Make no mistake: these moves and sets are in Other Options for a reason. It's not because the moves themselves are poor, but because a large number of of these moves are significantly outclassed by the ones already listed in the above sets.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>There aren't any! The closest thing to a concrete counter now is Chansey, but even then it's easily 2HKOed by Superpower with some prior damage (a common reality when you consider that Chansey doesn't use Leftovers). Nothing else can touch Hydreigon on a good day. Tyranitar is always OHKOed by Superpower, and Ferrothorn and Jirachi are scorched by Fire Blast. Heatran is OHKOed by Earthquake and it takes a ton of damage from Superpower and everything else is at best 2HKOed by Draco Meteor. Fortunately, Hydreigon is fairly easy to check in the current BW metagame. The omnipresent Genesect is quite simply the best Hydreigon check in the tier and a common obstacle for Hydreigon users. Genesect can either hit it with a powerful Ice Beam or U-turn to simultaneously threaten Hydreigon and its teammates while also gaining momentum in the process. Tornadus-T, Breloom, and Keldeo are common and every single one of them can destroy Hydreigon with their powerful Fighting-type moves. The ever-popular Terrakion exists at every corner, waiting to turn Hydreigon into a liability since it is forced to switch out from its powerful Close Combats. It's also naturally outsped and KOed by Latios and Latias. Outside of fast offensive checks, you can rely on good old fashioned priority to take it down. Breloom, Mamoswine and Scizor are decent choices, though they should only bother trying to take on Hydreigon when it has been weakened as Hydreigon's 92 / 90 physical defense are nothing to sneeze at.</p>
