Overview
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Hydreigon's one of the hardest hitting Pokemon in the ruleset. Its Choice Specs Draco Meteor hits like a nuclear bomb, OHKOing most of the Pokemon in the format. To back its Draco Meteor up, Hydreigon also has a powerful secondary Dark-type STAB, a wide movepool to cover gaps in its coverage, decent defenses thanks to high base stats, a few useful resistances, and Levitate. However, Hydreigon's 4x weakness to Fairy in a format where Sylveon is very common is a huge setback. A Hyper Voice from even the most defensive of Sylveon will cleanly OHKO Hydreigon. There's also an array of Steel-types that can sponge Draco Meteors and a whole host of faster Ice-, Fighting-, and Dragon-type Pokemon to keep it in check.
Choice
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name: Choice
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Flamethrower / Earth Power
move 4: Dragon Pulse
ability: Levitate
item: Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Modest / Timid
Moves
========
Draco Meteor will generally OHKO anything that doesn't resist, is not immune to it, or packs lots of special bulk. Dark Pulse is a reliable STAB coverage option that hits important targets such as Cresselia and Aegislash for super effective damage. Flamethrower and Earth Power are both for Steel-types. Both options can OHKO Bisharp and Mega Mawile not running significant Special Defense investment. Flamethrower allows Hydreigon to hit Ferrothorn and Scizor and is also the safer move to be locked into. Earth Power lets Hydreigon hit Heatran instead. Dragon Pulse gives Hydreigon a slightly stronger alternative STAB attack for late in the game, when you want to use its Dragon STAB but don't want the Special Attack drop.
Set Details
========
Choice Specs gives Hydreigon ridiculous power, while Choice Scarf lets Hydreigon surprise and OHKO something with Draco Meteor. The EVs are pretty straightforward; maximum Special Attack and Speed investment allow Hydreigon to lay down the hurt as quick and hard as possible. If you want to lower Hydreigon's Speed to invest more in bulk, 204 Speed will keep it faster than fully-invested Adamant Landorus-T. Jolly Garchomp can then outspeed Hydreigon and hit it with Dragon Claw, but it only has 37.5% chance to OHKO. If you want to live it every time, the smallest investment you can make is 28 HP / 36 Def. For better overall bulk at the cost of more EVs, 76 HP / 4 Def will also work.
Usage Tips
========
The ideal way to play Hydreigon is to come in early game, hit something with Draco Meteor, run away, then come back later in the game to do it again or use other attacks that won't lower Hydreigon's stats. Hydreigon causes a lot of switching with the threat of its Draco Meteor. As such, if something is especially vulnerable to the attack and you noticed a Fairy- or Steel-type on your opponent's team in Team Preview, there's a good chance your opponent will switch out the vulnerable target to something to sponge it. In this scenario, you should contemplate using Draco Meteor on the less valuable target to maim them instead.
Team Options
========
You're going to need Pokemon that resist Fairy- and Dragon-type attacks when using Hydreigon. Most Steel-types, such as Metagross and Mawile, pair really well with it. A large recommendation goes to Aegislash. If they're both on the field, Aegislash can use Wide Guard to keep Hydreigon safe from Hyper Voice. The two also generally take on what the other hates pretty well. Lastly, between the two of them, Hydreigon and Aegislash resist or are immune to every type in the game. Pokemon that can bust through Steel- and Fairy-types are also good partners for Hydreigon. Landorus-T and Garchomp are both fine choices, though watch out for Blizzard. Fake Out support is useful as well to narrow down what can attack Hydreigon for the turn. Mega Kangaskhan and Hitmontop go especially well with it. Redirecting Dragon- and Fighting-type attacks is also useful for Hydreigon. Togekiss and Amoonguss in particular make for great partners.
Life Orb
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name: Life Orb
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Protect
ability: Levitate
item: Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpAtk / 252 Spe
nature: Modest
Moves
========
This set trades the drawbacks of being locked into one attack for less power and durability. Draco Meteor still hits very hard with a Life Orb and is your go to attack. Dark Pulse gives you a reliable STAB attack. Fire Blast is used for coverage against Steel-types and is used here over Flamethrower and Earth Power because of the drop in power from the Choice set. Protect allows Hydreigon to shield itself for a turn to avoid double targeting and what normally threatens it.
Set Details
========
Life Orb is your most powerful item choice if you wish for Hydreigon to hit hard with Draco Meteor while keeping Protect and the ability to switch moves. Modest is chosen for as much power Hydreigon can muster; Hydreigon's power drops severely as you begin to take investment out of Special Attack. Due to the Life Orb, investing defensive EVs to live certain hits isn't particularly useful, as Hydreigon will still be knocked out from Life Orb recoil.
Usage Tips
========
Hydreigon is a very simple Pokemon to use. Come in, use Draco Meteor on a Pokemon vulnerable to it, then switch out to restore Hydreigon's Special Attack. Be aware of what Steel- and Fairy-types your opponent is carrying and avoid using Draco Meteor on an obvious switch.
Team Options
========
Hydreigon likes the presence of Steel-types such as Aegislash, Metagross, and Mawile to switch into Dragon- and Fairy-type attacks aimed at Hydreigon. Steel-type killers such as Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Arcanine are also great partners for Hydreigon, making sure it can fire off Draco Meteors uninhibited. Fake Out and redirectional support are recommended for this Hydreigon set; Kangaskhan, Amoonguss, and Togekiss are good choices.
Other Options
########
Flash Cannon is an alternate coverage option on the Choice Specs set that can 2HKO Sylveon. However, its coverage is poor outside of that. Heat Wave's spread damage reduction will make Hydreigon miss out on KOs versus very relevant Steel-types such as Mega Mawile; however, it's still somewhat useful, as it's probably Hydreigons most useful spread attack. Focus Blast destroys most Steel-types and nets a clean OHKO on Mega Kangaskhan, but it's inaccurate. U-turn is useful to get Hydreigon out and cause minor damage if you're expecting a switch. Hydreigon has access to Superpower and Rock Slide as well as a pretty solid Attack stat, but generally its Draco Meteors are doing a lot more. Hydreigon also has Tailwind, but Salamence and the Lati twins have better defensive typings and make better users of the move. A Haban Berry can let Hydreigon live some of the weaker Draco Meteors in the metagame, but the loss of a boosting item is harsh.
Checks & Counters
########
**Fairy-types**: Sylveon annihilates Hydreigon and other Fairy-types such as Togekiss, Gardevoir, and Whimsicott can deal with it effortlessly.
**Steel-types**: If it's lacking the appropriate coverage move, Steel-types can cause trouble for Hydreigon. Most of them are still vulnerable to a neutral Dark Pulse, but forcing Hydreigon not to use Draco Meteor is useful in itself.
**Faster Dragon-, Ice-, and Fighting-types**: A number of Pokemon can outspeed and OHKO Hydreigon with their super effective attacks. These include Salamence, Latios, Garchomp, Greninja, Weavile, and Terrakion.
########
Hydreigon's one of the hardest hitting Pokemon in the ruleset. Its Choice Specs Draco Meteor hits like a nuclear bomb, OHKOing most of the Pokemon in the format. To back its Draco Meteor up, Hydreigon also has a powerful secondary Dark-type STAB, a wide movepool to cover gaps in its coverage, decent defenses thanks to high base stats, a few useful resistances, and Levitate. However, Hydreigon's 4x weakness to Fairy in a format where Sylveon is very common is a huge setback. A Hyper Voice from even the most defensive of Sylveon will cleanly OHKO Hydreigon. There's also an array of Steel-types that can sponge Draco Meteors and a whole host of faster Ice-, Fighting-, and Dragon-type Pokemon to keep it in check.
Choice
########
name: Choice
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Flamethrower / Earth Power
move 4: Dragon Pulse
ability: Levitate
item: Choice Specs / Choice Scarf
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Modest / Timid
Moves
========
Draco Meteor will generally OHKO anything that doesn't resist, is not immune to it, or packs lots of special bulk. Dark Pulse is a reliable STAB coverage option that hits important targets such as Cresselia and Aegislash for super effective damage. Flamethrower and Earth Power are both for Steel-types. Both options can OHKO Bisharp and Mega Mawile not running significant Special Defense investment. Flamethrower allows Hydreigon to hit Ferrothorn and Scizor and is also the safer move to be locked into. Earth Power lets Hydreigon hit Heatran instead. Dragon Pulse gives Hydreigon a slightly stronger alternative STAB attack for late in the game, when you want to use its Dragon STAB but don't want the Special Attack drop.
Set Details
========
Choice Specs gives Hydreigon ridiculous power, while Choice Scarf lets Hydreigon surprise and OHKO something with Draco Meteor. The EVs are pretty straightforward; maximum Special Attack and Speed investment allow Hydreigon to lay down the hurt as quick and hard as possible. If you want to lower Hydreigon's Speed to invest more in bulk, 204 Speed will keep it faster than fully-invested Adamant Landorus-T. Jolly Garchomp can then outspeed Hydreigon and hit it with Dragon Claw, but it only has 37.5% chance to OHKO. If you want to live it every time, the smallest investment you can make is 28 HP / 36 Def. For better overall bulk at the cost of more EVs, 76 HP / 4 Def will also work.
Usage Tips
========
The ideal way to play Hydreigon is to come in early game, hit something with Draco Meteor, run away, then come back later in the game to do it again or use other attacks that won't lower Hydreigon's stats. Hydreigon causes a lot of switching with the threat of its Draco Meteor. As such, if something is especially vulnerable to the attack and you noticed a Fairy- or Steel-type on your opponent's team in Team Preview, there's a good chance your opponent will switch out the vulnerable target to something to sponge it. In this scenario, you should contemplate using Draco Meteor on the less valuable target to maim them instead.
Team Options
========
You're going to need Pokemon that resist Fairy- and Dragon-type attacks when using Hydreigon. Most Steel-types, such as Metagross and Mawile, pair really well with it. A large recommendation goes to Aegislash. If they're both on the field, Aegislash can use Wide Guard to keep Hydreigon safe from Hyper Voice. The two also generally take on what the other hates pretty well. Lastly, between the two of them, Hydreigon and Aegislash resist or are immune to every type in the game. Pokemon that can bust through Steel- and Fairy-types are also good partners for Hydreigon. Landorus-T and Garchomp are both fine choices, though watch out for Blizzard. Fake Out support is useful as well to narrow down what can attack Hydreigon for the turn. Mega Kangaskhan and Hitmontop go especially well with it. Redirecting Dragon- and Fighting-type attacks is also useful for Hydreigon. Togekiss and Amoonguss in particular make for great partners.
Life Orb
########
name: Life Orb
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Protect
ability: Levitate
item: Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpAtk / 252 Spe
nature: Modest
Moves
========
This set trades the drawbacks of being locked into one attack for less power and durability. Draco Meteor still hits very hard with a Life Orb and is your go to attack. Dark Pulse gives you a reliable STAB attack. Fire Blast is used for coverage against Steel-types and is used here over Flamethrower and Earth Power because of the drop in power from the Choice set. Protect allows Hydreigon to shield itself for a turn to avoid double targeting and what normally threatens it.
Set Details
========
Life Orb is your most powerful item choice if you wish for Hydreigon to hit hard with Draco Meteor while keeping Protect and the ability to switch moves. Modest is chosen for as much power Hydreigon can muster; Hydreigon's power drops severely as you begin to take investment out of Special Attack. Due to the Life Orb, investing defensive EVs to live certain hits isn't particularly useful, as Hydreigon will still be knocked out from Life Orb recoil.
Usage Tips
========
Hydreigon is a very simple Pokemon to use. Come in, use Draco Meteor on a Pokemon vulnerable to it, then switch out to restore Hydreigon's Special Attack. Be aware of what Steel- and Fairy-types your opponent is carrying and avoid using Draco Meteor on an obvious switch.
Team Options
========
Hydreigon likes the presence of Steel-types such as Aegislash, Metagross, and Mawile to switch into Dragon- and Fairy-type attacks aimed at Hydreigon. Steel-type killers such as Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Arcanine are also great partners for Hydreigon, making sure it can fire off Draco Meteors uninhibited. Fake Out and redirectional support are recommended for this Hydreigon set; Kangaskhan, Amoonguss, and Togekiss are good choices.
Other Options
########
Flash Cannon is an alternate coverage option on the Choice Specs set that can 2HKO Sylveon. However, its coverage is poor outside of that. Heat Wave's spread damage reduction will make Hydreigon miss out on KOs versus very relevant Steel-types such as Mega Mawile; however, it's still somewhat useful, as it's probably Hydreigons most useful spread attack. Focus Blast destroys most Steel-types and nets a clean OHKO on Mega Kangaskhan, but it's inaccurate. U-turn is useful to get Hydreigon out and cause minor damage if you're expecting a switch. Hydreigon has access to Superpower and Rock Slide as well as a pretty solid Attack stat, but generally its Draco Meteors are doing a lot more. Hydreigon also has Tailwind, but Salamence and the Lati twins have better defensive typings and make better users of the move. A Haban Berry can let Hydreigon live some of the weaker Draco Meteors in the metagame, but the loss of a boosting item is harsh.
Checks & Counters
########
**Fairy-types**: Sylveon annihilates Hydreigon and other Fairy-types such as Togekiss, Gardevoir, and Whimsicott can deal with it effortlessly.
**Steel-types**: If it's lacking the appropriate coverage move, Steel-types can cause trouble for Hydreigon. Most of them are still vulnerable to a neutral Dark Pulse, but forcing Hydreigon not to use Draco Meteor is useful in itself.
**Faster Dragon-, Ice-, and Fighting-types**: A number of Pokemon can outspeed and OHKO Hydreigon with their super effective attacks. These include Salamence, Latios, Garchomp, Greninja, Weavile, and Terrakion.
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