http://www.smogon.com/bw/pokemon/altaria
First analysis here, bulky DD and Defensive are pure theory for now. I'll get around to testing them.
[Overview]
-CLOUDS
-Dragon which is always great (only fully evolved one besides Druddigon)
-Dragon Dance, most reliable one in the tier Outrage + EQ is pretty much perfect coverage
- Steels are very rare (Magneton, Klinklang, Bastiodon, Probopass)
- Good defenses, good defensive typing, Roost, Cotton Guard, Natural Cure = good defensive threat (counters stuff like Eggy, HP Ice-less Magmortar, Emboar)
- Pretty weak without set-up, and bulky neutral pokemon can take a +1 Outrage and its SR Weak, exploitable ice weakness
[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]
- Kinda like NUs Salamence
- Outrage + EQ gets pretty much complete coverage minus Bronzor (you can run Fire Blast for it)
- Adamant hits really hard but Jolly outspeeds a couple of key scarfers like Adamant Scarf Sawk and Scarf Rotom-F, Timid Scarf Glaceon and stuff.
-Natural Cure is better since it allows Altaria a way around status which cripples her but Cloud Nine can let you sweep weather teams. (not hail tho)
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- Fire Blast, Sub
- Magneton/ Duggy help a lot (Magnezone + Altaria cover Weaknesses very well) U-turners like Swellow and Braviary and lure out Steels to be trapped and killed. DClaw version can just Earthquake them.
- SR and other Hazards are really helpful since then Pokemon like Regice and Articuno cannot reliably take a hit and KO back.
- Wants damage on Pokemon like Slowking and other bulky Pokemon (at like 70% ish) so she can just Outrage through them. A general wallbreaker like Magmortar or Emboar does this very well.
- Spinning Support is good.
[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]
- really bulky, nifty Fire, Fighting, Wter, Grass, Ground Resistances
- Walls stuff like Eggy, Magmortar (without HP Ice), Leafeon, basically anything specially based without Ice Beam.
- Roost Heals, Dpulse hits stuff (more BP than Claw)
- Toxic can Damage stuff but you become ultimate fodder for Klinklang
- Roar / Perish Song phase to make things unable to set up
- Heal Bell can support a team with getting rid of status
- Cotton Guard to never ever die (Torterra can only do: 34.5% - 40.7% with and Adamant LO Stone Edge, Beartic's Adamant Icicle Crash doesn't OHKO without LO) except Toxic and Ice Beam.
- Works best on a defensive Stall team or as a very good pivot.
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- Haze, Flamethrower, Claw, cotton guard
- Hazards Hazards Hazards forces switches, Roars a lot, Perish Song, by being generally annoying
- Burns are fun too patching up the lower Def
- Pairs well with Slowking or Frillish who lure in things like Leafeon and Exeggutor that Altaria comes in for free on and can set up a Cotton Guard or just start phazing Frillish blocks spin too. They can also absorb Ice Beams
- Spinning helps a lot too. Cryo comes in on bulky waters that Altaria doesn't like.
- Rhydon, Garbodor, Regirock, Armaldo can all set up rocks or Spikes reliably and have some sort of defensive synergy with Altaria (Altaria resists all of their weaknesses besides Psychic) Armaldo can Spin
[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]
- Tries to get up multiple boosts and then wreck teams
- Cannot hit hard off the bat and come back for a clean sweep, but can be used as a defensive pivot
- DD for set up, DClaw instead of Outrage so it can keep hitting without locking itself into stuff, Roost for Healing
- Heal Bell curse annoying poisons and burns since Dragon Claw has super neutral coverage anyways
- EQ eats steels for breakfast
- Cotton Guard make her really hard to take out and she just sets up DDs all day
- EVs go for max bulk (Special cause of her resists but I'm not really sure, might go try and come up with a nice mixed spread) and outspeeding neutral +1 base 85s after two boosts (Scarf Sawk) as well as the whole unboosted metagame besides Ninjask and Electrode (52 EVs for Electrode, I have yet to see an Electrode though...)
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- Roar, Physically Defensive, Outrage, Sub
- Cloud Nines makes it shit on Sun and Rain for the most part. Rain has a lot of Ice though.
- Needs anything with Ice Beam and bulk out of the way (Lapras, Articuno) And Quaggy Really Sucks
- Spin Support, SR, Toxic Spikes is really cool too. Burn is also very helpful allowing Her to be really defensive.
- Duggy/Magneton partner well. Things that can lure out and KO bulky waters
- W/o Heal Bell Toxic/Burn ruins it
[Other Options]
- Sub
- Fire Attacks
- Cloud Nine
- Cotton Guard
- Choice Specs can lol around with Meteor and Band hits obscenely hard.
- Sunny Day and stuff
[Checks and Counters]
- Steels beat it except EQ klinklang sets up, Magneton can hurt it with thunderbolt, Bastiodon and Probopass can take Outrages all day and KO back with Metal Burst or Power Gem (Bronzor Wormadan don't care about EQ but they suck)
- SR
- Decently bulky stuff with Ice Beam. Regice, Articuno, Slowking, Lapras Walrein can take a +1 Outrage and can OHKO back with Ice Beam, REgirock and Caracosta can use Rock Attacks
- Ice Shard Sucks (just Piloswine but still)
- Other generally bulky Pokemon like Tangela and Weezing can take take a hit and status it but loses to bulky DD.
