Darkrai @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Bad Dreams
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Tera Type: Poison / Dark / Fighting
Timid Nature
- Dark Pulse
- Sludge Bomb
- Focus Blast / Trick
- Ice Beam / Trick
[SET COMMENTS]
Darkrai, owing to its already impressive speed stat, is among one of the tier's most consistent revenge killers and an outstanding piece of speed control. Outspeeding the entirety of OU's metagame, Choice Scarf Darkrai reliably threatens Iron Valiant, Deoxys-Speed, and Enamorus. It can also threaten other, more specially bulky Pokemon with prior chip damage. Sludge Bomb is mandatory to threaten Fairy-types like Enamorus and Iron Valiant. Focus Blast is used to smash Steel-types and Dark-types like Hisuian Samurott, Kingambit, and Iron Treads. Ice Beam effectively forces out many common ground types like Great Tusk, Landorus-T, and Gliscor which otherwise could easily get off hazards against it. Trick can be used over the previous two moves, as it allows Darkrai to incapacitate a sweeper, like Dragonite, or a wall, like Clodsire, long term and grants it the flexibility of being able to switch moves. It's important to note when you're using Trick that you're only forcing a Pokemon to lock into a move, so be sure to have an actual switch-in into whatever you're tricking. Tera Poison is used to strengthen Sludge Bomb's damage output, allowing it to threaten the bulkier Clefable, while also coming with the added benefit of resisting the many Fairies' Moonblast, Great Tusk, and Zamazenta's STABS, while letting survive Rillaboom's Grassy Glide in a pinch. Tera Dark is decent, turning many 3HKOs like Gouging Fire, Walking Wake, and Kyurem into 2HKOS. Additionally, in the late game, a boosted Dark Pulse can easily clean up a weakened team. Tera Fighting can also be used with Focus Blast, giving the move incredible power that allows Darkrai to OHKO Roaring Moon, Heatran, and 2HKO the mighty Ting-Lu.
Darkrai fits best on offensive teams that necessitate its revenge killing talents. It’s important to that Darkrai actually has issues revenge killing as a result of Terastallization, with many usually clean revenge kills being complicated by the type changing mechanic. This issue is only compounded by the fact that all of Darkrai’s moves all have common switch-ins, so it’s very important to have other answers to the Pokemon Darkrai aims to revenge kill. As a result, Primarina is a solid partner, with it’s typing and firepower being able to check switch-ins to Dark Pulse like Iron Valiant, Enamrous, and Heatran, notably safely scout for potential Terastallizations against them, and provide momentum with Flip Turn. Landorus-Therian is similarly a good partner, with its ability to check physical attackers that Darkrai can't safely revenge kill in the event of Terastalllization, such as Roaring Moon, Dragonite, or Great Tusk, while still providing momentum with U-turn and its Stealth Rock that help put Darkrai's victims into range. Additionally, it can disrupt many Darkrain switchins with Taunt, like Ting-Lu, Clodsire, and Blissey. On the topic of hazards, Cinderace and Great Tusk are also good partners, as they provide hazard control that is seriously appreciated by Darkrai, which otherwise will get chipped down as it switches in and out of the field to apply pressure. Great Tusk is a nice partner due to its ability to check many priority users that would otherwise deny Darkrai its ability to revenge kill, such as Kingambit, Raging Bolt, and Dragonite. It also can pressure Clodsire, Ting-Lu, and Garganacl, denying their hazards and being able to threaten them with significant damage that prevents them from switching into Darkrai. Cinderace is effective as a result of its ability to Court Change off hazards and spread burns to Pokemon that could otherwise outpace Darkrai, such as Rillaboom and Ogerpon while its Libero U-turn dents Hisuian Samurott. Dragapult is also a great partner due to its anti-offensive nature, with its speedy Will-O-Wisps and Thunder Waves allowing it to be Darkrai's fall back line in the event of an unexpected Tera. It handles many switchins like Rillaboom, the Ogerpon formes, and Zamazenta by debilitating them with status and providing pivoting with U-turn. Darkrai also appreciates its ability to deconstruct stall, which it otherwise matches up poorly into. Gouging Fire is also a good partner, as its tremendous bulk and typing affords it the ability to answer many of Darkrai's counters, checking Weavile, Rillaboom, and Ogerpon, letting it safely set up and eliminate these Pokemon that Darkrai cannot reliably beat, while also forcing Terastallizations from opposing teams allowing Darkrai to revenge kill with greater ease. Gouging Fire, in turn, seriously appreciates Darkrai's ability to eliminate targets that threaten it, like Iron Valiant, Roaring Moon, and Lando-T. Kingambit also loves Darkrai's ability to outpace Iron Valiant, as Darkrai opens up Kingambit in the late game, as it KOs or at least forces chip on key targets, putting them in range of Sucker Punch. Furthermore, Darkrai can also cripple physical walls like Dondozo or Skarmory with Trick, as it conversely enjoys Kingambit's Sucker Punch putting targets in range of its attacks and Iron Head eliminating Clefable and Primarina. Raging Bolt is an effective partner, as Darkrai's ability to Trick and shut down special walls like Blissey, Skeledirge, and Clodsire is great for opening it up against bulkier teams. Darkrai's coverage in Focus Blast can help simplify Raging Bolt's endgame, as it KOs Roaring Moon and Kingambit, notably simplifying the mindgames between it and the latter, while Ice Beam can also help eliminate Ground-types like Great Tusk, Lando-T, and Gliscor for it to spam Thunderclap late game.
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/smg-notfunny.621033/
Quality checked by:
Grammar checked by:
Ability: Bad Dreams
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Tera Type: Poison / Dark / Fighting
Timid Nature
- Dark Pulse
- Sludge Bomb
- Focus Blast / Trick
- Ice Beam / Trick
[SET COMMENTS]
Darkrai, owing to its already impressive speed stat, is among one of the tier's most consistent revenge killers and an outstanding piece of speed control. Outspeeding the entirety of OU's metagame, Choice Scarf Darkrai reliably threatens Iron Valiant, Deoxys-Speed, and Enamorus. It can also threaten other, more specially bulky Pokemon with prior chip damage. Sludge Bomb is mandatory to threaten Fairy-types like Enamorus and Iron Valiant. Focus Blast is used to smash Steel-types and Dark-types like Hisuian Samurott, Kingambit, and Iron Treads. Ice Beam effectively forces out many common ground types like Great Tusk, Landorus-T, and Gliscor which otherwise could easily get off hazards against it. Trick can be used over the previous two moves, as it allows Darkrai to incapacitate a sweeper, like Dragonite, or a wall, like Clodsire, long term and grants it the flexibility of being able to switch moves. It's important to note when you're using Trick that you're only forcing a Pokemon to lock into a move, so be sure to have an actual switch-in into whatever you're tricking. Tera Poison is used to strengthen Sludge Bomb's damage output, allowing it to threaten the bulkier Clefable, while also coming with the added benefit of resisting the many Fairies' Moonblast, Great Tusk, and Zamazenta's STABS, while letting survive Rillaboom's Grassy Glide in a pinch. Tera Dark is decent, turning many 3HKOs like Gouging Fire, Walking Wake, and Kyurem into 2HKOS. Additionally, in the late game, a boosted Dark Pulse can easily clean up a weakened team. Tera Fighting can also be used with Focus Blast, giving the move incredible power that allows Darkrai to OHKO Roaring Moon, Heatran, and 2HKO the mighty Ting-Lu.
Darkrai fits best on offensive teams that necessitate its revenge killing talents. It’s important to that Darkrai actually has issues revenge killing as a result of Terastallization, with many usually clean revenge kills being complicated by the type changing mechanic. This issue is only compounded by the fact that all of Darkrai’s moves all have common switch-ins, so it’s very important to have other answers to the Pokemon Darkrai aims to revenge kill. As a result, Primarina is a solid partner, with it’s typing and firepower being able to check switch-ins to Dark Pulse like Iron Valiant, Enamrous, and Heatran, notably safely scout for potential Terastallizations against them, and provide momentum with Flip Turn. Landorus-Therian is similarly a good partner, with its ability to check physical attackers that Darkrai can't safely revenge kill in the event of Terastalllization, such as Roaring Moon, Dragonite, or Great Tusk, while still providing momentum with U-turn and its Stealth Rock that help put Darkrai's victims into range. Additionally, it can disrupt many Darkrain switchins with Taunt, like Ting-Lu, Clodsire, and Blissey. On the topic of hazards, Cinderace and Great Tusk are also good partners, as they provide hazard control that is seriously appreciated by Darkrai, which otherwise will get chipped down as it switches in and out of the field to apply pressure. Great Tusk is a nice partner due to its ability to check many priority users that would otherwise deny Darkrai its ability to revenge kill, such as Kingambit, Raging Bolt, and Dragonite. It also can pressure Clodsire, Ting-Lu, and Garganacl, denying their hazards and being able to threaten them with significant damage that prevents them from switching into Darkrai. Cinderace is effective as a result of its ability to Court Change off hazards and spread burns to Pokemon that could otherwise outpace Darkrai, such as Rillaboom and Ogerpon while its Libero U-turn dents Hisuian Samurott. Dragapult is also a great partner due to its anti-offensive nature, with its speedy Will-O-Wisps and Thunder Waves allowing it to be Darkrai's fall back line in the event of an unexpected Tera. It handles many switchins like Rillaboom, the Ogerpon formes, and Zamazenta by debilitating them with status and providing pivoting with U-turn. Darkrai also appreciates its ability to deconstruct stall, which it otherwise matches up poorly into. Gouging Fire is also a good partner, as its tremendous bulk and typing affords it the ability to answer many of Darkrai's counters, checking Weavile, Rillaboom, and Ogerpon, letting it safely set up and eliminate these Pokemon that Darkrai cannot reliably beat, while also forcing Terastallizations from opposing teams allowing Darkrai to revenge kill with greater ease. Gouging Fire, in turn, seriously appreciates Darkrai's ability to eliminate targets that threaten it, like Iron Valiant, Roaring Moon, and Lando-T. Kingambit also loves Darkrai's ability to outpace Iron Valiant, as Darkrai opens up Kingambit in the late game, as it KOs or at least forces chip on key targets, putting them in range of Sucker Punch. Furthermore, Darkrai can also cripple physical walls like Dondozo or Skarmory with Trick, as it conversely enjoys Kingambit's Sucker Punch putting targets in range of its attacks and Iron Head eliminating Clefable and Primarina. Raging Bolt is an effective partner, as Darkrai's ability to Trick and shut down special walls like Blissey, Skeledirge, and Clodsire is great for opening it up against bulkier teams. Darkrai's coverage in Focus Blast can help simplify Raging Bolt's endgame, as it KOs Roaring Moon and Kingambit, notably simplifying the mindgames between it and the latter, while Ice Beam can also help eliminate Ground-types like Great Tusk, Lando-T, and Gliscor for it to spam Thunderclap late game.
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/smg-notfunny.621033/
Quality checked by:
Grammar checked by:
Last edited:
