[OVERVIEW]
Dialga is one of the best Stealth Rock setters in Ubers due to its bulk, access to useful support moves, and ability to hit entry hazard removers such as Giratina-O, Arceus-Dragon, and Arceus-Water quite hard. Its great defensive typing and natural bulk make it relatively hard to take down. However, it often faces competition from other Stealth Rock setters, such as Primal Groudon and Excadrill, with the former easily being the most powerful Pokemon in the tier and the latter also being able to clear opposing hazards. Dialga's weakness to Ground-types, such as Arceus-Ground and Excadrill, also hurts its viability quite a bit, as does its weakness to common threats, with Mega Lucario and Primal Groudon being particularly good. Dialga also has mediocre Speed and suffers from four-moveslot syndrome.
[SET]
name: Offensive Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Flash Cannon / Fire Blast
move 4: Toxic
item: Shuca Berry
ability: Pressure
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stealth Rock can help sweepers by damaging foes and breaking Shadow Shield and Multiscale. Draco Meteor is a powerful Dragon-type STAB move and deals a significant amount of damage to Pokemon that don't resist it. Flash Cannon helps Dialga hit Fairy-types and is a generally good Steel-type STAB move that can be used instead of Draco Meteor to hit foes hard without reducing Dialga's Special Attack. Instead of Flash Cannon, Fire Blast can work well, as it is a great coverage move to hit Steel-types such as Ferrthorn and Solgaleo. Toxic is a great utility move that can cripple foes, especially bulky sweepers such as Xerneas. Thunder can deal heavy damage to Primal Kyogre, Arceus-Water, Ho-Oh, and Lugia, but Dialga's other moves are better in most scenarios. Roar is an option to keep sweepers from setting up after Dialga uses Draco Meteor.
Set Details
========
A Shuca Berry lets Dialga avoid being OHKOed by Primal Groudon and act as a decent check to Mega Salamence. 252 Special Attack EVs and a Modest nature help Dialga do maximum damage. The rest of Dialga's EVs are invested to maximize its HP and augment Dialga's natural bulk so it can survive long enough to set up Stealth Rock.
Usage Tips
========
Dialga makes a great lead, but this is not its only purpose. Dialga can function throughout the game to keep entry hazards up, as well as functioning as a Mega Salamence check for offensive teams. Dialga makes a great switch-in to Toxic, as many Toxic users can't do much against it. It is good to use Toxic often, especially against bulkier Defog users such as Lugia, Giratina-O, and Arceus-Water. Using Draco Meteor on a predicted switch to a Pokemon Dialga doesn't like to face can deal heavy damage before Dialga needs to switch out. Similarly, using Fire Blast against predicted Steel-types and Flash Cannon against predicted Fairy-types can deal a lot of damage to Dialga's counters.
Team Options
========
Primal Groudon pairs quite well with Dialga, as Dialga can relieve Primal Groudon of its role as a Stealth Rock setter and can help it sweep with Stealth Rock, while Primal Groudon makes a good Xerneas check. Setup sweepers in general appreciate Dialga's ability to set up Stealth Rock. Examples include Xerneas, Swords Dance Arceus formes, and Mega Salamence. Ho-Oh can check Fighting-, Fairy-, and Steel-types for Dialga, and as such it makes a great teammate for Dialga. Mega Gengar can trap and remove Fairy-types and even some Steel-types. Checks to Primal Groudon, such as Arceus-Water, Lugia, and Primal Kyogre, can help Dialga by removing one of its biggest threats. Physical wallbreakers, like Extreme Killer Arceus, Mega Lucario, and Swords Dance Primal Groudon, can help deal with the special walls that Dialga struggles with.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dragonium Z can allow Dialga to deal very heavy damage with Devastating Drake, but this causes it to become weak to Mega Salamence with Earthquake and even weaker to Primal Groudon. Thunder Wave can be used, but Toxic is much more useful, as it lets Dialga punish Defog users. Z-Heal Block allows Dialga to boost its Special Attack to a level where it can sweep, but this requires a fully dedicated set and can only be used once, and Dialga's counterpart, Palkia, does the job much better. A physical set with Dragon Claw and Iron Head can surprise special walls, but Dialga has a much better Special Attack stat, and it usually only surprises your opponent once. 3 attacks + Trick Room could work, as Dialga makes a good setter, but bulky Arceus formes stop it in its tracks. A Chople Berry can make Dialga a surprise check to Mega Lucario, but it doesn't have much utility past this. Other Speed investments can be used; a Timid nature with 252 Speed EVs let Dialga Speed tie with maximum Speed Primal Groudon and outpace maximum Speed Excadrill, and 112 Speed EVs let Dialga just outspeed Tyranitar. Subzero Slammer can surprise and OHKO Arceus-Ground and other Pokemon, but it takes up an item and a moveslot, neither of which Dialga can really afford.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Arceus-Ground**: Arceus-Ground's great Special Defense, access to Defog, and super effective Judgment make it arguably Dialga's best counter. Despite this, Dialga can cripple it with Toxic on the switch.
**Primal Groudon**: Primal Groudon has good bulk, super effective STAB moves, and the ability to set up Stealth Rock, but Dialga can hit it with Draco Meteor for high damage.
**Ho-Oh**: Although it loses half of its HP from Stealth Rock, Ho-Oh can utilize its Regenerator ability to switch into attacks, absorb them with its great Special Defense, and heal up with Roost. It is possible for Dialga to run Thunder, but other than that, it can do almost nothing to Ho-Oh.
**Fighting-types**: Mega Lucario, Blaziken, and Mega Mewtwo X can all break through Dialga without much difficulty.
**Steel-types**: If Dialga lacks Fire Blast, it is completely walled by Steel-types such as Mega Lucario and Celesteela. The former can easily KO Dialga, and the latter can completely stall it out.
**Special Walls**: Special walls such as Primal Kyogre, Blissey, Lugia, and bulky Arceus formes can all be a problem to deal with, as Dialga can't do much but Toxic them. Additionally, bulky Arceus formes commonly carry Defog.
**Entry Hazard Removal**: Despite Dialga's pretty good matchups against common Defog users, many hazard removers still give it trouble. Excadrill can hit Dialga with a super effective Earthquake, and Tentacruel can easily switch in on anything but Thunder with its high Special Defense and good defensive typing.
**Lunala**: Lunala's great bulk, lack of weaknesses to any of Dialga's coverage attacks, and its powerful STAB Moongeist Beam let it easily break Dialga.
Dialga is one of the best Stealth Rock setters in Ubers due to its bulk, access to useful support moves, and ability to hit entry hazard removers such as Giratina-O, Arceus-Dragon, and Arceus-Water quite hard. Its great defensive typing and natural bulk make it relatively hard to take down. However, it often faces competition from other Stealth Rock setters, such as Primal Groudon and Excadrill, with the former easily being the most powerful Pokemon in the tier and the latter also being able to clear opposing hazards. Dialga's weakness to Ground-types, such as Arceus-Ground and Excadrill, also hurts its viability quite a bit, as does its weakness to common threats, with Mega Lucario and Primal Groudon being particularly good. Dialga also has mediocre Speed and suffers from four-moveslot syndrome.
[SET]
name: Offensive Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Flash Cannon / Fire Blast
move 4: Toxic
item: Shuca Berry
ability: Pressure
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Stealth Rock can help sweepers by damaging foes and breaking Shadow Shield and Multiscale. Draco Meteor is a powerful Dragon-type STAB move and deals a significant amount of damage to Pokemon that don't resist it. Flash Cannon helps Dialga hit Fairy-types and is a generally good Steel-type STAB move that can be used instead of Draco Meteor to hit foes hard without reducing Dialga's Special Attack. Instead of Flash Cannon, Fire Blast can work well, as it is a great coverage move to hit Steel-types such as Ferrthorn and Solgaleo. Toxic is a great utility move that can cripple foes, especially bulky sweepers such as Xerneas. Thunder can deal heavy damage to Primal Kyogre, Arceus-Water, Ho-Oh, and Lugia, but Dialga's other moves are better in most scenarios. Roar is an option to keep sweepers from setting up after Dialga uses Draco Meteor.
Set Details
========
A Shuca Berry lets Dialga avoid being OHKOed by Primal Groudon and act as a decent check to Mega Salamence. 252 Special Attack EVs and a Modest nature help Dialga do maximum damage. The rest of Dialga's EVs are invested to maximize its HP and augment Dialga's natural bulk so it can survive long enough to set up Stealth Rock.
Usage Tips
========
Dialga makes a great lead, but this is not its only purpose. Dialga can function throughout the game to keep entry hazards up, as well as functioning as a Mega Salamence check for offensive teams. Dialga makes a great switch-in to Toxic, as many Toxic users can't do much against it. It is good to use Toxic often, especially against bulkier Defog users such as Lugia, Giratina-O, and Arceus-Water. Using Draco Meteor on a predicted switch to a Pokemon Dialga doesn't like to face can deal heavy damage before Dialga needs to switch out. Similarly, using Fire Blast against predicted Steel-types and Flash Cannon against predicted Fairy-types can deal a lot of damage to Dialga's counters.
Team Options
========
Primal Groudon pairs quite well with Dialga, as Dialga can relieve Primal Groudon of its role as a Stealth Rock setter and can help it sweep with Stealth Rock, while Primal Groudon makes a good Xerneas check. Setup sweepers in general appreciate Dialga's ability to set up Stealth Rock. Examples include Xerneas, Swords Dance Arceus formes, and Mega Salamence. Ho-Oh can check Fighting-, Fairy-, and Steel-types for Dialga, and as such it makes a great teammate for Dialga. Mega Gengar can trap and remove Fairy-types and even some Steel-types. Checks to Primal Groudon, such as Arceus-Water, Lugia, and Primal Kyogre, can help Dialga by removing one of its biggest threats. Physical wallbreakers, like Extreme Killer Arceus, Mega Lucario, and Swords Dance Primal Groudon, can help deal with the special walls that Dialga struggles with.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Dragonium Z can allow Dialga to deal very heavy damage with Devastating Drake, but this causes it to become weak to Mega Salamence with Earthquake and even weaker to Primal Groudon. Thunder Wave can be used, but Toxic is much more useful, as it lets Dialga punish Defog users. Z-Heal Block allows Dialga to boost its Special Attack to a level where it can sweep, but this requires a fully dedicated set and can only be used once, and Dialga's counterpart, Palkia, does the job much better. A physical set with Dragon Claw and Iron Head can surprise special walls, but Dialga has a much better Special Attack stat, and it usually only surprises your opponent once. 3 attacks + Trick Room could work, as Dialga makes a good setter, but bulky Arceus formes stop it in its tracks. A Chople Berry can make Dialga a surprise check to Mega Lucario, but it doesn't have much utility past this. Other Speed investments can be used; a Timid nature with 252 Speed EVs let Dialga Speed tie with maximum Speed Primal Groudon and outpace maximum Speed Excadrill, and 112 Speed EVs let Dialga just outspeed Tyranitar. Subzero Slammer can surprise and OHKO Arceus-Ground and other Pokemon, but it takes up an item and a moveslot, neither of which Dialga can really afford.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Arceus-Ground**: Arceus-Ground's great Special Defense, access to Defog, and super effective Judgment make it arguably Dialga's best counter. Despite this, Dialga can cripple it with Toxic on the switch.
**Primal Groudon**: Primal Groudon has good bulk, super effective STAB moves, and the ability to set up Stealth Rock, but Dialga can hit it with Draco Meteor for high damage.
**Ho-Oh**: Although it loses half of its HP from Stealth Rock, Ho-Oh can utilize its Regenerator ability to switch into attacks, absorb them with its great Special Defense, and heal up with Roost. It is possible for Dialga to run Thunder, but other than that, it can do almost nothing to Ho-Oh.
**Fighting-types**: Mega Lucario, Blaziken, and Mega Mewtwo X can all break through Dialga without much difficulty.
**Steel-types**: If Dialga lacks Fire Blast, it is completely walled by Steel-types such as Mega Lucario and Celesteela. The former can easily KO Dialga, and the latter can completely stall it out.
**Special Walls**: Special walls such as Primal Kyogre, Blissey, Lugia, and bulky Arceus formes can all be a problem to deal with, as Dialga can't do much but Toxic them. Additionally, bulky Arceus formes commonly carry Defog.
**Entry Hazard Removal**: Despite Dialga's pretty good matchups against common Defog users, many hazard removers still give it trouble. Excadrill can hit Dialga with a super effective Earthquake, and Tentacruel can easily switch in on anything but Thunder with its high Special Defense and good defensive typing.
**Lunala**: Lunala's great bulk, lack of weaknesses to any of Dialga's coverage attacks, and its powerful STAB Moongeist Beam let it easily break Dialga.
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