[Overview]
<p>Thanks to the introduction of the Eviolite, Dragonair can finally use its excellent defensive typing and ability to attempt a sweep with Dragon Dance. In a tier where there is strong competition from other NFE Dragon-types, Dragonair's distinguishing feature is its access to ExtremeSpeed. With ExtremeSpeed, Dragonair isn't as easily revenge killed by threats such as Jynx and Cryogonal, as opposed to the rest of NU's pool of Dragon-types. Unfortunately, while Dragonair's offensive typing is well-suited for the tier, its rather mediocre stats mean that it has difficulty breaking through most of NU's dedicated physical walls and has trouble taking hits without Eviolite. Despite this, Dragonair can prove to be a formidable sweeper.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulky Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Rest
item: Eviolite
ability: Shed Skin
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set capitalizes on Dragonair's excellent defensive typing, bulk, and ability in order to set up multiple Dragon Dances to attempt a sweep. Outrage serves as a powerful STAB attack, and Waterfall provides excellent coverage with it, making it a good option when you don't want to lock Dragonair into Outrage. Waterfall can also be used to hit Steel-types such as Bastiodon and Probopass (who are hit super effectively due to their partial Rock typing) and common physical walls such as Regirock or Golem. Furthermore, Waterfall's flinch rate can help Dragonair break down walls such as Weezing. Rest without Sleep Talk may seem questionable, especially with BW's new sleep mechanics, but with Dragonair's ability, Shed Skin, it has a 30% chance of waking up each turn, as well as curing itself of other forms status that hinder its ability to sweep, such as burn and paralysis.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread and nature maximize Dragonair's Special Defense, supporting Dragonair's typing which grants it resistances to common special attacking types such as Fire, Water, Grass, and Electric. A more offensive EV spread of 112 HP / 252 Atk / 144 Spe with an Adamant nature can be used to maximize Dragonair's attacking power while enabling it to outrun base 95s after a Dragon Dance. Rest isn't very useful with this spread; usually Dragonair can get only one or two Dragon Dances and attack. This is something of a compromise between an all-out offensive set and a bulky set. Dragon Tail can be used over Waterfall, as it is more powerful and can enable Dragonair to stop opponents from setting up alongside it. Aqua Tail can also be used over Waterfall for a slight increase of power, but it is much less reliable and doesn't have a flinch rate.</p>
<p>Dragonair appreciates cleric support if it is forced to switch out while still asleep. Miltank can utilize Heal Bell and sponge Ice-type attacks thanks to its Thick Fat ability. Rotom-F makes a good partner to Dragonair, as it can spread paralysis to help Dragonair set up or outspeed foes, or use Will-O-Wisp on opponents so Dragonair can take physical hits better. Dragonair has trouble getting past physical walls such as Weezing and Leafeon, so Jynx can be used as a partner to eliminate both of them with her dual STABs. Finally, Dragonair appreciates hazard support as its less-than-stellar Attack won't always secure KOs on its own. Probopass is a good candidate to provide Stealth Rock thanks to the good type synergy shared between the two, while Garbodor can provide Spikes or Toxic Spikes, which greatly hinder Quagsire's ability to wall Dragonair.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: ExtremeSpeed
item: Life Orb
ability: Shed Skin
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Dragonair's base 84 Attack is below average, it is sufficient for a fully offensive set, given the high Base Power and excellent neutral coverage of Outrage alone. Dragonair also outruns most of the unboosted metagame after a Dragon Dance, and can deal with anything faster or opposing priority users with ExtremeSpeed. This set takes a much more offensive approach to Dragon Dance sweeping than the bulky set. However, note that this set has significantly more initial power, but unlike the bulky set, this one struggles to set up one Dragon Dance, let alone several. If Dragonair does manage to get a Dragon Dance, Outrage will deal heavy damage to anything that doesn't resist it. However, Outrage must be used much more conservatively on this set than the bulky set. If Dragonair locks itself into Outrage against something that can take it, it could spell trouble for Dragonair, as it can't survive most neutral attacks without Eviolite. Waterfall rounds out the set, providing perfect neutral coverage alongside Outrage, while also having excellent coverage alongside ExtremeSpeed if you don't want to lock Dragonair into Outrage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread maximizes Dragonair's potency as a sweeper, providing it with as much Attack and Speed as possible. An Adamant nature lets Dragonair outspeed Braviary at +1, while Jolly puts it ahead of Swellow. Additionally, a Jolly nature allows Dragonair to outrun more threats without a boost, as it might not get a Dragon Dance in. However, Adamant is preferred because base 84 Attack is not exactly stellar, and ExtremeSpeed somewhat compensates for the Speed drop, OHKOing Swellow after Stealth Rock at +1. Life Orb is the only item to consider on such an offensive set. Shed Skin is the ability of choice, as it might cure Dragonair from paralysis or burn, both of which greatly hinder its chance at sweeping. Dragon Rush can be used if you don't like the prospect of getting locked and confused by using Outrage, but it has very unreliable accuracy and Dragonair can't afford missing due to its less-than-stellar bulk without Eviolite.</p>
<p>This set loves hazard support, as following Stealth Rock damage, Dragonair can OHKO Jynx with an unboosted ExtremeSpeed, Swellow with a +1 ExtremeSpeed, along with a chance at OHKOing Cryogonal with a +0 ExtremeSpeed. Dragonair can also make use of paralysis support to setup. Probopass can provide both Stealth Rock and paralysis support, while also being able to check Ice-types thanks to its typing. Without Eviolite, Dragonair has trouble taking even some neutral hits. As such, dual screen support can aid Dragonair's setup. Mesprit is an excellent user of dual screens, and it can even give Dragonair another chance at sweeping by fully restoring its HP with Healing Wish. Jynx makes a great offensive partner to Dragonair, as she can take on common physical walls that will give Dragonair trouble, such as Weezing and Leafeon, while Dragonair can beat some of Jynx's checks, such as Torkoal or Magmortar, with Waterfall. Jynx can also switch into Ice-type attacks aimed at Dragonair, and Dragonair can take Fire-type attacks for Jynx.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>A special attacking set can be used as Dragonair has an excellent special movepool that includes Draco Meteor, Fire Blast, Dragon Pulse, and Surf, but thanks to its Base 70 Special Attack, Dragonair has severe difficulty breaking through dedicated special walls. A mixed set could work to secure surprise KOs, but Dragonair's attacking stats are both fairly mediocre, so splitting EVs between them would greatly hurt its ability to sweep. Dragonair can use a RestTalk set, but unfortunately Marvel Scale is illegal with Sleep Talk, and Shed Skin makes it difficult to predict when Dragonair will wake up. Defensive sets, such as a parashuffler set using Rest, Dragon Tail, Thunder Wave, and Waterfall, are an option, but Dragonair's lack of reliable recovery affects their usefulness.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Quagsire is one of the best counters to Dragonair: thanks to Unaware, it can nullify any of Dragonair's Attack boosts, while easily recovering off any damage done. Weezing can take any of Dragonair's +1 attacks thanks to its impressive physical bulk and KO Dragonair with Ice Beam. Weezing is also immune to Spikes, meaning it has more opportunities to switch into Dragonair. Dragonair has difficulty breaking through Leafeon and Tangela, who sport two of the highest Defenses in NU and both resist Waterfall. Finally, Choice Scarf users such Jynx or Rotom-F can revenge kill Dragonair; however, they must watch out for ExtremeSpeed.</p>
<p>Thanks to the introduction of the Eviolite, Dragonair can finally use its excellent defensive typing and ability to attempt a sweep with Dragon Dance. In a tier where there is strong competition from other NFE Dragon-types, Dragonair's distinguishing feature is its access to ExtremeSpeed. With ExtremeSpeed, Dragonair isn't as easily revenge killed by threats such as Jynx and Cryogonal, as opposed to the rest of NU's pool of Dragon-types. Unfortunately, while Dragonair's offensive typing is well-suited for the tier, its rather mediocre stats mean that it has difficulty breaking through most of NU's dedicated physical walls and has trouble taking hits without Eviolite. Despite this, Dragonair can prove to be a formidable sweeper.</p>
[SET]
name: Bulky Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: Rest
item: Eviolite
ability: Shed Skin
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set capitalizes on Dragonair's excellent defensive typing, bulk, and ability in order to set up multiple Dragon Dances to attempt a sweep. Outrage serves as a powerful STAB attack, and Waterfall provides excellent coverage with it, making it a good option when you don't want to lock Dragonair into Outrage. Waterfall can also be used to hit Steel-types such as Bastiodon and Probopass (who are hit super effectively due to their partial Rock typing) and common physical walls such as Regirock or Golem. Furthermore, Waterfall's flinch rate can help Dragonair break down walls such as Weezing. Rest without Sleep Talk may seem questionable, especially with BW's new sleep mechanics, but with Dragonair's ability, Shed Skin, it has a 30% chance of waking up each turn, as well as curing itself of other forms status that hinder its ability to sweep, such as burn and paralysis.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread and nature maximize Dragonair's Special Defense, supporting Dragonair's typing which grants it resistances to common special attacking types such as Fire, Water, Grass, and Electric. A more offensive EV spread of 112 HP / 252 Atk / 144 Spe with an Adamant nature can be used to maximize Dragonair's attacking power while enabling it to outrun base 95s after a Dragon Dance. Rest isn't very useful with this spread; usually Dragonair can get only one or two Dragon Dances and attack. This is something of a compromise between an all-out offensive set and a bulky set. Dragon Tail can be used over Waterfall, as it is more powerful and can enable Dragonair to stop opponents from setting up alongside it. Aqua Tail can also be used over Waterfall for a slight increase of power, but it is much less reliable and doesn't have a flinch rate.</p>
<p>Dragonair appreciates cleric support if it is forced to switch out while still asleep. Miltank can utilize Heal Bell and sponge Ice-type attacks thanks to its Thick Fat ability. Rotom-F makes a good partner to Dragonair, as it can spread paralysis to help Dragonair set up or outspeed foes, or use Will-O-Wisp on opponents so Dragonair can take physical hits better. Dragonair has trouble getting past physical walls such as Weezing and Leafeon, so Jynx can be used as a partner to eliminate both of them with her dual STABs. Finally, Dragonair appreciates hazard support as its less-than-stellar Attack won't always secure KOs on its own. Probopass is a good candidate to provide Stealth Rock thanks to the good type synergy shared between the two, while Garbodor can provide Spikes or Toxic Spikes, which greatly hinder Quagsire's ability to wall Dragonair.</p>
[SET]
name: Offensive Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Waterfall
move 4: ExtremeSpeed
item: Life Orb
ability: Shed Skin
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Dragonair's base 84 Attack is below average, it is sufficient for a fully offensive set, given the high Base Power and excellent neutral coverage of Outrage alone. Dragonair also outruns most of the unboosted metagame after a Dragon Dance, and can deal with anything faster or opposing priority users with ExtremeSpeed. This set takes a much more offensive approach to Dragon Dance sweeping than the bulky set. However, note that this set has significantly more initial power, but unlike the bulky set, this one struggles to set up one Dragon Dance, let alone several. If Dragonair does manage to get a Dragon Dance, Outrage will deal heavy damage to anything that doesn't resist it. However, Outrage must be used much more conservatively on this set than the bulky set. If Dragonair locks itself into Outrage against something that can take it, it could spell trouble for Dragonair, as it can't survive most neutral attacks without Eviolite. Waterfall rounds out the set, providing perfect neutral coverage alongside Outrage, while also having excellent coverage alongside ExtremeSpeed if you don't want to lock Dragonair into Outrage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread maximizes Dragonair's potency as a sweeper, providing it with as much Attack and Speed as possible. An Adamant nature lets Dragonair outspeed Braviary at +1, while Jolly puts it ahead of Swellow. Additionally, a Jolly nature allows Dragonair to outrun more threats without a boost, as it might not get a Dragon Dance in. However, Adamant is preferred because base 84 Attack is not exactly stellar, and ExtremeSpeed somewhat compensates for the Speed drop, OHKOing Swellow after Stealth Rock at +1. Life Orb is the only item to consider on such an offensive set. Shed Skin is the ability of choice, as it might cure Dragonair from paralysis or burn, both of which greatly hinder its chance at sweeping. Dragon Rush can be used if you don't like the prospect of getting locked and confused by using Outrage, but it has very unreliable accuracy and Dragonair can't afford missing due to its less-than-stellar bulk without Eviolite.</p>
<p>This set loves hazard support, as following Stealth Rock damage, Dragonair can OHKO Jynx with an unboosted ExtremeSpeed, Swellow with a +1 ExtremeSpeed, along with a chance at OHKOing Cryogonal with a +0 ExtremeSpeed. Dragonair can also make use of paralysis support to setup. Probopass can provide both Stealth Rock and paralysis support, while also being able to check Ice-types thanks to its typing. Without Eviolite, Dragonair has trouble taking even some neutral hits. As such, dual screen support can aid Dragonair's setup. Mesprit is an excellent user of dual screens, and it can even give Dragonair another chance at sweeping by fully restoring its HP with Healing Wish. Jynx makes a great offensive partner to Dragonair, as she can take on common physical walls that will give Dragonair trouble, such as Weezing and Leafeon, while Dragonair can beat some of Jynx's checks, such as Torkoal or Magmortar, with Waterfall. Jynx can also switch into Ice-type attacks aimed at Dragonair, and Dragonair can take Fire-type attacks for Jynx.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>A special attacking set can be used as Dragonair has an excellent special movepool that includes Draco Meteor, Fire Blast, Dragon Pulse, and Surf, but thanks to its Base 70 Special Attack, Dragonair has severe difficulty breaking through dedicated special walls. A mixed set could work to secure surprise KOs, but Dragonair's attacking stats are both fairly mediocre, so splitting EVs between them would greatly hurt its ability to sweep. Dragonair can use a RestTalk set, but unfortunately Marvel Scale is illegal with Sleep Talk, and Shed Skin makes it difficult to predict when Dragonair will wake up. Defensive sets, such as a parashuffler set using Rest, Dragon Tail, Thunder Wave, and Waterfall, are an option, but Dragonair's lack of reliable recovery affects their usefulness.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Quagsire is one of the best counters to Dragonair: thanks to Unaware, it can nullify any of Dragonair's Attack boosts, while easily recovering off any damage done. Weezing can take any of Dragonair's +1 attacks thanks to its impressive physical bulk and KO Dragonair with Ice Beam. Weezing is also immune to Spikes, meaning it has more opportunities to switch into Dragonair. Dragonair has difficulty breaking through Leafeon and Tangela, who sport two of the highest Defenses in NU and both resist Waterfall. Finally, Choice Scarf users such Jynx or Rotom-F can revenge kill Dragonair; however, they must watch out for ExtremeSpeed.</p>
