Dragonite

[Charge]

Yeah, I do realized that Dragonite is one of the, if not, the best Sun counter in the entire meta. The sole reason I wanted to build around CB Dragonite, is due to the sole reason that he can OHKO-2HKO the entire OU meta with or without SR with appropriate move. That being said, my information should be correct since I'm using Honko's Calculator.

Anyway, I know building a team around a wallbreaker / glue is weird so...I'm changing my mind, probably. Maybe around the DD variants. But my problem is, I have no idea which one. You see, the Bulky DD has more bulk, undeniably, but even if he gets to set up, he lacks power compared to the Offensive DD variants. That's pretty common sense though, but I guess I would prefer bulk over power this time. Thanks for the help! :D

 

[Lamppost]

My favorite Dragon Dance set is total offensive. Here's the set i generally use:

Dragonite @ Lum Berry
252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant
-Dragon Dance
-Outrage
-Fire Punch
-Extremespeed

I think Extremespeed is a really cool and under appreciated move in the last slot of a DDance Dnite set. It can pick off a lot of things that aren't weak to Fire Punch and you don't have to be locked into Outrage. Also if you're up against some other priority like Ice Shard from Mamoswine, or Bullet Punch from Scizor and they're weak, you can just Extremespeed since it has +2 priority and keep your Multiscale intact.

Also sometimes i switch Fire Punch to Aqua Tail, Waterfall, or Earthquake if i'm on a rain team.

 

[yaysnivy34]

Dragonite is beast. Period. With Multiscale, it surpasses even Salamence in terms of utility and unperdictability. Whether you are plowing through teams with Dragon Dance+Outrage or Stalling the crap out of your opponent with the Parashuffler set, Dragonite is amazing. My personal favorite set is the Rain Tank one.

Dragonite-Multiscale
224 HP/252 Sp. Att/ 32 Speed
Item: Leftovers Nature: Quiet
Thunder
Hurricane
Roost
Surf/Brick Break

Electric and Flying have surprisingly decent coverage and are immensely powerful in the rain. Roost is to keep Multiscale intact and has reliable recovery. Surf and Brick Break is basically a pick your poison situation.

 

[Raikaria]

My favorite Dragon Dance set is total offensive. Here's the set i generally use:

Dragonite @ Lum Berry
252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant
-Dragon Dance
-Outrage
-Fire Punch
-Extremespeed

I think Extremespeed is a really cool and under appreciated move in the last slot of a DDance Dnite set. It can pick off a lot of things that aren't weak to Fire Punch and you don't have to be locked into Outrage. Also if you're up against some other priority like Ice Shard from Mamoswine, or Bullet Punch from Scizor and they're weak, you can just Extremespeed since it has +2 priority and keep your Multiscale intact.

Also sometimes i switch Fire Punch to Aqua Tail, Waterfall, or Earthquake if i'm on a rain team.

Full offense D-Nite is overshadowed pretty badly by Salamence, who boasts higher attack and speed. You lose Multi-Scale if Rocks or Sand is up instantly. Intimidate works regardless. Which reduces it to Gen 4 Dragonite v Gen 4 Mence. And we know who's superior in that comparison. E-Speed didn't make Dragonite usurp Mence in Gen 4.

Generally, in Gen 5, Dragonite wins, but when it comes to DD, full offense is still done better by Mence. DD + Roost + 2 Attacks is Dragonite's game.

That said, if you have a spinner, you might be able to justify full offense D-Nite, as Multi-Scale would be more reliable then, and it halves special damage as well as physical.

And, let's look at it this way, what would you kill with Fire Punch that Mence's Fire Blast wouldn't solve in Gen 5?

 

[AccidentalGreed]

In short (because I just wrote a long response message for this, but then lol IE), I think Offensive DD Dragonite's ability to set up in front of pretty much anything is what makes it one of the more popular sets/threats in the metagame, and using Fire Punch + physical coverage is exactly one of the reasons to use it. I agree, however, that the usage of Extremespeed is a bit impractical because of its limited use (the only target of Extremespeed is banned). I'd also like to believe Roost + Two attacks is Dragonite's game, although Three attacks seems to be the most popular choice for reasons.

 

[Charge]

I would like to ask how you guys managed to actually setup with DNite. I might be stupid, or looking retarded by asking this but really, even with MS, there are still attacks that deal 20% and if I Roost, they will just continue the process, I can never get to set up. And if I don't Roost, chances are I'm going to die.

 

[Taylor]

I like Choice Band Dragonite the most because it "does hit everything" in practice, and at the beginning of the match if you lead with it, the opponent has to react to it suddenly and unexpectedly. This is where your DragonSwordHaxorus follows up and helps finish off the scraps DNite's Outrage has left.

Unless you support it with say Politoed and Tentacruel, for example, then Choice Band would perhaps be its most effective set universally because it has priority for the frail mons that your opponents' Sand Stream is preventing any recovery from, and Steel-types that are generally slower, aren't keen on taking Earthquakes coming from 605 Attack!

It is successful on "VoltTurn" most notably in my opinion because it can be used as a pivot, with which you rely on to tank through the bakbone of the opposition's team, whilst maintaining momentum with the Volt Change/U-turn strategy in and amongst the battle.

 

[Jazz]

My favorite set has to be the subroost variant. I love how it can pivot the entire game and provide important resistances while also acting as a late game sweeper.

 

[freedom2]

I think the most devastating set on Dragonite is the specs variant. Under rain, with Hurricane, that guy hits like a truck.

Dragonite (M) @ Choice Specs
Trait: Multiscale
EVs: 224 HP / 252 SAtk / 32 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Hurricane
- Surf
- Thunder
- Draco Meteor

With Multiscale you are able to take one hit, and you have 4 moves to choose. Giving Rapid Spin support is a good idea.

Overall, Dragonite is a great Pokemon.

 

[Nix_Hex]

I'd rather use Latios who, while lacking Hurricane, has a much more powerful Draco Meteor and neutrality to Stealth Rock. Multiscale only works once unless you have Wish support, which along with a spinner, is not worth the trouble.

 

[Challenger]

Two things on my mind:

1. Would waterfall or even surf be viable on the Lum DD set? Outrage and fire punch cover everything you need except Heatran. Earthquake hits it much harder, but balloon heatran is so common that you have no way of popping it's balloon to use earthquake, as Outrage locks you in and fire punch is an immunity.

2. How do you guys play the para shuffler set? Thunder wave first?

 

[waterwarrior]

Never used the ParaShuffler, so can't help you there, but you should never run Waterfall/ Surf unless its a Rain team. Fire Punch just offers to much coverage (Scizor, Ferrothorn, etc.) that Waterfall doesn't. Yes, BalloonTran is a problem, but (in my experience) they normally carry HP Grass instead of HP Ice, and its even rarer they run Dragon Pulse, so Nite shouldn't have much trouble breaking the balloon with a Dragon Claw before finishing with an EQ.

 

[alexwolf]

Two things on my mind:

1. Would waterfall or even surf be viable on the Lum DD set? Outrage and fire punch cover everything you need except Heatran. Earthquake hits it much harder, but balloon heatran is so common that you have no way of popping it's balloon to use earthquake, as Outrage locks you in and fire punch is an immunity.

2. How do you guys play the para shuffler set? Thunder wave first?

1.Waterfall is very viable if you are afraid of Balloon Heatran. Also if you have Rain support, Waterfall at +1 2hkoes Gliscor 50% of the time after SR. Just use EQ over Fire Punch for Jirachi! Finally ohkoing Landorus at +1 with Waterfall instead of locking yourself to Outrage is very nice! All these are benefits that Waterfall has over EQ in the 4th slot.
2.Most of the times you will want to lead with it.T-wave or Sub first, if they have a status move, and then Roost until they get paralyzed. When they get, Dragon Tail them out and act accordingly to the pokemon brought out.

 

[truevillany]

I would like to ask how you guys managed to actually setup with DNite. I might be stupid, or looking retarded by asking this but really, even with MS, there are still attacks that deal 20% and if I Roost, they will just continue the process, I can never get to set up. And if I don't Roost, chances are I'm going to die.

Idk how you are using him, but in my opinion your using him wrong. He is technically the easiest of all the dragons to get @ least one sub, t wave, or dragon dance off. Assuming rocks are not iin play, I feel like its harder to find out how often i HAVENT been able to set up than how ofter I have.

 

[Challenger]

I would like to ask how you guys managed to actually setup with DNite. I might be stupid, or looking retarded by asking this but really, even with MS, there are still attacks that deal 20% and if I Roost, they will just continue the process, I can never get to set up. And if I don't Roost, chances are I'm going to die.

I've actually used D-Nite a ton (every team since gen 1), so I might be qualified to answer this.

Assuming dragon dance for "setup". If MS is intact, then it's easy. The trick is making sure you will get the KO and at least dent the next switchin.

I ran this set a lot:

Lum berry
Dragon Dance
Outrage
Fire Punch
Roost (occasionally EQ or Extremespeed)

Come in on a weakened pokemon, or something that has to switch out. If you get your dance in before MS is broken, you're set for the match.

It's a successful setup if you get at least one KO and put another one into free KO range. It's a massive success if they can't bring you down with only one switchin.

Also, it helps to bring him in on a free turn (ie, after a fainted teammate or on an Immunity, like earthquake). Rocks need to be gone, too.

 

[BTzz]

Dragonite @ Life Orb / Leftovers / Draco Plate
Trait: Multiscale
EVs: 224 HP / 252 SpA / 20 SpD / 12 Spe
Modest nature (+SpA, -Atk)
- Draco Meteor
- Flamethrower
- Thunder Wave
- Roost

KryptoNite! I'm really liking this set. All of the info on it can be found here

 

[voidzone]

I ran this set as a finisher on my stall team

Dragonite@Lum Berry
Trait : Multiscale
Nature : Jolly
Split: 4 HP 252 Att 252 Spe

Dragon Dance
Outrage
Fire Punch
Roost / Extremespeed

Multiscale DDnite is IMO one of the most insane things in the entire
metagame, since it is practically impossible to OHKO.
Important for this set is
1) Stealth Rock can manage to breaks this set > a spinner is mandatory
2) It is a definitely late game sweeper, starting an outrage with an
possibly 100% HP Ferro switch-in left is not that funny. DNites counters
have to be removed or weakened appropriately. For a more early set
one might play Dragon Claw > Outrage, which does lose in power but does not
have to fear locking into outrage in front of a mon that resists it to well.

 

[what123]

Dragonite is almost universally better as a physical attacker then a special attacker. Hydregion and latios/latias are better then it at the special attacking powess. I don't know if this would be true or not, but if dragonite didn't have multiscale, it might have became UU or BL because multiscale is the only thing it has that makes it better the salamence.

 

[X5Dragon]

Extreme Speed, it's bulk coupled with Roost are also selling points.

Edit: The fact it can learn every damned elemental move there is doesn't hurt either.

 

[skymastergamerpt]

My favorite Dragon Dance set is total offensive. Here's the set i generally use:

Dragonite @ Lum Berry
252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant
-Dragon Dance
-Outrage
-Fire Punch
-Extremespeed

I think Extremespeed is a really cool and under appreciated move in the last slot of a DDance Dnite set. It can pick off a lot of things that aren't weak to Fire Punch and you don't have to be locked into Outrage. Also if you're up against some other priority like Ice Shard from Mamoswine, or Bullet Punch from Scizor and they're weak, you can just Extremespeed since it has +2 priority and keep your Multiscale intact.

Also sometimes i switch Fire Punch to Aqua Tail, Waterfall, or Earthquake if i'm on a rain team.

Nice to see someone running a set similar to mine though I use Dragon Claw instead to prevent lock ins

 

[Boooyah21]

Does someone have decent counters to this thing? It seems pretty broken IMO, but only with multi-scale.

 

[Vemane]

Does someone have decent counters to this thing? It seems pretty broken IMO, but only with multi-scale.

Anything that can survive an attack (ie. a lot) can wear it down

tran is usually a solid counter if it has espeed

a lot of other things are if it doesn't

 

[alphatron]

So on my sun team, I switched to fire blast.

Fire blast ohko'd skarm key with the sun boost with an adamant nature and absolutely no ev investment. I use earthquake for heatran anyway, and Jirachi is dealt with it too. Really, the fact that fire punch couldn't ohko'd skarm after rocks is what made me ditch it.

There aren't any perfect counters to dragonite, but depending on the scenario, you have some options. Heatran deals with sets that don't run earthquake. Cresselia deals with everything except for subdd. Cloyster and scarf haxorus aren't counters of any kind but they can both switch in on a predicted dragon Dance and ohko with outrage or icicle spear.

 

[Tobes]

It should also be noted that a way to stop offensive Dragonite in a few situations is to force it into using Outrage, usually by sacrificing something your opponent's Dragonite can't do anything to with its coverage moves and needs to use Outrage to kill. This allows you to use your Steel-type to hurt Dragonite in whatever way it is able to without fear of Dragonite's coverage moves (i.e., Ice Punch Jirachi who would otherwise fear Earthquake, or Ferrothorn using Leech Seed to chip away at Dragonite's health with Seed and Iron Barbs, and not having to risk Fire Punch). This also helps weakened Scarfers revenge kill Dragonite without fear of having to eat an ExtremeSpeed.

 

[SPM3]

I run Mono-Attack SubDDNite. If you set up at the right time, you'll sweep entire teams. Sun especially has a difficult time stopping your sweep. This set relies on Heatran/Magnezone to clear out opposing Steel types that would otherwise hamper this Dnite's sweep.

Dragonite (M) @ Leftovers
Nature: Adamant
Trait: Multiscale
-Dragon Dance
-Substitute
-Dragon Claw
-Roost