STATUS: Done!
Analysis: http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/flygon
Just to give you something to drool over instead of what I post. In before aldaron or someone else hates it. Also, Jabba gave me permission to write this update just in case someone wondered.
Completed:
- Added Pokemon that can support the sets
- Minor tweaking to moveslots. This always irritates me.
- Added a comment or two, or slashed some things up. Nothing major though.
- Removed the whole "80 SpA EVs" since -Nature Fire Blast 2HKOes Skarmory anyway.
- Added Jolly as an option for the first set.
- Removed Draco Meteor from the first set. Draco Meteor on Flygon is only good if you invest heavily on its SpA stat and use a positive nature.
- Removed Screech set. Just seems situational at best.
- Grammar Check
===
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Outrage
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Stone Edge / Fire Blast
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Flygon's resistances and immunities give it plenty of opportunities to switch in and score some surprise kills. Earthquake and Outrage are your primary STAB options, resisted only by Levitate Bronzong, Skarmory, and Shedinja. Stone Edge allows you to revenge kill +1 Gyarados, and can pick off a weakened Zapdos. Fire Blast fries Skarmory for a 2HKO and is your best option against Bronzong. U-turn is to scout for common counters and works well with entry hazards in play as you can force a lot of switches.</p>
<p>The idea of using Choice Scarf Flygon is simple. While its goal is being a revenge killer, Flygon makes an excellent secondary scout. With U-turn, Flygon can help ease the prediction when switching and, to add, could reveal another Pokemon on the opponent's side. It is best to use U-turn often when Flygon is sent out. It isn't a bad idea to use any of Flygon's other attacks if the Pokemon facing Flygon is threatening the team though, so only use U-turn if there are no other clear options. Outrage is used as your trump card, so make sure that Flygon is not spamming this move often. If it's locked into Outrage, beware of the revenge killers such as Scizor and Mamoswine that could possibly switch in after Flygon KOes a Pokemon and, consequently, lose Flygon in the process. To sum it up in a sentence: use U-turn to help scout and ease switching while using Flygon's other attacks to keep threats at bay or KO them in the process.</p>
<p>A Jolly nature should be used to revenge kill a neutral Speed nature +1 Salamence. If you feel that Salamence is controlled without the assistance of Flygon, use Adamant for more power.</p>
<p>Since this set's goal is to revenge kill Pokemon, Flygon wants support in the form of chip damage. Besides that, Flygon appreciates it if bulkier Pokemon are eliminated from the field as this set lacks to power to muscle through them. Tyranitar pairs well with Flygon. It boasts the ability of taking down Cresselia, Uxie, and other bulky Ghost or Psychic-types with its Banded attacks. The mixed sets can stretch further and beat other Pokemon such as Skarmory, but requires more prediction. Magnezone support is also welcome as being locked onto Outrage can lure Steel-types to counter Flygon. If you're seeking a Pokemon that can keep Dragon-type attacks as well as Ice-type attacks at bay, the best solution is to use a Steel-type of your own. Heatran also in conjunction with Flygon helps take on Pokemon such as Celebi, which would trouble Flygon unless it switched into an Adamant Outrage or a U-turn. Heatran's nifty resistances to Bullet Punch and ExtremeSpeed help Flygon revenge kill easier as well. Heatran makes Stone Edge an easier option thanks to Heatran obliterating Skarmory and Bronzong. If that isn't enough, STAB Fire Blast will dent Salamence and Gyarados switch-ins, especially if Stealth Rock is on the field. With Fire Blast, Flygon gets a bit of leverage against Skarmory but has a harder time revenge killing Pokemon such as Gyarados. Vaporeon can take on Gyarados easily thanks to Water Absorb and its monstrous HP while 2HKOing Gyarados with Hidden Power Electric. Scizor can pair well with Flygon due to U-turn being common on both their movesets, greatly easing prediction. Scizor also makes a great Pokemon to revenge kill Salamence, especially when it is locked into Outrage. If you elect to use Scizor and Flygon, wall breakers such as Infernape or Lucario are recommended. U-turns from Flygon or Scizor makes switching the wall breakers in easier.</p>
<p>Despite its use as a revenge killer, Flygon appreciates support such as Stealth Rock. Any form of indirect damage (Spikes, sandstorm, or Toxic Spikes) also makes Flygon's job easier. Skarmory and Forretress don't mind being paired with Flygon as their weaknesses can be easily absorbed by Flygon. Using Smeargle for Spikes isn't far-fetch'd as well thanks to Spore severely crippling a Pokemon on the opponent's team.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Outrage
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Fire Blast / Stone Edge / Dragon Claw
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Flygon is often forgotten in favor of Salamence, the Choice Band set can pose a huge threat to a lot of teams. Thanks to its excellent Dragon / Ground typing and its ability, Levitate, Flygon has many opportunities to switch in with his unique resistances to Rock, Ground, Fire, and immunity to Electric attacks.</p>
<p>All Choice Banders require prediction to use effectively, but this applies to Flygon more than most other Pokémon due to its risky STAB moves. A Choice Banded Earthquake is a great opportunity for something like Salamence or Gyarados to switch in; allowing these dangerous free switches can be problematic. Outrage, while hitting almost everything for good damage, forces Flygon to remain in play for 2-3 turns, leaving him very vulnerable to revenge kills from Mamoswine or other fast Ice attackers. Despite this, many people underestimate the power of these STAB attacks coming from an Attack stat of 492, which allows Flygon to 2HKO Vaporeon, most Swampert, and a chance to 2HKO Bold Suicune if it takes prior Stealth Rock damage.</p>
<p>The prediction needed to effectively use Choice Band Flygon is one reason why U-turn is such a useful move. Not only does it wear down some common "Dragon counters" switching in, such as Cresselia and Celebi (who is OHKOed 20% of the time if it takes Stealth Rock damage), you also get the benefit of learning what your counter is as you damage them <em>and</em> gain the upper hand on your opponent, keeping the momentum of the battle in your control. With risky STAB attacks, U-turn is a huge blessing for Flygon and helps distinguish him from Choice Band Salamence who can hit significantly harder.</p>
<p>The choice for the final attack, Fire Blat, 2HKOes Skarmory. If one has Magnezone support, Stone Edge or Dragon Claw can hurt Flying-types and Levitators without locking Flygon into Outrage.</p>
<p>To demonstrate the efficiency of Flygon, some damage calculations are appropriate.</p>
<h3>Damage Calculations</h3>
<pre>
Outrage vs. max HP / max Def Suicune: 43.56%-51.49%
Outrage vs. max HP / max Def Vaporeon: 56.9%-67.03%
Outrage vs. max HP / max Def Swampert: 51.49%-60.64%
Outrage vs. max HP / max Def Zapdos: 55.99%-66.15%
Outrage vs. max HP / max Def Cresselia: 38.51% - 45.5%
Earthquake vs. max HP / max Def Jirachi: 79.95%-94.06%
Earthquake vs. max HP / min Def Metagross: 97% - 100%
Earthquake vs. max HP / min Def Tyranitar: 100%
Fire Blast vs. max HP / min SpD Skarmory: 51.50% - 61.08%
Fire Punch vs. max HP / max Def Bronzong: 43.2% - 51.48%
</pre>
<p>Like every other physical sweeper, Stealth Rock is #1 priority for this set; it guarantees many of the 2HKOes (and OHKOes in Celebi's case) against many Pokemon. After that it's selecting Pokemon that help clear Flygon's issues. Choice Scarf Heatran pairs well with Choice Band Flygon due to many of Heatran's problematic Pokemon are beaten with Flygon and visa versa. Heatran easily resists Bullet Punch and ExtremeSpeed which otherwise hit Flygon for neutral damage and impend Flygon from being effecitve. Scizor still pairs well with Flygon due to U-turn spamming. Scizor works better with Choice Band Flygon because the Pokemon that usually outspeed Flygon can be picked off with Scizor. It also prevents Flygon from facing iffy situations such as Speed ties versus Naive Salamences. With the mention of Scizor being able to pick on Flygon thanks to Bullet Punch, Magnezone support is always welcome. Scarf Magnezone obtains the bonus of defeating Lucario much easier and, with Knock Off or Trick support, takes down Skarmory as well. Like the Scarf set, pairing Flygon with wall breakers is always welcome due to the abundant Pokemon that are strong on the Defensive side of the spectrum and Flygon's access to U-turn. Gliscor, Hippowdon, and mentioned Skarmory give issues to Flygon with this set. Infernape wrecks all three of these Pokemon easily with a combination of Hidden Power Ice, Grass Knot, and Fire Blast. Seeking versatile Pokemon such as said Infernape or Gengar is always welcome; granted that the latter gets walled easily by Blissey aside from a random Explosion. Finally, Spike and / or Toxic Spike support is always welcome. Forretress can look into either entry hazard while Skarmory has Spikes, a recovery move, and a phazing move to help with Flygon's team.</p>
[SET]
name: Toxic Stall
move 1: Toxic
move 2: Roost
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Fire Blast
evs: 252 HP / 176 Def / 80 Spe
nature: Timid
item: Leftovers
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set utilizes Levitate and Roost to their maximum potential in order to stall an opponent with increasing Toxic damage. 281 Speed is reached to outspeed 278 Speed Heatran, 279 Speed Lucario, and general 280 Speed Pokémon.</p>
<p>364 HP and 240 Defense isn't particularly bulky, but this Flygon isn't meant to absorb physical hits. Its purpose is to minimize residual damage as much as possible and Roost to keep its health up to let Toxic to take its toll on the opponent. The reason a Dragon move is not chosen is because Earthquake and Fire Blast hit all the Pokémon that are immune to Toxic for super effective damage (besides Weezing, Gengar and Crobat). Despite the Timid nature, Earthquake is chosen over Earth Power because it does more damage on average, and deals more damage to Heatran / Tentacruel, both of which resist Fire Blast and are immune to Toxic.</p>
<p>Flygon is unique in that it is the only Pokémon, aside from Latias, in the OU metagame that takes some sort of reduced damage from Fire, Electric, and Ground attacks, and this fact should be emphasized at all times when using Flygon. Its useful resistances are why Roost is such a quality move on it, as Roost allows the user to continually switch Flygon in to take Fire Blast, Earthquake, or Thunderbolt.</p>
<p>Since this Flygon plays more defensively, it appreciates a lot of things. Indirect damage such as Stealth Rock and Spikes play a vital role with this set. Since most Pokemon afflicted with Toxic will switch out after a certain amount of time, it is important for them to take as much damage as possible when switching back in. Skarmory and Forretress are your best bets when it comes to laying down entry hazards. Despite Flygon lacking a weakness to most indirect damage attacks, Forretress doesn't seem as necessary. Keep in mind, though, that it is still vital to other teammates if Flygon is being paired with Pokemon such as Blissey and Celebi. Toxic Spikes play a crucial role for this set. With them set up Toxic becomes less of a necessity against certain Pokemon such as Hippowdon. With Toxic Spikes on the field, the only Pokemon that won't be under Toxic conditions so easily will be Pokemon such as Zapdos and Cresselia. With Toxic nailing these Pokemon and Toxic Spikes poisoning most Pokemon on the ground, Flygon's role of stalling is easier to play. An Aromatherapy / Heal Bell user isn't a bad idea to pair with Flygon due to attracting random status afflictions from Pokemon such as Rotom-A. Tentacruel pairs nicely with Flygon as Flygon can absorb most of Tentacruel's weaknesses barring Psychic. On top of that, Tentacruel can lay Toxic Spikes for Flygon and its teammates to stall the opponent out. Using its resistances alongside other Pokemon can help structure the team. For example, Skarmory pairs well with Flygon because Flygon can easily absorb incoming Fire- and Electric-type attacks aimed at Skarmory. From a different perspective, Skarmory can switch into Dragon-type attacks aimed at Flygon and, at the very least, take neutral damage to Ice.</p>
<p>This set can be used on a more balanced or offensive team. Flygon loses a lot of leverage since the team won't be as patient laying Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Toxic Spikes. Scizor, to no one's surprise, pairs well with Flygon. U-turn being a general scout move makes Flygon's stall life a lot easier since the player can glance at the opponent's team. Heatran boasts as a great Pokemon to pair with Flygon; especially when facing against stall teams. Life Orb Heatran devastates most Pokemon on a stall team as it easily 2HKOes everything that it touches thanks to STAB Fire Blast, Earth Power for coverage, and Hidden Power Grass for Swampert. Tyranitar pairs nicely with this set since Pursuit can tackle Pokemon which commonly use Rest and Sleep Talk as a means of recovery. Speaking of that, Flygon being paired with a Taunt user is an excellent way of pulling off Toxic easier. Great Taunt users that pair well with Flygon that come to mind include Gyarados (especially due to Flygon resisting Gyarados' weaknesses), Weavile, Crobat, or even Tyranitar.</p>
[SET]
name: Life Orb, Physical
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Roost
move 3: Dragon Claw
move 4: Fire Blast / Stone Edge
item: Life Orb
nature: Jolly
EVs: 32 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>A general attacking Flygon, except with the ability to recover Life Orb and other damage with Roost. The ability to switch attacks also makes this Flygon more potent as a sweeper. The combination of Ground, Dragon, and Fire is unresisted so it can be difficult for an opponent to play around a Life Orb Flygon.</p>
<p>Outrage is usable on this set, but this Flygon is designed to stay in for several terms so being locked in can be a vulnerability to it, thus Dragon Claw is the primary option. Stone Edge can be used over Fire Blast or Dragon Claw. Using it over Dragon Claw gives Flygon leverage against Pokemon such as Gyarados and still nails Salamence and Dragonite; however, lack of a secondary STAB that hits neutral against Levitating Pokemon is noticeable. Without Fire Blast, Skarmory becomes more of an issue.</p>
<p>Maximum Attack is used to get the most power out of this set, and the Speed EVs are such that Flygon will outrun all base 90 Speed Pokémon such as Lucario. The remaining EVs were delegated between HP and Defense. If you opt to use Fire Blast, throwing the remaining EV's into Special Attack is a viable option.</p>
<p>This set doesn't have a lot of power; however, its main goal is to be a Pokemon that hits hard while maintaining its bulk via recovery. As such, pairing this set with sweepers is an excellent idea. Unlike many of Flygon's previous sets, Scizor doesn't pair <em>as well</em> with this set. Nevertheless, Scizor still does a spectacular job by easing prediction with U-turn or hammering faster Pokemon with Bullet Punch. In the process, Scizor can severely wound Cresselia with U-turn and Pursuit her as well as Ghost-types that lack Will-O-Wisp or a Fire-type attack. Heatran pairs well with this set, since most of the problems this set faces are easily solved with Heatran, it makes Flygon's life a lot easier. As an added bonus, Flygon can easily drop Fire Blast in place of Stone Edge to nail other Pokemon such as Zapdos. Tyranitar and Flygon are a dubious combo since most, if not all of Flygon's problems, are taken care of with Tyranitar. Psychic- and Ghost-types will have major difficulties taking on Tyranitar. On top of that, Tyranitar can threaten Pokemon with its unpredictability; it keeps the opponent guessing if the Tyranitar is using a Choice Band variant, a Boah variant, or even something out of the box such as a Specs variant.</p>
[SET]
name: Life Orb, Special
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: Roost / U-turn
item: Life Orb
nature: Rash / Naive
EVs: 80 Atk / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Unlike the physical Life Orb set, which seeks to defeat enemies through brute force, this Flygon set works as a lure. It is easy to fool many players into thinking that this Flygon is the popular Choice Scarf set, which means that the opponent (likely expecting a U-turn) will be inclined to switch in Pokemon such as Hippowdon, Gliscor, and Salamence, all of whom are handily defeated by Draco Meteor. Fire Blast is used for Skarmory, Forretress, and Bronzong, while Earthquake deals with other Steel-types and ensures that Blissey is 2HKOed. The fourth moveslot depends on your needs. Roost is invaluable against stall teams, but it is difficult to find the opportunity to use the move against offensive teams. Conversely, U-turn is useful to scout switch-ins and deal more damage on offensive teams, but has little utility against stall. With a Rash nature and the given EVs, you outspeed neutral-natured base 90 Pokemon. Naive can be used to beat neutral-natured base 100 and positive-natured base 90 Pokemon, but Flygon will often find that it needs the additional power afforded by a Rash nature.</p>
<p>Perhaps the best way to play this Flygon is to behave as if you had a Choice Scarf at first. For example, come in on a Pokemon such as Latias (who outspeeds you) and threaten a OHKO with Outrage. The Latias user will likely switch out, at which point you can use Draco Meteor against the opponent's switch-in. Against stall, you do not have to risk your Flygon as such, as you can 2HKO or OHKO every common player on a stall team bar Suicune, along with using Roost to heal off the residual damage.</p>
<p>The best strategic partner for this Flygon set is Lucario, who takes advantage of Gliscor, Hippowdon, and Salamence being lured in and defeated. Other than that, similar partners to those of the other sets, such as Scizor and Heatran, work well here. Unfortunately, Suicune still walls this Flygon and many of its potential partners, so a Pokemon that can defeat it, such as Gyarados or Salamence, is recommended.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Flygon is a team player due to its resistances. Remember, when you're using Flygon your goal is to stay away from attempting to match Salamence. Aside from that, there are many Pokemon that pair well with Flygon, whether it's typing, offensive, or defensive.</p>
<p>Many times Scizor, Heatran, and Tyranitar were mentioned as offensive options for Flygon. With Choice sets, Flygon and Scizor are like two peas in a pod. When both are using a Choice set, their U-turns become very useful. Due to U-turn easing prediction as well as having a chance to see another Pokemon in the opponent's team, it helps the player understand the situation easier. Scizor's Bullet Punch is nifty to have around as Weavile and Mamoswine can bypass Choice Scarf Flygon thanks to Ice Shard. Finally, their typing is synergetic; their weaknesses are covered by each other's resistances. Tyranitar was often mentioned due to its versatility. Flygon has issues being walled by Pokemon such as Cresselia, Skarmory, and Rotom-A. Tyranitar eases the pain against the first two while being a major threat to Rotom-A. Unfortunately, Tyranitar fears Will-O-Wisp from Rotom-A; however, any Rotom-A that are Scarved have sealed their doom if Tyranitar is on the field. Heatran pairs well with Flygon. Aside from Water and Fighting being neutral on Flygon, once again they cover their weaknesses. On top of that, Heatran decimates most of what counters Flygon with relative ease with the added bonus of resisting most priority attacks barring Mach Punch, Vacuum Wave, and Aqua Jet. Blissey becomes more of an issue; aside from that Heatran makes an awesome pairing with Flygon. Since Heatran and Scizor have slight issues when combining with Flygon, it is best to fit the team with a mixed or offensive sweeper. Lucario paired with Heatran and Flygon handles most of the defensive threats in OU. Scizor and Flygon prefer being paired with Infernape. Scizor and Flygon do a good job with handling Pokemon such as Latias, thus making Infernape's sweep easier. Gyarados isn't a mixed sweeper and, again, gets walled by Pokemon such as Cresselia and Rotom-A. On the flip side, Gyarados can tackle bulky Ground-types that otherwise trouble Flygon. Magnezone gets a minor mention since Choice Scarf handles most Steel-types that otherwise resist Outrage thanks to.</p>
<p>From a defensive standpoint, there are quite a few options. Skarmory gives the benefit of laying Spikes as well as resisting physical Dragon-type attacks. Whirlwind and U-turn also play a big part in scouting out the team since one forces switches while the other eases the prediction of a switch. Forretress is great thanks to laying any form of spikes warranted for Flygon's team. With Toxic Spikes, it makes using the Toxic Stalling set easier to use. With Spikes, it makes using the Choice Band easier. Finally, most teams require Stealth Rock. Forretress gets a minor mention of taking physical Dragon- and Ice-type Pokemon. On top of that, STAB Gyro Ball does major damage against Mamoswine while OHKOing Weavile. Vaporeon can combat against Gyarados, which otherwise troubles non-Stone Edge Flygon. This is great with the Toxic Stalling set since Toxic can soften a lot of Pokemon that Vaporeon can stall out with Wish + Protect. Pairing Flygon around a stall team might seem awkward, but by electing the Toxic Stalling set it makes an awesome addition to the team thanks to its abundant resistances. Even if the team doesn't use a Toxic Stalling set, U-turn makes using stall a lot easier.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>There isn't much else that Flygon has to exploit. Choice Specs is decent, but Flygon doesn't have the raw attacking stats to pull it off effectively. ThunderPunch is an option for Gyarados if you are concerned about him taking an Outrage and KOing Flygon with Ice Fang or Avalanche. Rest and Sleep Talk could work, as Flygon has good defensive typing, but Roost is almost always a better option. Finally, Screech is Flygon's only move that helps improve its offense. Unfortunately, a simple switch can ruin the strategy.</p>
[EVs]
<p>On offensive sets, you'll want to maximize Flygon's meager Attack. As far as Speed goes, you'll typically want Flygon to at least outrun neutral natured base 90 Speed Pokémon. Of course, running maximum Speed is always an option. The remaining EVs should be delegated towards HP or Attack if you choose to only use physical moves. On more defensive sets, max out HP and leave a healthy portion of your EVs in Defense. Special Life Orb Flygon should use the suggested EVs and nature to get the maximum effect out of Draco Meteor while still retaining the 2HKO on Calm Blissey.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>In early DP Flygon was completely outclassed by Garchomp; however, with Garchomp banned to Ubers, Flygon finally its time to shine. While Flygon is often viewed as one of the weaker Dragons, it still brings a lot of unique options to the table when compared to Salamence or Kingdra. Flygon's completely different typing, unique palette of resistances, and access to U-turn really help it stand out from his fellow OU Dragon-types.</p>
<p>Flygon's power is also somewhat underestimated. It can switch into many of OU's most prominent threats and be quite a threat with its Choice Band set, or he can surprise the opponent with a decently powered Draco Meteor. With a Choice Scarf, it can revenge kill many Pokémon with his good type coverage and STAB options.</p>
<p>While its fairly low stat total and average Attack are initially off-putting, don't forget this unique Dragon when building your team, as it can be a real asset when used correctly.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Not much can take repeated hits from the Choice Bander, so prediction is key. Cresselia is your best bet, not being 2HKOed by Outrage if very defensively EVed. Suicune and Vaporeon work reasonably well but both much watch out for Choice Band Outrage if they have taken residual damage. Hippowdon and Gliscor work similarly, although Ice Fang is required for them to be of an immediate threat to Flygon opposed to just a buffer. A bulky Gyarados is an excellent counter with Intimidate, although Stealth Rock can hinder its ability to switch in repeatedly. Bronzong, Skarmory, and Forretress can come in on any attack not of the Fire-type and set up something in Flygon's face. Most Steel-types can revenge kill a Flygon that's locked itself into Outrage too early into a match. Heatran and Metagross can come in relatively easy on an Outrage and OHKO with either Hidden Power Ice or Ice Punch, respectively. Many of these counters (Cresselia, Suicune, Vaporeon, Hippowdon, Gliscor) can handle hits from the Choice Scarf version very well, though the latter two should avoid catching a Draco Meteor. Porygon2 can come in on Earthquake by Tracing Levitate, and is not 2HKOed by an unboosted Outrage whereas it OHKOes back with Ice Beam. Gardevoir can too come in on weaker Draco Meteors and Earthquake, but fears Outrage more.</p>
