Hydreigon
QC: Bouff / dodmen / Amaroq
GP: The Dutch Plumberjack
[OVERVIEW]
* A great offensive typing with very spammable STAB moves allows Hydreigon to excel at several roles.
* An expansive offensive movepool allows it to carry coverage for every Pokemon in the tier.
* Hydreigon has great bulk for an offensive Pokemon, which is enhanced further by several useful resistances.
* A good Speed tier allows Hydreigon to function well, although missing out on base 100s can be disappointing at times.
* Its weakness to some common types such as Fighting and Fairy can be taken advantage of. Threats such as Primarina, Cobalion, and Bisharp can also make use of opportunities provided by Hydreigon, so it must be used carefully.
* Due to its Dark typing, Hydreigon is suspectible to common priority moves from Pokemon such as Infernape and Conkeldurr.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Draco Meteor
move 3: Fire Blast
move 4: U-turn
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Dark Pulse does consistent damage and takes care of Psychic- and Ghost-types well.
* Draco Meteor is used in case a stronger STAB attack is necessary, but it leaves Hydreigon at -2 Special Attack and as such in an exploitable state.
* Fire Blast is coverage to hit Steel-type Pokemon such as Bisharp and Cobalion, which can otherwise switch into Hydreigon's STAB moves.
* U-turn can be used to gain momentum upon forcing a switch and allows Hydreigon to escape from many Pokemon that beat it such as Togekiss.
Set Details
========
* Full Special Attack investment is used in order to hit as hard as possible.
* Full Speed investment with a Timid nature is used to outpace Pokemon such as Krookodile and Haxorus.
* A Choice Scarf allows Hydreigon to outspeed the entirety of the unboosted metagame.
* Although Hydreigon has no other abilities, Levitate makes it immune to moves such as Earthquake and Earth Power, which it can use for opportunities to switch in.
* A Modest nature can be used to secure a guaranteed KO with Draco Meteor on Mega Aerodactyl after Stealth Rock, but this comes at the cost of being outsped by other Choice Scarf users like Krookodile and setup sweepers like Dragon Dance Haxorus.
Usage Tips
========
* Its typing and natural bulk allow Hydreigon to pivot into many different Pokemon, and this should be taken advantage of. It can switch into a lot of Ground- and Psychic-types and even absorb hits from strong wallbreakers such as Chandelure and Entei to gain opportunities. While it can switch into Pokemon like Raikou and Gengar, it must be wary of coverage options.
* Use Hydreigon to take out the Pokemon you switched into. If you are expecting them to switch to a Pokemon that deals well with Hydreigon, such as Blissey or a Fairy-type like Togekiss, U-turn out to gain momentum. If you are expecting them to go to a Pokemon like Keldeo that you want to dent as heavily as possible, use Draco Meteor.
* Keep Hydreigon healthy in case it is necessary to check Pokemon such as Zygarde-10% and Bisharp in the late-game.
* If the opponent carries a Pokemon like Bisharp or Cobalion that can switch into Hydreigon's usual STAB attacks, consider using Fire Blast to KO these Pokemon on the switch.
* As this set is very fast, using Hydreigon to revenge kill certain threats like Gengar and Alakazam is a good option.
* Be very mindful of Primarina, as it can switch in with ease and oftentimes nab a KO.
* Against weakened offense teams, Choice Scarf Hydreigon can sometimes clean with Dark Pulse.
Team Options
========
* Pokemon such as Cobalion and Scizor can commonly set up on a Hydreigon locked into Draco Meteor, so bulky Water-types such as Swampert and Mega Blastoise make good partners for it.
* Steel-type Pokemon such as Scizor and Cobalion also make for great partners, as they cover many of Hydreigon's weaknesses: Hydreigon is weak to Fairy-types such as Sylveon and Togekiss, and it also sports a weakness to its own Dragon-type; faster Dragon-types such as Choice Scarf Latias or Dragon-types that survive a -2 Draco Meteor such as Kyurem will try to pressure it, and Steel-types can take care of all of these threats.
* Poison-type Pokemon like Tentacruel and Gengar also pair well with Hydreigon, as they can mitigate its weakness to Fighting-types like Conkeldurr and offer another check to Fairy-types. They can also either support Hydreigon with Rapid Spin and Toxic Spikes or form a good offensive core to apply pressure. In turn, Hydreigon can absorb Psychic- and Ground-type attacks aimed at them.
* As Fighting-types like Choice Scarf Mienshao can revenge kill Hydreigon, sturdy Fighting-type switch-ins like Gliscor and Crobat make for good partners. Hydreigon can also switch into Scalds or Thunderbolts for them. Choice Scarf Keldeo can still be an issue, but Psychic-types like Celebi can be used to check it.
* Alolan Ninetales, while susceptible to Fire Blast, is a large threat to Hydreigon otherwise. Thus, Fire-types like Entei and Chandelure, which resist both of Alolan Ninetales's STAB moves, are great partners for Hydreigon.
[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Fire Blast / Flash Cannon
move 4: Roost / Flash Cannon
item: Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Draco Meteor is Hydreigon's most powerful STAB attack and breaks a large range of Pokemon. It does come with the drawback of lowering Hydreigon's Special Attack stat by two stages for each use, though.
* Dark Pulse is used as an additional STAB attack to cover Ghost-types and Psychic-types like Chandelure and Necrozma reliably while adding to Hydreigon's neutral coverage.
* Fire Blast is used to hit Steel-types such as Scizor and remove them instantly.
* Roost is used for longevity, as it allows Hydreigon to keep itself healthy against a multitude of Pokemon that it checks, and win many more situations one-on-one.
* Flash Cannon can be used instead of Fire Blast or Roost to hit Fairy-types such as Clefable and Togekiss on the switch and subsequently 2HKO them. It is not a worse option than either of the other moves.
* Iron Tail can be used with a Naive nature over Roost, as it can 2HKO Cleric Sylveon, but Flash Cannon already deals massive damage so only a little bit of chip damage would be needed. Flash Cannon is also far more reliable, as it cannot miss and secures the 2HKO on more popular Fairy-types just fine.
* Superpower is another move that can be used over Roost and requires a Naive nature. It specifically serves the purpose of eliminating Blissey, which falls if Stealth Rock is up, it switches into a Draco Meteor, and it then gets hits by a Superpower. It also serves as coverage for certain other Pokemon like Empoleon.
* Tailwind is an option over Roost, as it can help with taking apart offense teams and support its teammates with a temporary Speed boost.
* Taunt can be used in the third slot to stop Pokemon such as Blissey and specially defensive Gliscor from functioning properly and allows Hydreigon to take them on one-on-one. However, this version of Hydreigon operates very differently from the proposed wallbreaker and lets the tier's many Fairy-types switch in freely.
Set Details
========
* The Speed EVs allow Hydreigon to outpace many unboosted threats in the metagame such as Krookodile and Haxorus.
* All EVs possible are put into Special Attack, as this version of Hydreigon functions as a wallbreaker and wants to threaten as many slower Pokemon as possible with its power and coverage.
* A Life Orb is used to further raise Hydreigon's power, allowing it to reach absurd levels.
* Levitate may be the only ability, but it equips Hydreigon with a Ground immunity, letting it find more opportunities to switch in and wallbreak.
Usage Tips
========
* This kind of Hydreigon enjoys switching in on weak hits from Pokemon such as Slowbro and Swampert and taking advantage of this by firing off strong STAB Draco Meteors.
* If Steel-types such as Cobalion are present that may attempt to tank Draco Meteor, Fire Blast can be used to remove them on a predicted switch.
* Dark Pulse is used as a STAB attack without the drawback of lowering Hydreigon's Special Attack and allows it to beat many Pokemon such as Reuniclus and Chandelure reliably.
* If the opponent has a Fairy-type such as Togekiss or Clefable and you expect them to switch it into your Hydreigon, do not be afraid to predict and hit Flash Cannon, as it can 2HKO these Pokemon. Be wary of Primarina, though, as it can still switch in easily and oftentimes claim a KO in return.
* If Hydreigon is starting to get worn down, use Roost to regain health. This can be an important tool when slowly breaking apart bulkier cores, as even weak hits and potential residual damage from Scald burns or Hippowdon's Sand Stream can slowly add up.
* Unless you are running Superpower, Blissey stops this set in its tracks; however, an expected Blissey switch-in can also be used to double switch out into a Pokemon that takes advantage of this.
* This set in particular can absorb Knock Off from Pokemon such as Krookodile well, as it can Roost off the damage. Hydreigon still does not want to lose its Life Orb, but it is a trade it can easily take. However, it must be wary of switching into Krookodile's Superpower.
Team Options
========
* Toxic Spikes users such as Tentacruel and Roserade pair well with Hydreigon, as the entry hazard is very useful in wearing down opposing teams and punishes the opponent when Hydreigon Roosts. They also act as decent checks to Fairy-types such as Sylveon and can soft check Fighting-types such as Mienshao and Keldeo; however, they should never be run as the sole answer to those.
*Scizor can deal with Hydreigon's weakness to Fairy-types such as Clefable and Ice-types like Alolan Ninetales and can absorb Draco Meteors from opposing Dragon-types such as Latias. It can also U-turn to set Hydreigon back in, allowing it to continue its wallbreaking job. Meanwhile, Hydreigon can absorb Fire-type attacks aimed at Scizor.
* Pokemon that can absorb Fighting-type attacks and act as a pivot such as Gliscor and Crobat work well with this set. However, one must be careful to avoid stacking Ice weaknesses, as many Fighting-type checks are part Flying-type. If weakness stacking occurs, this has to be patched up by another partner, such as Cobalion. Psychic-types such as Celebi and Slowbro can be used as Fighting-type checks instead to alleviate this, but those usually lack a move to regain momentum. They do, however, provide a sturdier answer to Keldeo.
* Choice Scarf users such as Infernape and Keldeo benefit from Hydreigon's wallbreaking capabilities and can attempt to clean after those. They can also switch into U-turns from Scizor, which can be valuable if Hydreigon is lacking Fire Blast.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Flash Cannon
move 4: Fire Blast / Focus Blast
item: Choice Specs
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Draco Meteor is used to wallbreak, as it deals heavy damage even to Pokemon that resist it. However, this comes with the drawback of dropping Hydreigon's Special Attack stat by two stages for each consecutive use.
* Dark Pulse is used because it gains STAB and provides great neutral coverage. It also allows Hydreigon to check Ghost- and Psychic-types without locking itself into a move with as large a drawback as Draco Meteor.
* Flash Cannon is used to lure in and defeat even specially bulky Fairy-types. Even Cleric Sylveon is 2HKOed.
* Fire Blast is used to defeat Steel-types such as Scizor, Klefki, and Bisharp.
* Focus Blast can be used instead, as it still maintains coverage for Steel-types such as Cobalion and Bisharp but also gains coverage against Empoleon and bulky Normal-types such as Porygon2 and Snorlax. This does come at a loss of accuracy and the ability to OHKO Scizor, as well as the property of having a 50% chance to OHKO specially defensive Klefki after Stealth Rock.
Set Details
========
* Special Attack is maximized, as it allows Hydreigon to hit as hard as possible, enabling it to wallbreaker to the best of its ability.
* Choice Specs is used to further boost the power of Hydreigon's moves at the cost of being locked into them.
* A Timid nature as well as maximum Speed investment lets Hydreigon outspeed vast portions of the metagame, including Entei and Krookodile.
* Levitate is Hydreigon's only ability and allows it to switch into common Ground-type attacks with ease.
Usage Tips
========
* Similarly to its Life Orb set, Choice Specs Hydreigon aims to wallbreak early on in the game.
* Volt Switch and U-turn users such as Raikou and Crobat can use their momentum-gaining moves to set Hydreigon in, as Hydreigon can usually deal well with their counters.
* Its typing, natural bulk, and ability still allow Hydreigon to find plenty of opportunities to switch in by itself on Pokemon such as Slowbro, Swampert, and Tentacruel.
* Once Hydreigon is on the field, it should see if it can fire off a powerful Draco Meteor. While this leaves Hydreigon at -2, the move is very strong, and extremely few Pokemon can take it on reliably.
* Dark Pulse can be used when dealing with bulky Psychic-types such as Necrozma and Reuniclus.
* If Fairy-type Pokemon such as Togekiss and Sylveon are present on the opposing team, Flash Cannon should be used in an attempt to lure them in and KO them. Primarina can still switch in once, even with Stealth Rock up, so you should be careful around it or it can get a KO against your team.
* Fire Blast can hit Steel-type switch-ins like Scizor and Forretress that would otherwise be a nuisance. Despite this, it is oftentimes not worth predicting Steel-types with lower Special Defense such as Cobalion to switch in, as they will take enough damage from Draco Meteor.
* Be mindful of residual damage from Scald burns, Toxic, or potentially Hippowdon's Sand Stream, as this Hydreigon set is prone to getting worn down quickly.
Team Options
========
* Fighting-type answers are appreciated. Pokemon like Crobat and Gliscor deal well with Mienshao, while Pokemon like Tentacruel, Roserade, and Celebi can take on Keldeo better.
* Steel-types such as Scizor that take care of Fairy-types and Ice-types like Clefable and Alolan Ninetales are still required, as those threats will still get ample opportunity to use Moonblast or Blizzard against Hydreigon.
* This set appreciates Spikes support from Klefki a lot, and it can in return absorb Ground- and Fire-type attacks aimed at it. However, as this Hydreigon lacks Roost, be mindful or it will get worn down quickly.
* Clerics and Wish users such as Clefable and Alomomola can make for decent partners on bulky offensive builds, as they prevent Hydreigon from getting worn down.
* Healing Wish users in particular is a strong option with this set. Celebi in particular can perform this role well, as it also checks Keldeo for Hydreigon.
* Fighting-types that take advantage of Blissey while having decent cleaning potential make for good partners. Choice Scarf Infernape and Choice Scarf Keldeo are the first that come to mind.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* A bulkier set with Taunt and Roost can be used as a utility slot on stall teams.
* A Choice Band set can be run to surprise standard checks and counters and lure them in.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-types**: Pokemon like Infernape and Conkeldurr can threaten even Choice Scarf Hydreigon with strong priority. On top of that, Infernape and Keldeo can run either a Choice Scarf set to outspeed Choice Scarf Hydreigon or a multitude of other sets to deal with non-Choice Scarf Hydreigon due to their higher base Speed.
**Alolan Ninetales**: While it cannot deal with Steel or Fire coverage well, Alolan Ninetales can beat many common Hydreigon sets easily.
**Scizor**: Scizor can take advantage of Choice-locked sets or those lacking Fire Blast, as the more specially defensive variants are at best 3HKOed by non-Choice Specs Dark Pulse and can as such take on Hydreigon's Choice Scarf and Life Orb sets.
**Fairy-types**: Pokemon like Clefable and Togekiss can come in on Hydreigon, and it cannot fight back unless it predicts the switch and hits them with a Flash Cannon or an Iron Tail.
**Bulky Normal-types**: Blissey gets a special mention here, but Snorlax and Porygon2 can also wall most Hydreigon sets unless it packs super effective coverage.
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