[Overview]
<p>There is no Pokemon more violent than Hydreigon;
Iit's
well-known for attacking anything that so much as moves. This is a fairly apt observation, since in competitive play, Hydreigon will do everything in its power to destroy its target. Hydreigon has a scary combination of high powered STAB moves, high offensive stats and
a wide array of coverage moves that target
s everything in OU for at least neutral damage. While other Dragon-types come close to being uncounterable, Hydreigon drops all pretenses and actually IS uncounterable. To put it bluntly, Hydreigon is flat out impossible to wall, and if you think that it can be beaten by
a Steel-type, think again. It can obliterate every single Steel-type in OU given the chance, and turn them into a fine powder with its large
of selection of coverage moves. If that weren’t enough, Hydreigon has some pretty decent defensive stats for an offensively oriented Pokemon. 92 / 90 / 90
are is nothing to laugh at, and it’ll usually take a strong super effective move to take it down. Access to Levitate AND Roost
makes also means it
's hard to
it wear
it down with hazards. Fortunately (or unfortunately?) Hydreigon has a fairly crippling shortcoming that prevents from utterly destroying teams; its Speed. Its middling Speed stat allows
it to be outsped by virtually every single prominent offensive Pokemon in the tier, which means that it will likely be forced out after it kills something. And this is the fundamental flaw that keeps Hydreigon from being a staple on most teams. It has awesome power, but being forced out after a kill is a clear detriment. Being weak to common priority moves such as Mach Punch and Ice Shard doesn't help either. None of that really matters if you're committed to making Hydreigon work, however. When it comes to pure wallbreaking,
none nothing can match Hydreigon’s ability to eliminate everything in its path.</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Roost / Earthquake / Dark Pulse
item: Life Orb / Expert Belt
nature: Mild / Rash
ability: Levitate
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set takes advantage of Hydreigon's superb offensive stats and incredible coverage to break through common walls and deal heavy damage to the opponent
's team. The beauty of this set is that even if your opponent switches into a resisted attacking move, Hydreigon typically has a coverage move that is powerful enough to 2HKO said switch
-in. Draco Meteor is Hydreigon's strongest move, and is
a great move when used effectively. It
's effects are immediate;
Eeither the opposing Pokemon is flat out OHKOed by the sheer power of Draco Meteor OR the opposing Pokemon is weakened and easier to break through at later points in the match. One important thing to consider is that
the mere threat of Draco Meteor is an advantage, since it also allows for much more liberty in prediction. For example, your opponent isn't likely to leave a Pokemon that takes neutral damage from Draco Meteor in on Hydreigon (unless they're specially defensive) and are far more likely to switch into a Steel-type. From there your choice of appropriate coverage move can pick them off and secure yourself an early game advantage. Fire Blast is an essential coverage move as it semi-perfectly synergizes with Draco Meteor by hitting nearly every Steel-type for super effective damage. Common Steel-types such as Jirachi, Ferrothorn, Forretress
, and Skarmory are beaten with relative ease.</p>
<p>Superpower is an awesome tool for Hydreigon since it allows it to overpower several of its checks. Tyranitar, Heatran
, and Blissey are all capable of tanking Draco Meteor, and don't fear Fire Blast in the slightest, but they cower in the face of Superpower. Tyranitar is always OHKOed by Superpower and Heatran and Blissey both face 2HKO
es from it. Blissey and Heatran are actually 2HKOed by the combination of Draco Meteor and Superpower if Stealth Rock is in play, so you don't actually have to predict with Superpower to defeat them. The final move choice is a tossup and largely based on the player. Roost significantly increases Hydreigon’s durability, and it offsets the recoil from Life Orb. Additionally, it
also (that sort of looks like a tautology [also in a sentence which began with additionally]) has some utility against Stall teams that rely on passive damage to wear down attackers. Earthquake jacks up Hydreigon's offensive power by destroying would
-be checks like Heatran and Jirachi under certain
conditions. With Earthquake as an attacking option, you can play it safe and use Draco Meteor, regardless of Heatran's presence since Earthquake will always crush it to pieces. It's especially effective against Jirachi in the rain too since Hydreigon no longer has to rely on neutral Fire Blast to get consistent damage on it. And finally, we have Dark Pulse which rounds out Hydreigon's final moveslot and provides it with an effective, albeit situational secondary STAB move that is useful against the likes of Reuniclus and Jellicent.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Expert Belt can be used over Life Orb to bluff a Choice set, and it also comes with the ability to avoid recoil and
is still allows Hydreigon to OHKO Tyranitar and 2HKO Blissey and Heatran with Superpower. However, Expert Belt can't compare to the sheer power of Life Orb on average. Mild is the nature of choice because it boosts Hydreigon's Special Attack while also leaving its
Physical Attack stat unhindered. Mild makes Hydreigon a little more susceptible to priority attacks, which results in Hydreigon being a little more vulnerable to Scizor and Mamoswine than usual. You can choose to use a Rash nature over Mild to keep its Physical Defense unhindered, but the consequence of doing this make Hydreigon more susceptible to
Sspecial
Aattacks. Hydreigon tends to switch into resisted Special Attacks from the likes of Rotom-W, Ninetales
, and Politoed so weakening its Special Defense stat will lower its effectiveness against these Pokemon. Another thing to keep in mind is Genesect and it
's
download ability ability, Download, which, depending on the chosen nature
, can result in Genesect receiving an Attack or Special Attack
boost, so choose a nature that lessens Genesect's offensive boost effectiveness towards your team. There shouldn't be any deviations from the standard EV spread, but if you’re anal about outspeeding Timid Hydreigon, Jolly Haxorus
, or Gliscor, a Timid
nature may be used. Hydreigon can use a spread consisting of 56 HP / 252 SpA / 200 to boost its defenses whilst still maintaining the ability to at least outspeed neutral natured Pokemon with base 91 speed and below.</p>
<p>Hydreigon has an extensive movepool;
Iit literally has everything you could ask for in an offensive Pokemon. For instance, Hydreigon can opt to use Focus Blast over Superpower, which trades accuracy and the ability to always beat Tyranitar and Blissey for more power in general, the ability to use a Modest nature and lack of negative stat drops. U-turn provides Hydreigon with some useful scouting and is generally useful, but it goes against the point of using Mixed Attacking Hydreigon in the first place; to force switches and wallbreak. Furthermore, Hydreigon should attempt to stay in battle for as long as possible, since it might not get another chance to attack. Earth Power is similar to Focus Blast in that it’s a special counterpart to Earthquake that does more damage in general
; however
, it’s less effective against Calm Mind Jirachi which makes it an inferior choice. Taunt can be used to shut down Blissey, Chansey, Jellicent
, and other defensive Pokemon that can recover to beat Draco Meteor at all times, without worrying about their current health and battle conditions. Tailwind
ais an unconventional move option
, but it has a few perks that make
s a viable option. It can be used to temporarily grant Hydreigon a complete advantage over offensive teams by outspeeding them
for 3 turns. It’s difficult to justify using Tailwind since Hydreigon is usually better off attacking, but it’s extremely useful in certain cases and can turn a match around when executed properly.</p>
<p>Hydreigon is a very low maintenance Pokemon that doesn’t really need that much support in order to excel. Hazards are useful, but it isn’t really necessary to go beyond Stealth Rock since Hydreigon is 2HKOing most of OU anyway. Chansey is the exception to the aforementioned statement; it avoids the 2HKO from Superpower and needs residual damage in order to be 2HKOed. Fortunately, its lack of passive recovery makes it susceptible to residual damage, meaning it can be beaten under the right circumstances
. (I—it can be 2HKOed by Draco Meteor and Superpower if Stealth Rock and Spikes
are up under Sandstorm
). Despite having no counters to speak of in OU, Hydreigon has a plethora of checks that can stop it from wreaking havoc on the opposing team. It's outsped and OHKOed by pretty much every relevant offensive Pokemon in OU. This means that you’ll probably want to carry checks and counters to popular offensive threats. Latios is an awesome offensive partner to Hydreigon since it
's a good check to Thundurus-T, Keldeo
, and Breloom, all of whom threaten Hydreigon. Hydreigon returns the favor by systematically luring out and beating every single one of Latios’ counters which makes them a formidable offensive duo. Defensive Celebi is a good pick, as it can check Keldeo and counter Breloom,
2 two (I'm not sure if numbers are necessary for <10) Pokemon that turn Hydreigon into a liability as well
as spread paralysis
, which is something Hydreigon greatly appreciates. Genesect
-proofing your team is important, since the mechanical menace is always capable of revenge killing Hydreigon as well as forcing you into a catch 22 situation with U-turn.</p>
<p>Ultimately, Hydreigon users need to contend with the fact that its suboptimal Speed stat will always be its downfall. It
’s sheer destructive power usually makes up
for the difference, but sometimes that
just isn’t enough. In the end, its effectiveness will largely depend on the match. In some cases
, its attempts to crack open teams are thwarted with smart prediction and no openings. In other cases, its high power coverage moves are absolutely ridiculous and impossible to avoid.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Dragon Pulse
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Fire Blast / Roost
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
nature: Modest
ability: Levitate
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Substitute goes hand
-in
-hand with Hydreigon’s excellent coverage and ability to force switches. This set takes a different approach from the previous set; instead of viciously attempting to tear its opponents
a new one apart, this set adopts the tried and true method of whittling down its foes into KO range. Substitute lets Hydreigon scout its checks, protects it from status effects, and most important of all,
it protects Hydreigon from taking hits. Hydreigon's mere presence forces
Pokemon out, so you’ll have no trouble setting up Substitutes on forced switches. In other cases, it
’s typing allows it to set up
(space) Substitutes on Pokemon that can't really damage it
, such as Rotom-W and Celebi. Dragon Pulse is a step down from Draco Meteor, and its disappointing base power leaves a lot to be desired, but it
's a reliable STAB move that generally deals sufficient
damage. Focus Blast and Fire Blast are awesome coverage moves that ensure that Hydreigon hits everything in OU for at least neutral damage. You’re still capable of beating Hydreigon’s most common checks such as Tyranitar
& and Heatran, but dedicated special walls such as Blissey and Chansey are out of your reach. Roost
is a decent alternative to Fire Blast, since it helps stave off
a Substitute recoil and it
's a flat out requirement if you’re planning on using Life Orb, since Substitute and Life Orb recoil (and other forms of passive damage) eventually take their toll on Hydreigon.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb was previously mentioned as an alternative to Leftovers on Hydreigon. With a Life Orb equipped, Hydreigon trades longevity for power, but note that Life Orb basically forces Hydreigon to rely on Roost which could cost you some coverage. A Timid nature
is as always an option for those who want to outspeed Jolly Haxorus, Gliscor
, and Modest Hydreigon. These threats are exceedingly rare
, however, and you're weakening a set that already needs all the power it can get. Dark Pulse can deal with Jellicent and Mew who invest in Special Defense, as well as target Reuniclus. It
's far too weak and specialized to be of any us
e to you on average
, however. Work Up might seem like a lesser option, but when you're safely behind a Substitute and Hydreigon gets going you can really get some damage against the opposing team. With Work Up, Superpower with a Rash or Timid nature can be used over Focus Blast. If you’re worried about consistency, Flamethrower can be used over Fire Blast. It's noticeably weaker than Fire Blast though; Flamethrower fails to 2HKO Specially Defensive Jirachi
, for example. In the same vein, Earth Power can be used over Focus Blast to grant Hydreigon reliable coverage against Heatran and Tyranitar. If the above recommendations are of any indication, this set relies on too many imperfect accuracy moves, so replacing one of them might not seem like a bad idea in practice.</p>
<p>Above all else, this set appreciates having multiple entry hazards on the field. Since Hydreigon is prone to causing switches, and most of its checks are grounded, Spikes users are ideal partners. Deoxys-D is the perfect candidate for the job. It can quickly lay down entry hazards, defeat most spinners and is extremely difficult to OHKO. Ferrothorn, Forretress and Skarmory are also relatively good Spike users each with the ability
of to perform
ing another task for your team
., (T whether it be tanking hits, walling or spinning
). Forretress stands above the rest since it has incredible defensive synergy with Hydreigon, resisting its Ice, Dragon
, and Bug weaknesses and
is being capable of Rapid Spinning.</p>
<p>This set is a lot easier to fit into
the most teams than the previous set. It's useful for players who want a wallbreaking
(no space) Dragon-type that takes neutral damage from Stealth Rock and can switch into weak Grass-, Electric-
, and Water-type moves. It's also useful on offensive-teams, but it tends to fit better on balance
d teams where it
's disappointing
sSpeed isn't as much of a detriment. Hydreigon helps most Pokemon by virtue of wearing down and defeating most walls, but Pokemon like Latios especially appreciate this set for its ability to lure most of its checks and beat them down one on one. In comparison
to the previous set, this set is actually more dangerous against offensive teams. Whereas offensive teams could easily revenge kill the previous set using Pokemon like Genesect or Terrakion, it’s a struggle to actua
lly remove Hydreigon when it
's behind a Substitute, and it usually ends up with the opponent losing at least one Pokemon to remove it from its Substitute. Unfortunately, this set suffers against stall teams since they tend to carry dedicated special walls that can beat this set. Hydreigon will never break through Blissey or Chansey, so running a dedicated counter is helpful. Strong
fFighting-types
are as always
are the solution
the to being walled by pink blobs;
Rrunning any of Terrakion, Breloom or Conkeldurr should suffice.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Draco Meteor
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Fire Blast / Flamethrower
move 4: U-turn / Dark Pulse
item: Choice Specs
nature: Modest
ability: Levitate
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Specs promotes a different way of playing with Hydreigon, which focuses on a more extreme hit and run type playstyle, therefore overriding Hydreigon's standard role of wall-breaking. Choice Specs
-boosted Draco Meteor pretty much steamrolls anything that isn't a dedicated
Sspecial
Wwall or a Steel-type and even then, most Steel-types take heavy damage
from Draco Meteor. Focus Blast is the most important coverage move in this set, and knowing when to use Focus Blast is the key to being effective with
this set it.
(didn't feel that was correct) It let
's Hydreigon overpower its way through most of the Steel-types in OU, in addition to OHKOing all variants of Tyranitar and Heatran as well as 2HKOing Blissey most of the time after Stealth Rock damage. Fire Blast targets Jirachi and
it hits Ferrothorn even harder, though you should avoid using this move in general because it's easily abusable. Tyranitar, Politoed, Heatran
, and Dragon-types can switch in and put your team at a massive disadvantage. Only use Fire Blast when you absolutely need to remove Jirachi or Ferrothorn.</p>
<p>U-turn is a useful move to scout it
's checks and gain momentum, and is useful when paired with a Dugtrio; though on average you're usually better off attacking. Dark Pulse is a fairly strong and consistent STAB move
, though it's similar to Fire Blast
-like Dark STAB in that it's too easy to abuse. It's particular
ly effective against Reuniclus and Jellicent
, should be noted however. This set is easier to use than the previous sets, but therein
(no space) lies the problem;
Tthe Mixed Attacker set is more effective at getting KOs because of its ability to switch moves.
The Choice Specs is easier to use in general since you can spam Draco Meteor to get meaningful damage on most of OU but don't be tricked into thinking that this is acceptable, because you're better off using the Mixed Attacker set if you want to simply kill things. If you're going to use Choice Specs, it's for its 20% boost in power and lack of recoil in comparison to the Mixed Attacker set.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Scarf is capable of revenge killing faster threats, which is
a an obvious use it has over the Choice Specs set. On the other hand, the Choice Scarf is completely inferior at actual
ly killing things, and it's useless in the face of sturdy Pokemon. It's somewhat of a hybrid set
,. It's and is a gimmicky version of Choice Specs
, that can only kill weakened Pokemon or Pokemon that are weak to Hydreigon's coverage moves
but you're and is also a gimmicky Choice Scarf user, with suboptimal speed and an abusable STAB move. What makes Choice Scarf Hydreigon so difficult to justify using is
that that, looking at the set as one whole, cohesive experience,
Iit's sorely lacking and a definite crutch. However, it does exactly what it
's intended to do, and that hasn't stopped a large number of players from using it. Surf is a legitimate option over Fire Blast on rain teams. It's a pseudo-STAB move under the rain that's effective against Heatran, Jirachi
, and the rest of the Steel-types while also maintaining some effectiveness against Tyranitar as well. Earth Power can be used over Focus Blast as a weaker, albeit more consistent coverage
move that targets Tyranitar and grounded-Steel-types such as Jirachi and Heatran. You give up at ever being able to defeat Blissey without Focus Blast
, however. Superpower might seem like a weird option on a Choice Specs set but a neutral natured 0 attack Superpower can 2HKO Blissey and almost always OHKO
es Tyranitar after Stealth Rock.</p>
<p>Since Choice Specs Hydreigon is a useful battering ram
that can basically be used on any team, it doesn't necessarily need much team support to be of any use. Choice Specs Hydreigon appreciates having entry hazards since it can turn 3HKO
es into 2HKO
es and 2HKO
es into OHKO
es. Since Blissey and Blissey are full stops to this set, carrying appropriate counters can do wonders. Choice Band Dugtrio is capable of 2HKOing Blissey after Stealth Rock damage, but removing Chansey is a little trickier. Fortunately, since it's forced to rely on Eviolite, wearing it down with hazards and passive damage is fairly easy;
Iit only needs a little passive damage in order to be 2HKOed by Focus Blast. You can also rely on Stealth Rock and a single layer of Spikes to guarantee the 2HKO. If nothing else
, you should realize that the Pokemon that benefit the offensive set
, also benefit
s the Choice Specs set.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Hydreigon's offensive movepool is enormous;
Iit has access to nearly every single respectable attacking move in the game, which gives it a myriad of options to choose from. On the physical side
, Hydreigon has access to Acrobatics, Crunch, Dragon Tail, Outrage and Head Smash. One can to opt use a Choice Band set mostly consisting of these moves, however it's mostly outclassed by other Choice Band using Dragon-types. Hydreigon has access to Thunder Wave and can use it on any given set to cripple attackers, however it's not that useful since most
iof its common switch
-ins are barely impeded by Thunder Wave. Hydreigon can use a defensive set consisting of Taunt /
T-wave Thunder Wave (abbreviations aren't necessary IMO, but...) / Dragon Tail
and / Roost and act as sort of defensive tank that spreads paralysis, strikingly similar to the Parashuffle set that Dragonite employs. Truthfully,
tTaunt is a fairly large reason to use it over Dragonite since it prevents Pokemon from setting hazards on it
, though usually you're much better off using Dragonite or any of Hydreigon's other sets. Make no mistake:
Tthese moves and sets are in Other Options for a reason. It's not because the moves themselves are poor, but because a large number of of these moves are significantly outclassed by the ones already listed in the above sets.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>There aren't any! The closest thing to a concrete counter now is Chansey, but even then it's easily 2HKOed by Superpower with some prior damage (a common reality when you consider that Chansey doesn't use Leftovers). Nothing else can touch Hydreigon on a good day. Tyranitar is always OHKOed by Superpower and Ferrothorn and Jirachi are burned alive by Fire Blast. Heatran is OHKOed by Earthquake and it takes a ton of damage from Superpower and everything else is at best 2HKOed by Draco Meteor. Fortunately, Hydreigon is fairly easy to check in the current BW metagame. The omni-present Genesect is quite simply the best Hydreigon check in the tier and a common obstacle for Hydreigon users. Genesect can either hit it with a powerful Ice Beam or U-turn to simulatenously threaten Hydreigon and it
's team mates while also gaining momentum in the process. Tornadus-T, Breloom
, and Keldeo are common and every single one of them can destroy Hydreigon with their powerful Fighting-type moves. The ever
-popular Terrakion exists at every corner, waiting to turn Hydreigon into a liability as it
forcibly is forced to switch
es out from its powerful Close Combat
's. It's also naturally outsped and KOed by Latios and Latias. Outside of fast offensive checks, you can rely on good old fashion
ed priority to take it down. Aside from Breloom, Mamoswine and Scizor are decent choices, though they should only bother trying to on Hydreigon when it's been weakened because those 92 / 90
(space) physical defenses are nothing to sneeze at.</p>
